Turn Up The Quiet

CD Review 2017 VerveAn excellent recording but one which misses being reference or demo quality for me as the sound stage is I feel very limited. The vocals are front and centre. The double bass is excellent as is the piano sound. I feel that this recording tries too hard to be a cosy fireside recording rather like some Bing Crosby recordings. I find it a little too rich and hard to digest rather like Christmas pudding.I have not set out to write reviews of the music content as “beauty is in the ears of the listener”. These reviews are about the quality (or not) of the recorded sound. To read about how the reviews are done please see my profile. • Clarity – very good, revealing • Channel separation – limited due to the nature of the musical arrangements • Channel balance – very good, sounds like a mono recording (which it’s not) but very clever use is made of the left and right channels to project the sound stage • Sound Stage – very detailed but not very wide however very deep to place the accompanists • Distortion – none audible • Compression – very good frequency range. Instruments range well from high to low volume • Atmosphere – a studio recording trying for an intimate club or small lounge atmosphere. Quite a bit of reverb and echo present to give the recording the illusion of space. Vocals are very breathy to give the impression of intimacy. • Bass – low frequencies – the double bass is excellent having a very good tone. Definitely has the distinctive sound of a wooden double bass. The drums are restrained but sound good. • Treble – high frequencies – the piano has a very good sound with clear note decay as does the electric guitar. Cymbals are clear but do not dominate • Vocals – very good but fat too “breathy” for my taste but very deep, full and rich.As a general rule of thumb recordings from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s are nearly always better on the original vinyl. Remasters often fail to please as it’s just not possible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, i.e. the original recording lacks the necessary detail to be processed digitally and show an audible improvement. Indeed such processing can make the sound worse.Modern recordings which have been processed digitally from start to finish can be as good as vinyl. CD’s are often unfairly criticised for being poor quality. This is not the case, it is the original recording or the process which is to blame. Modern “remasters” can both enhance and degrade a recording. The statement GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is the limiting factor. Ignore this at your cost.

positive experience

For me, one of Diana Krall's better albums

You know the drill. Diana chooses a dozen or so American Songbook standards, hires the best people in the business to arrange and play, drops the tempo by 20-30bpm then breathes the songs huskily into the mic. Works every time for me. These songs are, for me, the finest tunes and lyrics ever written and I have, for the past 30 years, enjoyed listening to them performed with jazz-inflected arrangements by newer generations of musicians, recorded with sparkling clarity. Long may it continue

Diana Krall is a talented artist who over the years has shown she is prepared to experiment. This her latest album is a return to jazz that I like to think is her first love. It is a a masterclass of the way things should be done with a nod in the direction of a kinder simpler time when giants like Chet Baker,Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra sought inspiration from the great American songbook from which all eleven of the featured songs are drawn. The performances are gentle, the lyrics sensitively interpreted and above all it swings.The over production and thumping electronics that infest so much of modern music is completely missing. The musicians sensitively support and are a joy to listen to in their own right,production is gentle enhancing the feel and mood of the album not spoiling it.I can well imagine the album will not find favour with everyone but for me it is a joy. Listen to the bass setting the tempo on the very first track 'Like Someone in Love' even before Diana Kralls fine interpretation kicks in and be thankful that swing is not yet dead. An unreserved recommendation

I was delighted to see that, after a gap of about 3 years, Miss Krall was releasing a new album, and I put in my order at the earliest opportunity. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Both her vocals and her piano work are well up to the mark here as she works through 11 first-class, and varied, standards. She is joined along the way by a range of fine jazz musicians - some with whom she has notably recorded in the past (including guitarists Russell Malone and Anthony Wilson, bassists Christian McBride and John Clayton Jr, and Jeff Hamilton on drums), and others recording with her for the first time. And the programme includes 4 numbers where she is also accompanied by strings - not of the cloying or obtrusive variety but light and beautifully arranged by New Zealander Alan Broadbent, a master of the art. Thoroughly recommended.

I recommend this vinyl album. It's a very well-recorded album that also features a graphic quality cover. As for the music, Diana Krall's voice and her band sound very pleasant and with great clarity and separation of instruments. There is virtually no noise between tracks. Amazon's fast delivery service with the carefully packaged album is also a strong point for those who are undecided.

Have all of Diana Krall's works and whilst this one goes back to her roots I was overall pleasantly surprised with her renditions of old classics..her arrangements drawing out the pace in the melodies together with her sultry diction perfect delivery is outstanding. She has a wonderful ability and although to some this may be a meloncholy album set for me what better way to wind down after a tough day than listening to such a talented accomplished jazz pianist and artist. Double bass on several entries for me really hits the spot.

As a longtime fan of Diana, I've enjoyed her forays into new compositions with "Girl in the Other Room","Glad Doll Rag", and the rip down memory lane of 80's soft rock on "Wallflowers." While she is knownfor singing standards, this album is a fresh take on those songs with a softer, more emotional approachthat is not belted out and makes for an enjoyable after a long day sound with a glass of wine or a hotbath. As a Senior, it hits the spot for me.

LP is a good two disc pressing. Tracks on three sides and fourth side is blank, can be used to check cartridge skating. Good sound.

Danke

Jazzlåtar med "Diana Krall".

Buen lp lo recomiendo