Diana Krall - Turn Up The Quiet (Decca / Verve 5735217)

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

This latest release album from the pianist/singer finds her returning to well-known standards from the Great American Songbook. Reuniting with producer Tommy LiPuma for the first time since 2009’s Bossa Nova inspired Quiet Nights, Ms. Krall works with a trio of lineups on Turn Up the Quiet, alternating between a trio, quartet, and a quintet. The album isn’t divided into triads but rather gently shifts between these bands, a move that’s sometimes imperceptible because the focus is firmly on Ms. Krall, the pianist. Her voice often operates at a managed hushed whisper, a decision that suits this collection of romantic and dreamy material.It also underscores the importance of the record’s title and that emphasizes her lithe pianism along with the solo spotlights from her featured musicians, guitarists Russell Malone, Anthony Wilson, and Marc Ribot, along with supple playing by bassists Christian McBride, Tony Garnier, and Anthony Wilson.Violinist Stuart Duncan, in particular, stuns with his solos on I’ll See You In My Dreams and Moonglow. The vocalist keeps things smoky and subdued throughout the recording, a method she seems to have mastered.This is a recording for the wee small hours of the morning or for that special dinner party gathering. It won’t offend or intrude and the end result is so elegant, it seems effortless

Barry O’Sullivan