Diana Krall, Wallflower

Bombaywalla, to help you a bit with Oregonpapa's above excellent point I'll give you some "real" lounge music for comparason. I bought a CD of this guy based on a recommendation on this site and paid 30.00 for the privilege. Well recorded is it's only virtue to these ears and to date I still can't listen through it at one sitting it is so absolutely boring. I've chosen a cut from the album I have. Who knows, maybe you'll like it. If so PM me and I'll give you a good deal on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ann98QsOT20

As an aside, or I should say back to topic, Diana Krall is coming to town at The King Center in Melbourne Florida in mid April. I'm going to try and get tickets if they are still available. She isn't my favorite singer for sure but she does have great legs, a pleasant voice and she plays decent piano, not a bad combination of virtues. I really love some of her cover songs particularly "I've got you under my skin". Maybe she will more so after this show.

Tubegroover, thanks for the link to a track from your expensive lounge music CD. Yeah, it's pretty awful! Sorry to confirm this.
When I want lounge music I turn to sky.fm (now Radio Tunes) & get my fill from that stream.

DK is also coming to town in April & I spent a reasonable amount on tix to see her. Let's hope it's a good concert.....

Diana Krall ... Live at Newport 1999.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXLMCMIGb0s

And then there is the genius of Michel Petrucciani:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrjzobMEu2Q

Saw her in concert very recently in April 2015. Overall I *think* I liked the concert but there were many times that I wondered what i was doing in being present in the audience...
On all her album covers she looks cold even tho she's blonde & is being sold to the public as a "babe". In person, I confirmed (to myself) that she is cold. I couldn't spy any warmth in her. I suppose that's just her personality - take it or leave it...
I personally don't think she's a good showman (i've seen better & way better) but the wife thought that she was funny. She was trying to be funny & managed to sound somewhat funny at times. The crowd just lapped it up. One guy shouted "I love you Diana!" & another guy up in the balcony area immediately shouted back "I love you more Diana!". That got the crowd laughing alright!
The video on the screen behind was from the silent movie days & IMPO was just weird!
The songs she sung were good in general but I really liked her delivery of Calif Dreaming, Street full of Broken Hearts & there was one more I'm forgetting.
She did sing "peel me a grape" but I felt that she butchered the song totally - nothing even remotely similar to the studio version (which is from here Love Scenes album, which i have). The entire thing about that song is her intonation & emphasis on certain words that really make that song. If you skip on those emphasis, it becomes just a lack-luster song [which is what this concert version was :( ]
I probably will not go back for another DK concert - been there, done that!

Should I buy Wallflower? Should i not buy Wallflower?? Like Raymonda wrote - the utter lack of passion in all the songs in Wallflower maybe makes it a work of art?? in a decision limbo on this album.
IMPO her best 2 albums are "Stepping Out" & "When I look in your eyes".

If you listen to Krall on her early discs and watch her in concert on her early stuff, she sound fresh and alive. Personally, I think her voice has gotten tired. It happens to the best of them ... although it usually takes longer. Case in point: Does anyone own Ella's recording with Joe Pass on the Pablo label?

I saw Ella in her last performance at the Hollywood Bowl. She appeared with Mel Torme. Ella's glaucoma was so bad, she had to be guided to the microphone. The voice was strained. It was warbly, it was weak ... but it was still Ella. I actually cried a little .. somewhat out of gratitude for her past greatness and the joy I gleaned from that greatness, and somewhat out of sadness for her demise. That's a night I won't forget. The last breath of a great song stylist.