Keyboards of Canada: Diana Krall 60

Diana Krall Trio - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Hello again and happy weekend! Today we'll celebrate a milestone birthday for a star of the modern Jazz scene.

In doing so, we'll also tribute one of her associates who also had a birthday earlier this month, but who sadly passed away too young last year.

Discovered by bass brahmin Ray Brown at the start of the 1980s, it took another decade for her to initiate a launch sequence and make her first record, which hit in 1992.

Once she had, it wasn't long before she began a rapid ascent to the top of her craft, and recognition as one of the rising superstars of the music.

She's been at the apex of Jazz ever since, with record after record topping the charts all over the world.

Along the way she's received numerous awards and accolades, toured the world leading countless groups, and married some guy called Elvis. No, not that Elvis.

When she really started breaking out in the '90s, she tapped another then-rising star to be her guitar player, taking her to a whole other level in the concert setting.

This guy went on to turn the Jazz world upside down in his own right before passing away about 16 months ago at the way too soon age of 60, and his name was Russell Malone.

Speaking of 60, that's the number Diana Krall -- as beloved and topselling a Jazz artist as has existed in our lifetimes -- turns today.

In honor of the approaching occasion, I spent a week putting together a sweet 2 1/2 hour example of the two of them in full flight.

One show here even features bass deity Christian McBride alongside them, as all-star a band as you'll see on any field in the major leagues.

Diana Krall Trio

Le Festival International du Jazz du Montréal

Le Spectrum de Montréal

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

7.5.1996

01 Boulevard of Broken Dreams

02 The Frim-Fram Sauce

03 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You

04 Dream a Little Dream of Me

05 Hit That Jive, Jack

06 'Deed I Do

07 Straighten Up and Fly Right

08 They Can't Take That Away from Me

09 Comes Love/Fever

10 Russell Malone solo/Route 66

11 Errand Girl for Rhythm

12 Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?

13 I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You

Total time: 1:17:46

Tracks 11 & 12 are bonus cuts from Glenn Gould Studio, CBC Centre Toronto ON Canada 3.2.1996 FM

Track 13 is a bonus cut from Jazz Jamboree '97, Warsaw PL 10.22.1997 FM

Diana Krall - piano and vocals

Russell Malone - guitar & vocals

Paul Keller - bass & vocals

Tracks 01-10 are from a hifi VHS capture of the original CBC-TV broadcast

Tracks 11 & 12 are from a master off-air FM cassette capture

Track 13 is from a master digital off-air FM capture

assembled, edited, denoised & remastered by EN, November 2024
456 MB FLAC/link below

Diana Krall Trio

"Impulse! celebrates John Coltrane"

Village Vanguard

New York City, New York USA

9.28.1997

01 WBGO-FM introduction by Michael Bourne

02 All or Nothing At All

03 My Shining Hour

04 I Miss You So

05 How Deep Is the Ocean?

06 Lost Mind

07 Just You, Just Me

08 I Don't Know Enough About You

09 They Can't Take That Away from Me

10 Dedicated to You

11 Peel Me a Grape

12 Bessie's Blues

13 Bessie's Blues (reprise)/FM outro

Total time: 1:18:45

Diana Krall - piano & vocals

Russell Malone - guitar

Christian McBride - bass

1st Gen DAT clone of a master digital capture of the original WBGO-FM broadcast

somewhat denoised, edited, retracked & remastered by EN, November 2024
428 MB FLAC/direct link to both shows

These performances provide an excellent gateway into the world of this tremendous contemporary artist if you've never heard of her, or a vital addition to her existing canon if you're already familiar with what she does.

I'll return towards the end of the month with the 50th anniversary of the departure of another legend.

In the meantime, don't miss out on these wonderful concerts from the iconic Diana Krall, born this day in 1964 and probably not even at her peak yet as a player and singer.--J.