The jazz singer and pianist unfurled a beautifully ‘brooding’ set in her Monday tour stop, with Michigan’s Abigail Stauffer opening. The review and photos at LOcal Spins.
Alluring, Moody: Diana Krall and band at Meijer Gardens on Monday. (Photo/Jake Orr)
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“I’ve always felt very welcome and at home here,” Diana Krall told a subdued crowd gathered at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Monday night. “It’s a pleasure to play here.”
The Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist and pianist was embraced warmly, if quietly, on the hot summer night, bringing a brooding, mysterious quality to her hour-and-a-half set. Joined by the magic duo of Sebastian Steinberg on upright bass and Brian Blade on drums, Krall swept listeners into various moods, some dark, some a little lighter.
“Almost Like Being in Love” launched the show with Krall’s signature sultriness, while “All or Nothing at All” concluded with a feeling of nodding off into dreamland.
Mostly known as a masterful interpreter of classic jazz vocalists, such as Shirley Horn, Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and others, Krall touched on deep wells of emotion as she placed her stamp on standards such as “S’Wonderful,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and her alluring version of Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love.”
Her cover of Tom Waits’ song “Take It With Me” was sung from a shattered heart, or at least that’s the way Krall delivered it, achingly raw and sad.
The crowd matched the singer in its languid energy, clapping for each song, but rarely making any other noise. The exception was when Krall broke into “The Girl in the Other Room,” a tune from her 2004 album of the same name, her only record with all original songs and co-written with husband Elvis Costello. Then audience members hooted a bit in recognition.
Wearing dark sunglasses throughout the show and often tossing her blonde mane of hair, the singer seemed a bit off at times, as if somewhat disconnected from the audience. Her golden voice seemed more gravelly and smoky than usual, and her demeanor was stoic. Still, for her many fans in West Michigan, a show by the beloved Canadian contralto is always a thing of beauty, even if, in this case, that beauty was a bit on the dark side.
Infusing the stage with a brightness to controvert the melancholy spirit to come, Michigan-based soulful folkie Abigail Stauffer and Wisdom opened the show. “Wisdom” refers to “Dave the Cellist,” who gorgeously accompanied Stauffer’s sparkling vocals, ukulele and acoustic guitar with his jazz cello.
His work particularly shone on “Fragile,” a haunting song in which he produced exquisite whale sounds from his instrument. Another highlight was “Wanderer,” brimming with solace and grace.
UP NEXT AT MEIJER GARDENS: The Revivalists and Pernikoff Brothers perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday (June 18). The concert is sold out.
PHOTO GALLERY: Diana Krall, Abigail Stauffer & Wisdom at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Jake Orr
