Happy birthday to Diana Krall! It's tough to imagine that one of the bestselling performers in modern jazz has reached 50 years-old (until you remember that she made multiple guest appearances on Melrose Place (she doesn't look 50 to us, for what it's worth)). Check out our five favorite albums from the pianist/vocalist and weigh in at the bottom with your own personal preferences.
All For You: A Dedication to The Nat King Cole Trio (1995)
Any jazz purist will point out that Krall built up her career by covering famous standards established by performers from eras past (in her defense, so did many jazz players). All For You dedicates her attention to one performer in particular: Nat King Cole. Her fangirl nature here is understandable, considering the pair share the position of headlining pianist/vocalist, although we appreciate that she gives a shout out to the other members of Cole's band in the title, such as guitarist Oscar Moore. She also deserves kudos for not messing with the classic "Sweet Lorraine."
Love Scenes (1997)
Krall didn't have to hide behind any famous jazz names for this record to sell big. Love Scenes would be her first record to debut on the Billboard 200 (peaking at no. 109) and would go on to become her first platinum-selling album. "They Can't Take That Away from Me" might be the most recognizable title on the compilation but our favorite has to be "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You," a cover of a Bing Crosby classic. Enjoy the appearance of virtuoso double-bassist Christian McBride in this trio as well.
The Look of Love (2001)
This album has probably gone on to be most popular title in Krall's catalogue, thanks to its use in a Target ad campaign around the time of release. Still, we won't complain about anything that manages to land a jazz musician in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200: The album debuted at no. 9, her highest chart placement to date, and has also sold the most copies—more than 1.6 million. The Gershwins makes an appearance again with opener "S Wonderful" but the title track takes its name from another American songwriting pair of note: Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis.
Live in Paris (2002)
We don't want to pretend that we haven't noticed Krall being one of the most sultry women in music (we see your Glad Rag Doll album cover...we just need to talk about your music too). Thus Live in Paris is handy for being both a great audio album and a DVD where you can watch the pianist do her thing as well. If there's any doubt that we're recommending this album for its musical aspects, it's one of the two records that Krall has won a Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy. The Look of Love gets a nice live revisiting here as well.
The Girl in The Other Room (2004)
Krall finally answered the question if she could write her own music (with a resounding "yes") during 2004's The Girl in The Other Room. It helps when you've just married alt-rock icon Elvis Costello. The title song is one of six she composed in coordination with her hubby...unfortunately her confidence hadn't improved to the point where she would put them at the front of the album (she should have...instead the last four tracks of the record is comprised of her originals). She does feature more modern covers however, from performers such as Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell (and of course Costello).
