The first word that comes to mind after a few listens to the new Diana Krall album Turn up the Quiet is swing.
This record has that elusive musical element in spades. While Krall herself deserves an honourable mention for that achievement, so too do her bandmates, notably guitarists Russell Malone, Anthony Wilson and Marc Ribot, and bassist extraordinaire Christian McBride.
Occasionally one hears critics opine that Krall is a little bland. Well definitely not so on this set of songs, as she brings nuanced vocals, stretches words and phrases and stamps her individuality on even the most familiar of tunes.
There's a good mix of both material and settings on Turn Up the Quiet, with small group workouts to lush orchestrations on Cole Porter's Night and Day, and on Dream and Sway.
Our own Kiwi-born musician Alan provides the orchestrations as a writer, arranger and conductor, a combination with Krall which really pays off.