The organisers of JazzFest Brno tried something with the Canadian singer and pianist Diana Krall that they have not managed so far with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Gregory Porter or Bobby McFerrin – to fill Brno’s DRFG Arena (which used to be Rondo). I have no idea how sure Vilém Spilka and co were but the artists name together with well-targeted promotion bore fruit in the form of a virtually full ice-hockey hall. Viewers who aren’t used to going to sporting events and pop concerts might perhaps have been slightly put out by the uncomfortable seating, but otherwise it was really well managed on the technical side. The sound was great, and even those fans further from the stage praised its purity and clarity. Just as perfect was the image on the two large screens, thanks to which even those in the far corners of the hall could enjoy the visual experience.
A great sound and sharp images would however be worthless if the artists were not up to scratch. Diana Krall is clearly a professional both as a singer and a pianist, and so quality can be expected. Those who had listened to her most recent album Turn Up The Quiet and had at least a passing knowledge of her earlier discs could have some idea of what to expect in Brno. But despite this the concert brought several significant surprises.
The concert was based on the current album and the singer offered five pieces from it in the main part of the programme (including the beautifully sung L-O-V-E) and one (Sway) as an encore. However despite this it was not just a performance of the disc. Compared to the quieter and more romantic approach of the album the concert had a surprising number of faster passages, and changes in tempo and dynamics during pieces. The culmination in this respect was an older version of Temptation by Tom Waits (from the album The Girl In The Other Room), which the inattentive listener might have perceived as two separate songs linked by a longer instrumental passage. Connected with this is the second significant difference between the concert and the record. While Diana Krall is perceived more as a singer than a pianist, her concert was pretty much a perfect performance by jazz instrumentalists. Straight away in the introductory swing piece Deed I Do four musicians all performed solos, from the start playing more than just an accompanying role. The first to draw attention to himself was the guitarist Anthony Wilson, whose instrument – I would say – played a more important role in the evening than the piano. However the great surprise was from the violinist Stuart Duncan, who shone in the notorious Night And Day by Cole Porter and throughout the evening progressively displayed his mastery as a player. This musician with a bluegrass background also has a mastery of the swing repertoire and in combination with the vocalist’s alto the high (and often fast) tones of his violin are truly perfect.
Diana Krall herself conceived of the visit to Brno as a spontaneous party and despite the slightly impersonal character of the hall tried to be as close as possible to the audience. She communicated with them, at least briefly introduced the songs and at the end invited the public to take part in photographs on the occasion of international peace day. If in a few moments around the middle of the evening it seemed as if the artist was slightly tired, approaching the finale she again persuaded the audience to the contrary. The concert absolutely built to a climax and the band never once took their feet off the pedal. Otherwise the encore section was not the shortest (the total length of the concert was another of the surprises) – with not only the clear hit from the latest album Sway, but also the other perennials East Of The Sun and How Deep Is The Ocean.
In accordance with the content of her latest album in the course of the evening Diana Krall went primarily for tried and tested songs from the so-called Great American Songbook. The names of writers like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter or Peggy Lee (in the case of I Don’t Know Enough About You with another wonderful violin solo) are sure-fire winners. The previously mentioned Tom Waits piece also worked and it is a pity that there were not more versions of songs by non-jazz artists, like those Krall presented the year before last on the album Wallflower. For example the Elton John ballad Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word sounds great in her rendering and at the end of the concert I was waiting to find out whether I wouldn’t hear its beginning “What have I got to do to make you love me…” It didn’t happen but that can’t take away from the excellent impression the concert made. Although the Brno hall resounded to well-worn melodies, this band composed of the best musicians and with an expressive singer at its head was able to offer them in original packaging and on great form.
Diana Krall (vocals, piano); Robert Hurst (double bass), Karriem Riggins (drums), Stuart Duncan (violin), Anthony Wilson (guitar). Brno, DRFG Arena, 20 September 2017
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