Hi, What a great thread. It really has taken off since I first visited it. I'm glad to see Ricky Lee Jones made it, what a phenomenal artist! Many great picks people, and a few new ones for me to check out. Thanks for the info-. I just have to get in on the Diana Krall discussion. Please keep in mind these are only my opinions in case I come off to strong as I wouldn't want to offend anyone. To me, music is not suppose to be an Olympic event. Being a musician my entire life of 42 years of age has taught me this. You strive to aquire technique (chops, musicians lingo) while learning your instrument, but as you mature as a "musician" you have to learn your technique is not what music is about. Your chops are only a tool you use to communicate emotion. To my ears, Diana Krall is a great technician in the sense that she is a great messenger of emotion. Her instrument (voice) has a very refined pure sound, her sound in of itself shows great creativity. The fact that she doesn't have a wide vocal range and has a limited number of note choices compared to some others and still is able to deliver such great emotion and a connection to the song is proof of her creativity. I'm a drummer, it's harder for me to say something creative on one drum then ten. You have less sounds to work with. Do you think that Miles Davis or Billy Holiday were consider great technicians in the conventional sense? They were great musicians and technicians in the sense of being able to bring their emotion and thoughts (creativity) to who ever cared to listen. To me Diana Krall sounds like she has been singing for a hundred years, her sound is so natural and unforced. She is not trying to razzel dazzel you in a chop display. I know it's hard, but I think we have to try and drop our preconceptions of what certain types of music should sound like. I don't like to label musicians or types of music. A good musician will make any type of music groove, swing and just plain happen if they have BIG EARS and a opened mind. So Garfish please continue to enjoy Diana Krall and don't feel like your missing the boat on what a "jazz" singer should or should not be. I do however feel her last 2 outings were over produced as the record label markets her talent and is only concerned on making a buck and stunting her growth as an artist. Only Trust Your Heart and All For You were just great in my opinion. Her charm for me came from the simplistic arrangements (less is more) of these recordings, the two latest recordings are just over done and contrived in my view. To Rayhall and Srama, from reading your taste I would like to recommend a cd from Carmen Mcrae and Betty Carter called Duets. It's a live recording and they are both just singing and swinging their hearts out. Pretty good sonically also. Well to each their own. Take care and ENJOY! Tom P.S. Garfish, I'm glad you enjoy the ML360s as much as I, Diana Krall sounds just wonderful through it!
