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Diana Krall - Live in Paris

Diana Krall - Live in Paris

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Why can't more concert videos be like this?
Review: I join the long list of reviewers who give this 5 stars. I've had this dvd for 8 months and still watch it over and over. It's as close to a perfect concert dvd as there is. Nothing else really even comes close. Even if you didn't like Ms. Krall, you'd have to give it 5 stars just for the photography alone! A true work of art. You cannot film a concert any better than this. This should be the standard by which all concert videos are made (we wish). She is captivating on stage, reminiscent of Peggy Lee. As far as the music goes, she sings great, looks great, piano playing is first rate, backup musicians exceptional, and song selection fantastic. I've run out of superlatives. Add 5 stars for the music and you got a 10 star rating here folks!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Still Waiting for Diana's Best
Review: This DVD is a good showcase for Krall, intimate in its focus and well-shot if not exactly crisp. But as usual, if you're looking for jazz, rather than easy listening (and it's a fair distinction since she presents herself as the former), her performance is too frustrating for repeated listens.

Here we have Diana leading the band, which she handles but not comfortably. Her solos are too short, theirs are better and too long by comparison. She doesn't seem to know what to do with herself when they're soloing. These are guys who make the difficult look easy. On this DVD, by contrast, she makes the easy look difficult. You can feel her anxiety. That's what I get out of this performance.

Don't get me wrong, I love her voice. Now and then the way she bends a note is riveting. And on this disc, her smoky low-register vocals do occasionally mesmerize. But it's always fleeting, like too little of a good thing. A tease! I keep wanting to shout out "just cut loose a little! You can do it!" But she never does, and consequently, the others play it straight too, producing a bland, almost boring show.

Her piano likewise is always on the cusp of starting to swing. But it never gets there. The whole thing feels unbearably tight. Like she's memorized the jazzy phrasing and is reproducing it accurately, but lacking soul, fire and improvisational confidence. I also find her ingratiating monologues before the songs to be prepubescent in tone. You can pay tribute to the greats without fawning, but here again she just seems to lack the maturity to do so.

The end result--sorry folks--is just too cold, pre-packaged, nervous and amatuerish to be truly jazzy or romantic. I'll say it again: I think there's greatness in Diana Krall, but this DVD, like her CD's doesn't deliver it. She's the kind of artist you want to root for. We'll see if she ever gets there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ultra talented!!
Review: Diana Krall is as beautiful as she is talented. Her sultry voice is second only to her mastery over the piano keys. As many times as I've heard her sing a particular song, she never sings it the same way twice. This concert is no exception. She exercises her true talent and dry humor with Paris as the backdrop. If you already appreciate Diana Krall's talent, you'll love this DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A stunning visual presentation of this concert.
Review: Yes, Dian Krall is a wonderful singer and pianist and I can add nothing to the other reviews in that regard. I'm writing this review to comment on the direction and production of this wonderful DVD. Having seen hundreds of concert films, I can honestly say this is the best by a wide margin. The DVD is technically perfect. It has a beautiful look to it, indigo and romantic. At the same time, the images are crisp and every shot is beautifully framed. This camera work is just first rate. More than any video I have seen, this one really does give you the feeling that you have "the best seat in the house" and it avoids the feeling that you are in the rafters, under the stage, behind the bleachers, looking up at the musicians while lying on the floor, and all the other cheap devices that video producers commonly use to make a performance appear "interesting."

So many music videos are flighty and jerky, jumping from one performer's face, to some audience member's singing along, to some band member's closed eyes. Not so this video. Musicians will love the way this video shows the performers playing their instruments with languid transitions and long (for a music video) segments showing each musician's technique. Diana's solos are shown so that you can see her fingering at the piano; similarly, you can see the guitarist and bassist's left and right hands as they take their solos. It's as if the camera person read my mind, going to each performer just as I wanted to see them, framing that performer so I can see just that I want, and moving to another performer just when my own eyes would have moved on had I been at the performance. If, like me, you are typically frustrated at what you don't see in a concert video, this one will really please you.

I also want to comment on one gem of a number: Diana's encore, a piano/vocal solo of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." I've heard Diana do this one several times, and, while nice, those renditions did not wow me. This one, though, is really special and, as they say, worth the price of the DVD alone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Easy on the ears, easy on the eyes
Review: I was looking for another great concert DVD, and noticed in Natalie Cole's London concert DVD that she was joined on a song by Diana Krall. Searching for Diana Krall on amazon.com, I found this DVD and noticed 114 great reviews compared to 8 great reviews for Natalie Cole.

And being a Natalie Cole fan, that impressed me, so on Amazonian recommendations alone I just purchased this DVD and have listened to it now twice through.

My what talent: a beautiful young lady, with a great jazz voice, who can beat a piano to death. (In my opinion this lady's singing is fabulous, but on the other hand she achieves a whole "nother level of artistry playing that 9 foot Steinway.)

And to boot on this DVD is the European Symphony and a jazz band consisting of electified nylon string guitar, Anthony Wilson on electric Gibson archtop run through a Fender amp, the great Jeff Hamilton on drums, an upright bass and a percussionist. (I've been a fan of Jeff Hamilton for years--he is frequently featured in Modern Drummer magazine, and I love the sound of his Bosphorus ride cymbals.)

Not much in the way of extras: two MTV style video clips and live rehearsal. You do get marvelous DVD quality Dolby 5.1 surround sound and widescreen.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DIVINE!
Review: Do you like the Divine DK as much as I do (and I have all her CDs)? Then don't miss this DVD. I saw Diana live here in Boston a year ago, and this is the next best thing to the real thing. For those who know the studio CDs well and haven't heard even the "Paris" CD, you'll be very pleasantly surprised at what that beautiful lady from BC can do. Not only is her voice a lot warmer and deeper than on many of the studio tracks, she's one fantastic piano player. I especially like the upbeat numbers like "'Deed I Do" and "East Of The Sun", on which she romps and stomps with the best of 'em. The rhythm section couldn't be tighter and the backup arrangements (particularly by Alan Broadbent) are perfect.
I finally put in a DVD player, in part, because I wanted to have this DVD in-house. I debuted it on the night of a parti-
cularly tight Red Sox/Yankees playoff game and I'm convinced I made the right choice, because DK hits it out of the park every time.
If you're already a fan, don't miss this. If you aren't, what are you waiting for? The Divine DK...she can tickle my ivories any day of the week. After you take in this top-drawer performance, she'll tickle yours, too!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good enough
Review: The sound comes before action, which may be irritating for those who play music him/herself.
Otherwise the content is superb and I really admire her singing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Krall is the epitome of class
Review: I fell in love with Diana Krall when I first watched the movie "The Score." She sung the closing theme song which I've never been able to find anywhere else.

"Live in Paris" is a treasure. Krall is a class act all the way. She has gathered talented musicians that form a remarkable accompaniment and is herself a fabulous pianist.

Her vocals are dynamic. She has a great range. The combination of fabulous vocals and superior instrumental accompaniment make for some fine listening.

Krall is easy on the eyes, too. She is a beauty and could easily be Ali Larter's fraternal twin.

The entire performance on this DVD was superior and classy. The only negative I think think of is that she seems to be overly apologetic to the audience when she introduces the background of a piece she's about to perform, not wanting to insult their intelligence. It's a bit awkward. And, for the 5.1 surround format, the audio could have had more separation. Most of the music itself was simple stereo, with the surround speakers being used primarily for the audience.

Other than that, it was a fine DVD that I enjoy watching and listening to over and over. Diana Krall is a real class act.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Flawless
Review: Diana Krall's 'Live in Paris' DVD is worth twice the price you will pay to own it. Her performance and that of the superb musicians with whom she has surrounded herself will set the hook of the casual fan and completely reel in the already initiated. I really can't imagine how she will ever be able to top this, but I hope she tries. Listen over and over and over again. It will not let you down. Everybody brought their 'chops' for the performance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great jazz dvd
Review: This is a great dvd! While many jazz critics have unfairly judged Krall, this dvd should silence the critics. Krall's imporvising skills are really shown off, and one can hear echos of Cole, Evans, and Peterson. Her vocal phrasing is also superb, with influences of Sinatra, Cole again, and McRae. Despite these influences, Krall makes her own unique sound. Solos from her sidemen are also great. Video and picture quality are wonderful as well. The two music videos are a great bonus as well. My only wish is that Claus Ogerman could have conducted some more. This is great for any fan of acoustic jazz, jazz/pop vocals, and jazz piano. If you are just getting into Krall, I reccomend you keep an open mind, and just listen to the music.


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