Krall Displays a Growing Maturity, Daring

Diana Krall is at a transitional stage in her already remarkable career. The nomination of her album “When I Look in Your Eyes” in the Grammy Awards’ album of the year category was a rare accomplishment, even though the prize went to Carlos Santana (Krall won the jazz vocal album of the year Grammy). Win or lose, it established her as a potential crossover artist, one with the ability to reach well beyond the jazz genre.

So it was no surprise that an overflow, full-house crowd turned out Wednesday for the first concert of a two-night appearance at UCLA’s Royce Hall (Thursday was sold out as well). But Krall’s performance underscored another transitional element in her music--the departure of her longtime associate, guitarist Russell Malone, and the addition of a drummer to the acoustic, piano-guitar-bass instrumentation that proved to be such an effective vehicle for her velvet and moonlight voice.

One thing, however, became apparent, almost from the first choruses of her opening number, “I Love Being Here With You.” The Grammy recognition, the gold albums and, no doubt, a growing maturity have made Krall into a confident, self-possessed performer. Her singing, her piano playing and her between-songs conversation were all delivered with the poise and clarity of a mature artist, one who has clearly moved well beyond the awkward qualities that occasionally surfaced during her growing years as an artist.

For some performers, month after month of almost continuous touring (nearly 300 days in 1999) can be debilitating. But Krall apparently used the frequent concertizing as an opportunity to hone and expand her skills, and to develop a spirited musical relationship with her new ensemble--with Ben Wolfe, a longtime associate, on bass, Dan Faehnle on guitar and Shannon Powell on drums.

Her vocals on such familiar items from her repertoire as “Let’s Fall in Love” and “Devil May Care” emerged as mini-musical dramas, superbly balancing storytelling with the phrasing, flow and swing of a jazz instrumentalist.

The most strikingly transitional moment of the evening, however, was one that forecast a further step up in Krall’s artistic growth. It occurred in her first encore, when she came on stage alone to sing and play “I Fall in Love Too Easily.” Playing a minimal accompaniment rich with Impressionistic resonance, she brought the song to life with an intensity that was as breathtaking as it was soft-spoken. More than anything else in her otherwise appealing performance, it was the work of a true crossover artist, one who--rather than seeking acceptance in different genres--refuses to be limited by any of them.