NEWLY married to our own Elvis Costello, the Canadian jazz pianist and singer pulls off a delicious hour-long set, offering intelligent covers of other people's songs, as well as collaborations with the man in her life.
The new songs are credited to both Krall and Costello, although Elvis alone claims Almost Blue, which Krall resuscitates beautifully.
First up is Mose Allison's Stop This World - as close to a stomper as Krall gets. If there is a criticism of Krall it is that, for all her sparkling musical talents, she can be contained and restrained.
Still, this is a lovely, heartfelt and musically rich album which features top-notch playing from Krall herself and a slimmed-down band featuring stand-out guitarist Anthony Wilson.
Other covers include Joni Mitchell's Black Crow and a jazzy take on Tom Waits's junkyard ballad, Temptation.
The Krall/Costello joint efforts include the fine title track, a dark-hued tale of mysterious pain, and Departure Bay, which resonates with poetic longing. Repeated playing reveals this to be an album of depth and lasting charm.
Updated: 09:15 Thursday, May 06, 2004
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