Diana Krall – Glad Rag Doll (2xLP, Verve)

Diana Krall's Glad Rag Doll finds her taking a sharp turn from the polished bossa mood of 2009's Quiet Nights toward songs drawn largely from her father's collection of vintage 78s. Released in 2012, it centres on jazz, vaudeville, and popular tunes from the 1920s and 30s, but Krall was clear that she was not making a nostalgia exercise: these performances treat old material as living songs, full of mischief, intimacy, and swing.

Working for the first time with producer T Bone Burnett and engineer Mike Piersante, Krall built a very different sonic setting around her voice and piano, including an 1890s Steinway upright and a loose, grainy analog-tape sound. Marc Ribot's guitar is a defining presence throughout, while Jay Bellerose and Dennis Crouch give the record its earthy rhythmic pull. The result is one of the more adventurous albums in her catalogue, moving easily from the title track's close-up hush to the rockabilly snap of I'm A Little Mixed Up and the haunted blues feel of Lonely Avenue.

That mix of sophistication and playfulness is what gives Glad Rag Doll its character. Rather than simply revisiting standards, Krall reshapes obscure and familiar songs alike with a darker, more off-centre band sound, making this a strong choice for listeners who like her when she gets a little rougher at the edges. It also arrived as a notable commercial success, debuting at number six on the Billboard chart.

Features

• 2xLP, 180g
• Mastered by Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering
• Pressed at URP

Reviews

• The warmth, sophistication, humor, and immediacy present on this set make it a welcome addition to her catalog. - AllMusic.com

Genre: Jazz

Review