49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine homage to the Cole Trio by a current jazz great., 24 Dec 2005
Paying homage to the Nat Cole Trio, the most popular jazz combo of its day, Diana Krall (piano), Russell Malone (guitar), and Paul Keller (bass) bring some long-time favorites and some lesser known Cole Trio hits to life. The arrangements are terrific, ranging from slow, bluesy numbers, to swing, a torchy ballad, and forties-style jive. In every case, the emphasis is on the trio, and though Krall sings on every track, more than half of each song is instrumental, with extended solos on piano by Krall and guitar by Russell Malone.
Krall's voice is a full, sometimes husky, alto with very little vibrato, and though she can sing scat, and does on "Frim Fram Sauce," she is at her best singing slow songs of aching loss, where, occasionally, her phrasing reminds me of Sarah Vaughan. "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You," sung slower than Cole did it, is a sad, bluesy number with wonderful, casual jazz piano riffs. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," my favorite on the album, is torchy, the imagined tears kept under control as Krall pines for lost love, with the piano ranging into chromatic variations. In "You Call It Madness" and "I'm Through With Love," Krall keeps her voice whispery, singing slowly, almost confidentially, as she maintains the slow beat and melancholy mood. By contrast, "Hit That Jive, Jack," moves in a quick, toe-tapping rhythm, as Krall, Malone, and Keller sing together and have fun.
The album has plenty of variety to the selections and features three fine jazz instrumentalists who toured together and perfected their ensemble for several months before recording this album. With the earthy voice of Krall added to the instrumental mix, this album is certainly one of Krall's best--a huge success. There are no drums here (except on "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"), but that is not a limitation, and, in fact, may be an advantage, since the listener's attention remains focused on the tunefulness of the songs and their jazz variations. This is a fine homage to the Nat Cole Trio, which would have been justly proud of Krall's recording. Mary Whipple
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Undoubtedly one of the best CD's in my collection, 12 Mar 2002
By A Customer
I am an avid fan of music - all kinds of music. My collection of more than 120 CD's is extremely diverse, ranging from Northern Soul to Opera. I also have four CD's of Diana Krall and "All For You" was the first one I bought in 1998. This lady is a true musical artist and I never get tired of listening to her sing and play the piano. It seems that with every listening that your appreciation of her great talent grows and repeated tracks seem to get better and better. From slow to medium to quick tempo, Diana Krall consistantly exceeds listening satisfaction. I am no "Jazz Nut" by any stretch of the imagination, so you can take my recommendation as an unbiassed opinion of what's good. All For You is one of her very best and the other top Diana Krall release is When I look in Your Eyes, which includes an extremely captivating rendition of "I've Got you under my Skin" - BRILLIANT
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The album that alerted people to Diana’s brilliance, 22 Jan 2003
After buying and enjoying her next two albums (Love scenes and When I look in your eyes), this one came as a surprise to me – but what a pleasant surprise. Like Jeri Southern, a brilliant singer-pianist of an earlier generation, Diana began as a pianist but was obliged to sing as well in order to get work. On this album, recorded when Diana was still unknown, Diana’s piano is very prominent. For those who enjoy hearing Diana singing love songs, there are plenty here, but there are upbeat songs to give more variation than you will find in the other albums I mentioned.
Yet, this is all achieved with very few musicians. Russell Malone on guitar and Paul Keller on bass accompany Diana singing and playing piano. On most tracks, that’s it. Steve Kroon plays percussion on Boulevard of broken dreams, while Benny Green plays piano on If I had you, leaving Diana (for that track only) to just sing.
You have to be good to deliver an album of such quality with so few musicians (especially without a drummer), but Diana and her musicians prove that it can be done. While I did not find this album as instantly appealing as her next two (perhaps because it was not what I expected), it is one that grows on me each time I play it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No