Diana Krall

Diana Krall has expended a lot of energy to avoid becoming just another silky-voiced cabaret-jazz nostalgia act. She spends a lot of time putting together her albums, often arranging songs around a central concept and emphasizing her piano improvisations as much as her vocals, and she’s made a point of wandering around among different styles. Plus, she’s married to Elvis Costello, which all but requires a curious ear. Krall’s 2009 album Quiet Nights was given fully to bossa nova—it includes songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim and a cover of Burt Bacharach’s “Walk On By.” A new release, Glad Rag Doll, is scheduled for September.

Updated 07/04/2012