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Diana Krall Festival Theatre, Sun 10 April Mark Murphy Governor Hindmarsh, Tues 12 April A couple of years ago whilst living in Sydney I had the chance to experience the much lauded jazz singer/pianist Diana Krall during her first Australian tour and I must admit to coming away from it feeling rather underwhelmed. The tour had been sold out for weeks but due to Ms Krall's rather withdrawn onstage manner and the notoriously troublesome acoustics that plague the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall, I felt that her reputation rested more on hype than talent. For me the only heartfelt moment lay in her solo encore of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell's A Case of You. However in Sunday night's sell out Festival Theatre concert it became apparent that much had changed - and for the better. Krall's stage manner has improved immeasurably. She chatted to the audience and her excellent trio of musicians admirably supported a show that had thankfully forsaken the bossa nova rhythms of her then-new album 'The Look Of Love'. And this was in favour of an eclectically appealing showcase that featured not only the jazz standards with which she has justifiably brought jazz vocalism back to a wide and appreciative audience, but also songs by Tom Waits and a couple of original compositions co-written with husband Elvis Costello. There is little doubt that Krall is a first class stylist whose sound reflects her love of 'fifties piano trios. Nat Cole easily comes to mind here, and favourably so. But it was the unexpected additions that deserve praise: Tom Waits' seductively lurching Temptation, her own songs with their nod to Joni's 'silky veils of ardor', and perhaps mostly importantly a bluesier side reflected in Cole's Frim Fram Sauce and the shamefully underrated Mose Allison. In contrast to this, two days later the Gov presented the return of the influential American vocalist Mark Murphy. Here is a vocalist who continues to amaze fifty years after his discovery by Sammy Davis Jr - an adventurous and inspired vocalist whom the late Ella Fitzgerald had declared to be her equal, one who has taught Kurt Elling everything he knows. A contemporary of Jon Hendricks, Miles and Bill Evans, at the age of 73, Murphy still has an incredible range and facility and still continues to take formidable chances. With a pickup trio of Adelaide's finest (Mark Ferguson (piano), John Aue (bass) and Laurie Kennedy (drums), Murphy continued to inspire awe in a two hour plus programme that featured haikus and a bop reading of Kerouac, as well as standards and original compositions. Undoubtedly the highlights lay in a truly virtuosic and extended account of Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage where all excelled, and the second set devoted to late 'fifties/early 'sixties Miles included extraordinary vocal and instrumental takes on the seminal All Blues and Milestones plus a series of covers associated with the legendary horn player (Bye Bye Blackbird and On Green Dolphin Street). Although there were only a hundred or so attending this marvelous master class in vocalism and improvisation, Murphy commented that he was grateful that so many had turned out mid-week. Evidently audiences at some of his NSW shows were considerably smaller and less appreciative of his unique gifts.  |
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