The night Diana Krall came to Keene. 05 April 2000

There have been artists on the rise, who, just before their accelerated take off, had been booked into Keene, and then had to keep the date, even with the Grammys in hand. 2 that come to mind are Shawn Colvin and Diana Krall. Krall's night was remarkable from so many perspectives, but I think the town heaved a collective, "really?!" that she even showed up and honored the commitment. It was the Colonial,

but still, I think those that have any appreciation for a rising star gracing a small town with their presence had to count themselves fortunate that night.

Now, I don't want to get into how Ms. Krall has gone about building her public image, but she certainly has talent in terms of voice and piano - and the ability to put together a really great band, and a great set...um, list.

One stand out, from the Look of Love album, is Besame Mucho. I don't understand a single Portugese word on this song, except "lots". And that's enough. The song starts with an almost haunting, intrigue-laden passage, that blends into some understated bossa nova guitar work, leading to our song. The instrumentation (orchestration?) of this song is truly worth a close listen. In a way, it reminds me of Nelson Riddle and the Linda Ronstadt albums.

Lush life indeed. I especially like the winds and strings from about 3:08 to 4:20. And if I remember the night, they got this one spot on.

Will Diana Krall ever come back to Keene? Unlikely. But it was fun while it lasted.

On a related note, Rosanne Cash will be here 09 April 2016. So we can be appeased by that, for now.