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Jack Massarik's rating
Reader rating
Description: A performance by the Grammy award-winning jazz pianist and singer.
Phone: 0207589 8212
Website: www.royalalberthall.com
Trains: Tube: High Street Kensington 
, Tube / Bus: 9, 10, 52, 360 
Extra info: Food, Pub
Jazz lover: Diana Krall
Having taken a sabbatical and given birth to twin boys, the beauteous Diana Krall is back on the road with a family-sized bus and a revised attitude to match.
“I think my next album will be a children’s album, with a harp and a real hippopotamus,” she confided towards the end of a chatty soliloquy about touring with two-year-olds — “I carry a tube of neutral paint for when they redecorate the hotel room” — and meeting Barack Obama. “‘Is Elvis Costello your husband?’ he asked me. ‘Yes,’ I said. So that was pretty cool”.
Clearly the sultry ice-maiden of yore has taken to marriage and motherhood like a Canada duck to water. Yet despite babbling between numbers, the contented Mrs Costello was all business at the piano. Her latest arrangements involved slick staccato riffs to test the concentration of new bassist Robert Hurst, brilliant drummer Kareem Riggins and the admirable guitarist Anthony Wilson.
Diana herself was in top form. Her voice was as tender and her phrasing as hip as ever. But her scintillating solos, elegant and charming at ballad tempo (as on Quiet Nights, Let’s Fall in Love, Walk on By) and clean and hard-driving at speed (Frim Fram Sauce, I Love Being Here with You) reminded everyone that she is a skilful pianist who also sings, not the other way around.
Inspired by Jimmie Rowles, Nat Cole and Oscar Peterson, love and not money drew her to jazz. Motherhood won’t change that.
Until tomorrow (0845 401 5045).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
The band were brillant but from where I was sitting on Wednesday night I would have needed a large pair of binoculars to catch any close-ups - and why could not someone have turned up the volume a little more? And while I'm at it, why not a video screen and maybe a couple more loud speakers? Three cheers though to Mrs Costello, Anthony Wilson, Robert Hurst and Mr Riggins - fantastic performers all.
- J Greenhalgh, Rossendale England
Fantastic concert on Wedneseay at the Royal Albert Hall. Krall was in top form and I loved her band. She's really sexy and jazzy. Don't miss her at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday October 30th. I'm going for a second time.
- Sam Taylor, London, UK
