The song is But Beautiful. Diana Krall sings the first chorus and then comes a guitar solo. As it begins, a string orchestra joins in, playing the melody so quietly it’s almost subliminal. After 16 bars she picks up the song and takes it through to the end. The guitar solo, by Anthony Wilson, is a simple, elegant improvisation; the strings are there to prevent the melody from getting lost – an old trick, dating back to the 1920s, done here with great subtlety.
It’s the work of Tommy LiPuma, Krall’s producer from 1995 until his death, aged 80, in 2017. With a sharp ear for jazz, and the knowledge that listeners often get lost without a tune to follow, he showed that it was possible to sell 20m essentially jazz records to people who were not necessarily jazz fans. It couldn’t have been done without Krall’s really extraordinary talents. She describes herself as a pianist who also sings, and when she’s doing both with her quartet there’s no one to touch her. For proof, listen here to Just You, Just Me, That’s All and Almost Like Being in Love.
