20 October 2025 (gig)
22 October 2025
Diana Krall, the renowned Canadian jazz artist , has been selected to open the 2025 Jazz Milano Festival, now in its 10th edition. Tonight, at the splendid Teatro Arcimboldi — both a beautiful venue and an acoustically superb theatre — Diana, accompanied by her bass and drum rhythm section, is set to delight the audience with selections from her distinguished body of work. This concert forms part of a European tour that began in mid-September and runs through the end of October. There’s been no news of Elvis Costello — her other half — joining her on the road or possibly gracing the stage, but one can always hope.
With no new album to promote, I was rather hoping to find an adventurous Diana Krall — one willing to show off her jazz-pop and improvisational chops, perhaps stretching herself more than her (admittedly delightful) but sometimes safe studio recordings of the Great American Songbook suggest. No one can doubt that voice or her masterful technical ability, but I wanted to be surprised tonight — for it to be fun. I still remember hearing “Peel Me a Grape” from her 1997 LP Love Scenes for the first time: sensual, thrilling, and majestically performed. Back then, the world seemed truly to be her oyster.
The Milanese glitterati descend upon this part of town on a horrible, rain-soaked evening and as the theatre doors open they descend in haste to their allotted seats leaving more space at the bar. Curiously, no t-shirts or Krall memorabilia are on sale — though, to be fair, such things might have felt out of place here.
The house lights dim and Diana steps on stage, elegantly dressed in a black silk suit with a long black-and-white chiffon scarf. She’s joined by bassist Sebastian Steinberg and drummer Matt Chamberlain — seasoned professionals who have played with the likes of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Marc Ribot, and k.d. lang. The opening is low-key, with understated arrangements where the bass and drums never push but stay settled, firmly in the pocket.
The surprise, however, is that the entire show remains in this vein. There’s no pop element, no “let’s clap along” moments, and no singalong choruses — not even contemplated. For some in the audience, particularly those more interested in the social media scene where filming everything is obligatory rather than simply listening , this might feel like a drawback. But I appreciated it. It’s gutsy to perform so exposed — no safety net of stage noise or showmanship, just quiet confidence.
The setlist appears to mirror those from other European dates — so perhaps spontaneity is limited — yet within each song there’s still a great deal of musical meandering. Her phrasing and piano voicings constantly shift, and endings always keep you guessing.
Diana isn’t one for much chit-chat. Occasionally, she’ll start to introduce a song only to trail off mid-sentence as her fingers take over. But somehow, that reticence feels right for her.
And what of that voice? Smoky and silky, it brings to mind the sensation of licking hot dark chocolate from a spoon or biting into a ripe apricot. You stay perched on the edge of your seat, her voice acting like a magnet drawing you in. Its range may be modest — two octaves, perhaps — but it’s not power or depth that impresses; it’s the texture and timbre, that subtle rasp against the ear. Her phrasing recalls Bob Dylan or Tom Waits more than Madeleine Peyroux: unconventional, sometimes behind the beat, but deeply compelling.
Her piano playing, too, is at times brilliant — full of space and air. She’s unafraid to let silences hang, or to toy with the keys in a seemingly haphazard way that somehow works.
The lighting is equally minimal — surprisingly so for such a large stage — perhaps to discourage filming.
After 75 minutes, the set closes — on the short side for the ticket price, perhaps, but given the downbeat tone throughout which limits attention span, probably just right. Following polite applause, the trio returns for a couple of encores, seemingly happy about how the night has gone and indeed they are looser, warmer and a tad more playful.
Highlights are “The Look of Love” which is simply wonderful, Diana seeming to mean every word, her piano playing deliciously understated. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is sensual and stripped to the bare bones, while a rousing “Route 66” brings smiles all around, taking time to introduce the band.
All told, it’s a very pleasant evening in the company of a great artist. Nothing particularly memorable, perhaps — but time well spent. Money-wise, maybe less so seeing the prices of the tickets but hey, it comes in and inevitably goes out so why not just be happy.
