The Look of Love

1	'S Wonderful 4:29
2	Love Letters 4:56
3	I Remember You 3:56
4	Cry Me a River 5:03
5	Besame Mucho 6:40
6	The Night We Called It a Day 5:42
7	Dancing in the Dark 5:48
8	I Get Along Without You Very Well 3:44
9	The Look of Love 4:41
10	Maybe You'll Be There 5:31

Barnes & Noble

Diana Krall's trademark contralto is cool, intimate, and graceful, its contours perfectly suited to small ensembles -- particularly the trio with which she made her name during the '90s. On her previous date, the 1999 platinum-seller When I Look in Your Eyes, a program drawn from American Songbook repertoire (both classic and obscure) that spent 62 weeks at No. 1 on the jazz charts, Krall extended her scope, augmenting the trio and quartet format with a Johnny Mandel-arranged orchestra. With The Look of Love, her Brazilian-flavored follow-up, Krall and producer Tommy LiPuma pull out all the stops, roping in the arranger Claus Ogerman and two (count 'em, two) symphony orchestras, as well as guitar guests Dori Caymmi, John Pisano, and Romero Lubambo and percussion masters Paulinho da Costa and Luis Conte.Chief supporting musicians include such jazz greats as guitarist Russell Malone, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Peter Erskine.The sound is lush and restrained; the production values are decidedly pop, right down to the Bruce Weber photographs on the inner sleeve. Not unlike Shirley Horn, one of her primary stylistic models, Krall sings without affect, addressing the lyrics with smoldering clarity and intelligence, phrasing with just the right touch of hornlike elasticity. By this point, she's a phenomenon unto herself. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

Diana Krall has a good voice and plays decent piano, but this somewhat ridiculously packaged Verve CD seems like an obvious attempt to turn her into a pop icon, and sex symbol to boot. The bland arrangements by Claus Ogerman (who conducts the London Symphony Orchestra or the Los Angeles Session Orchestra on each track) border on easy listening, while Krall and her various supporting musicians, including John Pisano, Russell Malone, Christian McBride, and Peter Erskine (among others), clearly seem stifled by their respective roles. There are plenty of strong compositions here, including standards like "I Remember You," "The Night We Called It a Day," and "I Get Along Without You Very Well," but the unimaginative and often syrupy charts take their toll on the performances. What is even sillier is the label's insistence on attempting to photograph the artist in various sultry poses, which she evidently wants to discourage by refusing to provide much of a smile (the rumor is that she's not happy with this part of the business at all). If you are looking for unchallenging background music, this will fit the bill, but jazz fans are advised to check out Krall's earlier releases instead. Ken Dryden

Downbeat

As an example of savvy music business, calibrated to achieve crossover appeal, The Look of Love is a clear success.