Diana Krall – Stepping Out

180-gram gatefold 2LP

1992 debut album, first time on vinyl!

Includes bonus track, Diana's incredible arrangement of "Summertime"

For years singer-pianist Diana Krall has been bringing new lifeblood to jazz via her dual knockout talents. And while her later recordings reveal a consistently maturing artist, this 1992 debut album shows that the Nanaimo, British Columbia, native had the goods right from the get-go.

In her mid-20s here, Krall sings with honesty, subtlety, and persuasion while playing the piano with head-shaking authority, both as accompanist — she offers amazing asides in between vocal phrases — and as an absolutely A-one improviser. Indeed, it is remarkable to hear her weave her gifts into a wondrous whole. Working with bass ace John Clayton and the superb drummer Jeff Hamilton, Krall presents one winner after another. "This Can't Be Love" is typical, a selection where it is all but impossible not to tap your foot. After a nicely enunciated vocal — she slides into phrases much like Sarah Vaughn — the pianist cooks in her Oscar Peterson-meets-Gene Harris style, playing hip ideas that fall easily on the ear, underwritten by her rock-solid feel for time.

"As Long as I Live" is another example of Krall's ability to sing and swing a standard with a nonstop groove. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is slower and features a deeply bluesy vocal; "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" is equally sultry. The classic ballad "Body and Soul" finds her singing with intimacy and playing with a caressing touch. A very impressive start for a very impressive artist.