Concert Review: Diana Krall "Turn Up the Quiet World Tour" at the Ordway

Poster for Diana Krall's "Turn Up the Quiet World Tour 2018." (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Last night I saw Diana Krall at the Ordway in Saint Paul on her “Turn Up the Quiet World Tour.” I’ve seen Krall twice before, in 2013 and in 2015. (My review of her 2013 concert is my most popular post.) She always puts on an excellent show, and last night was no exception. My only complaint was that the concert wasn’t very long, only about 90 minutes or so. I still wanted a couple more songs, but that’s a small quibble. 

Krall’s band was excellent, featuring Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Anthony Wilson on guitar, Robert Hurst on bass, and Karriem Wiggins on drums. All of the band members took extensive solos, especially on Krall’s version of the Tom Waits song “Temptation,” which has long been a concert highlight. Wilson’s solo in particular was superb, building in quiet intensity throughout. Duncan also had a great solo, in which he strummed his fiddle like a guitar. Krall’s piano playing was also superb, and she and the band really stretched out on a lot of the songs. 

Krall’s expressive alto was in good form as well, and she played several songs I haven’t heard her sing in concert before, like the Nat King Cole hit “L-O-V-E,” and Cole Porter’s lovely “Night and Day.” Those two songs have long been favorites of mine, so I was happy to hear them. 

Krall looked lovely, as she always does. She wore a black and red print dress, and her thick blonde hair just grazed her shoulders. I always enjoy Krall’s stage patter, as she’s very funny. During one of the intros to her songs, she stopped playing to say “bless you” to someone who sneezed. 

For the encore, Krall played two Bob Dylan songs: “Wallflower,” which was the title song of her 2015 CD, and “This Dream of You,” from Dylan’s 2009 album Together Through Life. They were both good, but I wanted one more up tempo song to leave on. Oh well, I’ll just have to wait until the next time Krall comes through town.

Setlist: 

Indeed I Do

L-O-V-E

Night and Day

You Call it Madness (But I Call It Love)

Temptation

On the Sunny Side of the Street

Just You, Just Me

Encore:

Wallflower

This Dream of You