What’s wrong with Diana Krall?

I’ve seen some of our greatest artists at different points in their lives, and they have been almost like different people. I’m thinking mostly of Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson. I’ve also been involved with a few artists, and saw first-hand how they not only soar to greater heights than the rest of us, but also sink to lower depths. They provide us with our greatest joy, but sometimes at the cost of their own. I have not been the same since Richard Manuel of The Band committed suicide, and really mourn the loss of Elliot Smith (a really sweet guy whom I met), Danny Gatton, and Del Shannon, all of whom did the same.

She was on PBS this weekend on an hour -long duo show with Tony Bennett .Even in 90's he still has a lot to give , she had nothing to give .

@rpeluso What do you mean by "Why are you doing this?"

The OP went to a paid performance and it was not up to snuff, clearly. If you are in the business of selling tickets for your performance then criticism for poor performances is perfectly legit and comes with the territory. Being in the public eye is tough. At least the OP wondered if there was a problem rather than just accusing her of phoning it in, which to me is the worst thing you can ever say about a performer.

I'm often willing to overlook a poor performance musically if the performer is still engaged with the audience and seems to be enjoying their work. 

I've never seen her live except on TV, but there and on studio recordings, she is a real lightweight to me. Like Norah Jones with blond hair. 

I have most of DK’s recordings including a couple of bootlegs. One was a live performance at a New Years Eve party, and the other one was live also, but I think she had the flu. She kept coughing throughout the performance. I believe both were recorded at a private party.

I’ve never considered DK being a great singer in the vein of Sarah Vaughn for example, but she does connect in a very enjoyable nuanced way. I have noticed that her voice has become tired sounding in the recent past. I really like her piano playing as well as her early recordings, even if they were over-processed electronically. I like her "Live in Paris" CD the best.

On fading singers ... I was privileged to see Ella’s last performance. It was at the Hollywood Bowl and featured Ella along with Mel Torme. Ella had glaucoma so bad they had to lead her onto the stage and to the microphone. The voice was gone ... but you could still tell that under the warbling, it was still Ella. The audience loved her, as did I. We lost a great one there.

Frank