Diana Kraull - The Girl in the Other Room - SACD 5.1 surround review

Diana Krall may have been said to have "sold out" on this 2004 release when she decided to record something other than jazz standards, but "The Girl in the Other Room" is truly a fantastic jazz album. While it isn't made up of classics like her prior releases, instead it is a bold recording and is a jazz record made with care, creativity, and a vibrant warmth on its twelve songs. The non-original material ranges from the Mississippi-fueled jazzed-up blues of Mose Allison's "Stop This World" to contemporary songs that are reinvented in Krall's image such as Tom Waits'
"Temptation", Joni Mitchellls "Black Crow", Chris Smither's "Love Me Like a Man", and her husband, Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue". The knock out of these is "Black Crow" which emotionally draws the listener in, and Anthony Wilson soars through an incredible guitar solo.

This is a must have in 5.1 Surround Sound, and is available on a Hybrid SACD .  The acoustic bass is solid and is very present in the sub-woofers.  Diana's piano is stretched across the left to right sound field, and is placed between the front and back speakers.  This envelops the listener, causing you to feel like you are sitting at her piano surrounded by the band.  Guitar is typically at the back, while the drums and voice are up front.  The sound stage is wide and has a lot of presence, and the quality is pleasantly live, which provides a sense of sitting in a night club and listening to these tunes.  This is by far one of the clearest Super Audio CD's we have heard to date.

"The Girl in the Other Room" is a bold new direction by an artist who expresses great willingness to extend the jazz tradition through confessional language and a wonderfully inventive application that is caressed by, not saturated in, elegant pop.

 Format Info

Multi-Channel Hybrid SACD.  Also available on Vinyl.

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 About the Author

Wesley is a lifelong music enthusiast. He started his career in the recording industry in New York City as an audio engineer, producer, and studio manager. Subsequently he toured across America as a guitarist with the short-lived band Land's Crossing. After many years in the technology sector and amassing a substantial vinyl and CD collection, he delved into immersive audio and created Hi-Res Edition to share with other listeners about the sound quality and discrete mixes available on many formats. He recently upgraded his system to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos and continues to seek out and share about the best sounding releases.