Mauians are an artsy bunch. How else to explain the existence of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, a venue that consistently lures world-class entertainers from all corners of the globe to showcase their talents before warmly receptive crowds in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean? Created primarily as the result of private donations, the MACC houses an art gallery, hosts programs, sponsors classes and of course, presents top-quality concerts and festivals.
Last night Diana Krall turned up to express her good fortune for having the opportunity to perform in such an idyllic setting, but how fortunate for all of us who seized the chance to see her in our own backyard! If you weren’t among us, tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe next time…lucky for you she promised to return. Seems her young twins enjoy the whales and splashing in the ocean.
It’s one thing to listen rapt as Ms. Krall (aka Mrs. Elvis Costello as she fondly reminded the audience more than once during the evening) croons through radio speakers and iPod; it’s quite another to witness first hand the full range of her extraordinary talent. Realizing that recordings can be doctored, amplified, and engineered using the digital sound equivalent of air brushing, it’s hard to trust musical performers unless you experience their art in person. Live, onstage, the truth will be told.
In the case of Ms. Krall, I assure you it is with good reason she shot to the top of her field, carving a unique niche in the world of popular music which for so long has been dominated by rock, rap or something rehashed from bygone eras. Though some have attempted to pigeonhole this surprisingly young singer as a female Harry Connick Jr., it just ain’t so. (Although that comparison wouldn’t be bad – it just isn’t accurate.) Sure, she sings old standards – but more often she reveals awesome tunes you never heard before, penned long before her time. With a stroke of her musical alchemy, she transforms both old standards and cherished obscure delights into something brand new with a voice that is at once sandpaper and silk. She makes love to the note, caresses the word, drawing with a smoky yawl a tonal picture of passion, before releasing into a crystal vision of tone so pure you wonder where in the world it came from. Heaven? It’s the dichotomy that grabs you.
Ms. Krall keeps your ears on their toes and your toes tapping. At one point during the performance the songstress’ voice and superlative piano accompaniment yielded for a while to the deep tones of the stand-up bass solo. In the momentary stillness of the shift I could hear – tap, tap, tap – the audiences’ collective feet (mine among them!) keeping rhythm, hypnotically joining in the performance. It was magical.
The paradox surrounding Ms. Krall extends to her very personhood – too young to have such depth and passion – too clean cut for such a husky voice – much too feminine to play with such fervor. On top of that, she’s sexy in a nerdy sort of way. She’s quite simply something else, like no one else. What a pleasure it was to get to know her a little better!
On nights like that I’m compelled to give thanks to all the donors and volunteers and art lovers of Maui who worked so hard so that our community could have the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.
