Glad Rag Doll

I’ve been a Diana Krall fan since day one, and though this new release isn’t, strictly speaking, a jazz album, it’s still rich in Krall’s trademark sure hand at the piano, her soulful vocalization, and her sassy insouciance. We’re so swamped by talent and by a surfeit of good music that it’s easy to take someone like Krall for granted. From the git, she’s been dissed by some critics who thought she was purveying jazz-lite. But Krall has nailed just about every jazz standard she ever covered, and her piano accompaniment thoroughly legitimized Paul McCartney’s recent album of old standards, Kisses on the Bottom. Here, in a gathering of songs that are more rootsy Americana than jazz, she brings her magic once more. These are mostly songs from the ’20s and ’30s, but they couldn’t sound more contemporary. Want lovely? Listen to “Prairie Lullaby.” Want heartfelt and soulful? Try “Wide River to Cross.” Want vulnerable? Play “Just Like a Butterfly That’s Caught in the Rain.” Want sexy? Check out the title track (and the album cover). Want major talent? Put on just about anything Krall has ever done.