In 1979 the German arranger Claus Ogerman – who rose to fame in the 60s creating imaginative orchestral settings for everyone in the jazz world from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wes Montgomery and Oscar Peterson, to Bill Evans and even Frank Sinatra – retired from arranging for other people to concentrate on writing classical music. For over 20 years Ogerman resisted numerous attempts to be lured back into the jazz and pop sphere but finally succumbed in 2001, when he agreed to work on Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love album.
At the time, Krall told this writer that her experience working with Ogerman was “the best – it was heartbreakingly good. Claus asked me, ‘Why are you doing this and taking a risk and doing something that might not be commercially successful?’ And I said, ‘Because we’re artists! We’d die if we didn’t take risks.’”
The risk-taking paid off handsomely and succeeded in transforming the 44-year-old Canadian singer and pianist into a star. Perhaps wishing to recreate the magical romantic aura of that album, Krall has persuaded Ogerman – who’s now 80 – to come out of retirement again and create a series of lush orchestral backdrops for a collection of ballads and bossa novas. The results are stunning. Krall’s sultry voice evinces a deeper sensuality and soulfulness than ever before – she says it represents a love letter to her husband, Elvis Costello – while Ogerman’s orchestral palette, despite its richness, offers a subtle and sympathetic accompaniment that has “class” stamped all over it.
