Hi Bob,

Just for the record, Elvis Costello has never produced any of Diana Krall’s albums. He co-wrote a few songs on her 2004 album "The Girl in the Other Room," but she and Tommy LiPuma have co-produced her last four or five records, including that one. Her prior Verve recordings were produced solely by Tommy. I don’t have access to Soundscan at the moment, but "The Girl in the Other Room" scanned over 900k — closer to 950k, I believe. Of course DK’s considerable fan base is predisoposed to liking standards, but that doesn’t mean an artist shouldn’t branch out and follow her muse. As to her having been influenced by Bossa Nova, what does being from Canada have to do with that? Musicians have always drawn on myriad influences from far-flung locales. Should she have only listened to Oscar Peterson, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and other Canadians? Her dad is an obsessive jazz fan, which is how she first came in contact with so much of the music that she came to record.

We’re delighted about her first-week sales and we certainly hope this record continues to do well. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving or harder-working artist.

Sincerely,
Regina Joskow
Verve Music Group
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Mea culpa.

Elvis wrote one song alone and co-wrote another six songs with Krall on her 2004 album "The Girl In The Other Room".  Sales were significantly smaller and lasted for a shorter period of time than they did for her previous record.  (Including a Christmas album, 2009’s "Quiet Nights" is the THIRD album since "The Girl In The Other Room".)

Bottom line, I’m blaming Costello.  Loved him as an angry young man at the Whisky back in the seventies, bought every album and went to every show, but somewhere along the line he started to take himself too seriously.

Let me just speak English.  I HATE Elvis Costello.  Leaving one woman for another and then her for Krall.  And maybe if I actually knew him I might give him a pass, but the audience owns the act, if the act cares about its career.  But at least Elvis was confining his poop to his own career.  Then he got into his wife’s, and hers was negatively affected.

That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

And while I’m at it, I always liked the first album best, with Clover, as opposed to the ones with the Attractions.  The Farfisa always seemed cheesy to me!