Smooth Transition

Smooth Transition

She may appeal to folks who only want audio ambiance for a bedtime glass of wine, but jazz singer Diana Krall has recently been surprising skeptics, who have lamented her supposed midcareer detour from serious jazz to easy listening. A few years ago, she took Carnegie Hall by storm, swinging hard with a 40-piece big band. Expect a more modest ensemble when she plays here, but her brand of quiet and simple readings can be a refreshing change in the days of “American Idol” yelping. (Paul Kosidowski) Diana Krall July 16. Riverside Theater. 116 W. Wisconsin Ave., 414-286-3663.

She may appeal to folks who only want audio ambiance for a bedtime glass of wine, but jazz singer Diana Krall has recently been surprising skeptics, who have lamented her supposed midcareer detour from serious jazz to easy listening. A few years ago, she took Carnegie Hall by storm, swinging hard with a 40-piece big band. Expect a more modest ensemble when she plays here, but her brand of quiet and simple readings can be a refreshing change in the days of “American Idol” yelping. (Paul Kosidowski)

Diana Krall July 16. Riverside Theater. 116 W. Wisconsin Ave., 414-286-3663.

Paul Kosidowski is a freelance writer and critic who contributes regularly to Milwaukee Magazine, WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and national arts magazines. He writes weekly reviews and previews for the Culture Club column. He was literary director of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from 1999-2006. In 2007, he was a fellow with the NEA Theater and Musical Theater Criticism Institute at the University of Southern California. His writing has also appeared in American Theatre magazine, Backstage, The Boston Globe, Theatre Topics, and Isthmus (Madison, Wis.). He has taught theater history, arts criticism and magazine writing at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.