patricia barber - diana krall - holly cole

+1 for Melody Gardot

and thanks for the various recommendations.  I'll try them out soon.

Echoing a couple responses earlier, a recent visit to a Diana Krall concert recently proved to be highly disappointing.  It was beyond "dialed in."  More like "checked out" or some other issue.  I would highly suggest anyone contemplating going to a Diana Krall concert to Google "Diana Krall Concert Reviews."  1.9 stars out of 5.  Most respondents had a very poor experience as we did.  What is sad it that she is such a talented musician, but the apparent several years long practice of offering substandard concerts suggests on her or her manager's part taking advantage of her audience.  The venue I was at actually refunded our payment for the tickets.  Finally-- another vote for Eva Cassidy as one to be part of this fictional group.

Diana Kralls last sterling effort was the underappreciated "The Girl in the other room." She and Elvis Costello collaborated on it and though is was ignored by many who boycotted it because it wasn't her predictable standards affair, it was in my opinion one of the best albums of her career. Her 70's tribute cd ( Wallflower) was more like wallpaper and a big miss for me, and even before the that release her voice and energy seem to have lost their vitality. It seems like the thrill is gone and that she peeked with the 2006 "From this moment on." I saw her live 3 times between 1989 and 2004 and she sang and played like it mattered to her. 

@2chfreak  , I actually enjoy "Wallflower."  I particularly like her cover of "Desperado."  I have yet to hear "The Girl in The Other Room."

Patricia Barber forced me to remove the lid from a large Steinway and I had to put it back on after the show. I'm clearly not over that, but hey...she sounded brilliant.