The Look of Love is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on September 18, 2001, by Verve Records. It became Krall's first album to top the Canadian Albums Chart. In 2002, the album earned Al Schmitt the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and received the Juno Award for Album of the Year in Canada.
Arranger Claus Ogerman uses a similar orchestration for "S'Wonderful" as the one he wrote for the 1976 João Gilberto album Amoroso.
Critical reception
Jim Santella of All About Jazz commented, "Lush strings and gliding flutes surround Diana Krall's tender vocals. Even her substantial piano interludes take on the appearance of drifting mists, through the mix of orchestral timbres. With an emphasis on her sultry vocal interpretations, the latest album reaches out to a broad, popular music audience. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that jazz fans usually want the improvised licks along with their melodies... By interpreting classic love songs, Krall's latest album turns toward romantic interests. The clutter of a large string orchestra, however, obscures the total picture".
John Kreicbergs of PopMatters wrote, "Simply said, her piano chops are more than adequate to back up her incredible voice. Yet this is exactly what makes The Look of Love so maddening. Krall's piano work is practically nonexistent on most of the tracks, save for a few perfunctory solos that often sink into in a sea of overly lush string and orchestral arrangements".
Doug Ramsey of JazzTimes stated, "The songs, including Burt Bacharach's title tune, are superb. The arrangements and performances enhance them. Krall's singing has improved with her every album. It is at a high level. If her record company can make her a major star with albums this good, and if it doesn't push her piano further into the background, serious listeners should have no complaint". A reviewer of Cosmopolis noted, "With her new album The Look of Love, Diana Krall confirms her exceptional status as a jazz singer. Her new CD is a touch too polished, too clean, but never kitsch, as one might have feared, since the album was recorded together with the London Symphony Orchestra. But the special, sometimes rough-edged character of her previous recordings is missing".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Look of Love.
Musicians
- Diana Krall – piano, vocals
- Dori Caymmi – guitar
- Christian McBride – bass
- Jeff Hamilton – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Los Angeles Session Orchestra – orchestra
- Russell Malone – guitar
- Peter Erskine – drums
- London Symphony Orchestra – orchestra
- John Pisano – guitar
- Romero Lubambo – guitar
- Luis Conte – percussion
- Claus Ogerman – orchestra arrangement, conducting
Technical
- Tommy LiPuma – production
- Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
- Aya Takemura – engineering assistance
- Chris Clark – engineering assistance
- Richard Lancaster – engineering assistance
- John Hendrickson – engineering assistance ; additional engineering
- Doug Sax – mastering
- Robert Hadley – mastering
- Bill Smith – engineering assistance
- Nat Peck – contractor for the London Symphony Orchestra
- Jules Chaikin – contractor for the Los Angeles Session Orchestra
Artwork
- Hollis King – art direction
- Isabelle Wong – design
- Donna Ranieri – photography production
- Bruce Weber – photography
- Jane Shirek – photos of Diana Krall in car
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2001–2002)
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)
| 14
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon)
| 34
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Portuguese Albums (AFP)
| 1
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)
| 17
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Swedish Jazz Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
| 1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| US Traditional Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 1
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for The Look of Love by Diana Krall
! scope="col"| Chart (2001)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 95
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 8
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Jazz Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)
| 97
|-
! scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)
| 41
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
| 46
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 195
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2002)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 37
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
| 98
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 11
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Jazz Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)
| 81
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 91
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2003)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 6
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 3
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2004)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 20
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2006)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 15
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2007)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)
| 13
|}
Decade-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2000–2009)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)
| 5
|}