The audacious middle

The mind boggles at Stephen Holden's descriptions of of a Diana Krall concert:

recently Ms. Krall, the Canadian singer and pianist, made the kind of break with the past that few performers of her stature would dare... "The Girl in the Other Room"... [w]ith its tough, stripped-down pop- jazz arrangements and unfamiliar material, the album invited her loyal audience to rough it in the wilderness

If TGITOR is roughing it in the wilderness, then most music is like being dropped on Mars by a faulty probe without a space suit.

it has infuriated longtime supporters, and many have registered their displeasure in consumer reviews on Amazon.com.

At Radio City Music Hall, where she concluded a 34-city tour, Ms. Krall was not backing down. Although there were a fair number of walkouts, the capacity audience generally expressed a cautious approval

Apparently, Ms. Krall's fans are scared of the wilderness of a lawn that has gone unmown for two weeks.

Ms. Krall is obviously reaching for something very high. If it is still not quite within her grasp, you can only applaud the courage it takes to make such a dangerous and unnecessary leap into unknown territory.

It is hard to believe that Mr. Holden believes this. Over-compensation? Self-delusion? Never walked barefoot on grass? Surely even Krall fanatics can see through this crap?