I just played it again this morning; it's smooth but I find something missing in it, affection and devotion and high production values.
For example, the assisting vocals, they are dead...on the first tune. The bass is reasonable but it lacks articulation, like the rest.
This is from an inferior CD recording, and from my system. I tell it like it is; I don't like this CD music recording...it's not vibrantly moving and the quality sound is not there in all its love fury.
Maybe the hi-res download and the LP sound better. To me it's a clear sign that CD is dying big time when you can have better sound quality for more money.
Anyway, I got all Diana's CDs and some videos too on Blu, and that last CD of her I don't recommend it for sound quality and production values.
It has no essence. Sad because I love my neighbor Diana, but on this one (CD medium version) it simply ain't my cup of tea in the Sahara desert.
Plus you said that the LP ripping through the USB port has no magic either, with distortion you could hear.
It's a sad state of the affairs on "quality sound" in the year 2016. ...And from such a high profile artist like
Diana Krall...the people recording her and ripping her from the LP through a USB exit. Diana and the musicians and second vocals and recording engineer they simply didn't give their best love on that CD recording. ...It's a botched job in my all honest opinion.
It sounds like a quick release for a quick buck... Some of her other CDs are much better than this last one. * I'm thinking of Adele too, except that Adele she's 100% Pop.
Some reviewers must have a great CD player and DAC... But I don't think so because other recordings sound fantastic. Nah, this one has inferior production values...the CD, definitely...or my ears are in shamble.
Audio exhibitors should know better, in their quality recording music selections. ...That's where 99.999999999% of the audio sales essence is.
The rest is in the speakers positioning and the room's acoustics. ...Me sincerely thinks.