Diana Krall [ tickets ]'s sizable following has always been split between straight-ahead jazz fans and Adult Contemporary listeners. Krall's 12th CD, "Quiet Nights,' is one that will please both sides of that equation.

Krall serves up a softly sensuous blend of classic ballads and bossa novas on the aptly titled 10-track set, which marks her first new studio release since the 2006 Top 10 hit "From This Moment On." The new material, which includes three compositions from bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim, is handled with extreme care and delivered with the kind of understated elegance that Krall manages better than anyone else in the business.

The record begins with a distinct highlight, a luxurious stroll through the Rodgers/Hart standard "Where or When," which sets the mood and pace for the entire affair. From there, Krall continues to mine the Great American Songbook for such beauties as the Lerner/Lowe staple "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face" and the Hal David/Burt Bacharach favorite "Walk on By."

Krall is at least as good a pianist as she is a vocalist, yet this album isn't much of a showcase for her finger work. "Quiet Nights," as one might suspect given its title, is a bit light on jazz chops. Instead, Krall and her always marvelous band (guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton) opt for a more refined, and refrained, sound.

The whole package is pulled together in glorious fashion by producer Tommy LiPuma, who also worked on Krall's previous nine outings, and arranger Claus Ogerman, a true legend with a track record that includes work with Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra and, most significantly in the case of "Quiet Nights," Jobim.