Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine named her the second greatest jazz

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

of the decade (2000–2009), establishing her as one of the best-selling artists of her time. Krall is the only jazz singer to have had eight albums debuting at the top of the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums. To date, she has won three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

and eight

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

s. She has also earned nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums.

Early years

Krall was born on November 16, 1964, in

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

, British Columbia, the daughter of Adella A. (''née'' Wende), an elementary school teacher, and Stephen James "Jim" Krall, an accountant. Krall's only sibling, Michelle, is a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP). Krall's father played piano at home, and her mother sang in a community choir. Krall began studying piano herself at the age of four and took exams through The Royal Conservatory of Music. In high school, she was a member of a student jazz group; at 15, she began playing professionally in local restaurants. Krall won a scholarship to attend the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

in Boston, where she studied from 1981 to 1983, before spending time in Los Angeles to play jazz. She returned to Canada to record her first album in 1992.

Career

Krall recorded her first album, '' Stepping Out'', for Justin Time Records in 1992; the album was released in 1993. She was accompanied by bassist

John Clayton John Clayton may refer to: Arts and entertainment Writing * John Clayton (architect) (died 1861), English architect and writer * John Bell Clayton (c. 1907–1955), American writer * John Clayton (sportswriter) (1954–2022), American sportswriter ...

and drummer Jeff Hamilton. It caught the attention of producer Tommy LiPuma, who produced her second album, '' Only Trust Your Heart'' (1995). Her third album, '' All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio'' (1996), was nominated for a Grammy and continued for 70 weeks in the ''Billboard'' jazz charts. '' Love Scenes'' (1997) quickly became a hit record with the trio of Krall,

Russell Malone Russell Malone (born November 8, 1963) is an American jazz guitarist. He began working with Jimmy Smith in 1988 and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall throughout the 1990s.Neuroth, Matt. (2008). ''Bio: Russell Malone.'' Retr ...

(guitar), and Christian McBride (bass). In August 2000, Krall partnered with Tony Bennett for a 20-city tour, and in 2008–09 they worked together again for a song on the TV series '' Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...'' Orchestral arrangements by Johnny Mandel provided the background for her fifth studio album '' When I Look in Your Eyes'' (1999), her first released through Verve Records. The band mix was kept, following arrangements on '' The Look of Love'' (2001) created by Claus Ogerman; this record achieved platinum status and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200. The title track from the album, a cover of the '' Casino Royale'' standard popularized in the late 1960s by Dusty Springfield and Sérgio Mendes, reached number 22 on the adult contemporary chart. In September 2001, Krall began a world tour. Her concert at the Paris Olympia was recorded and released in 2002 as her first live record, ''

Live in Paris ''Live in Paris'' may refer to: Albums * ''Live in Paris'' (Art Ensemble of Chicago album) * ''Live in Paris'' (John Coltrane album) * ''Live in Paris'' (Jemeel Moondoc album) *'' Live in Paris 1975'', an album by Deep Purple * ''Live in Paris+'' ( ...

'' (issued with a different European title, ''A Night In Paris''). The album included covers of

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

's "Just the Way You Are" (a hit on U.S. smooth jazz radio) and

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

's "A Case Of You", and was also released as a video album. The 2001 movie " The Score" (US and Germany), starring Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, featured a recording of Krall's entitled: "I'll Make It Up As I Go." This song accompanies the film's ending credits (chapter 12) and was composed by fellow Canadian, David Foster. After marrying English singer-songwriter

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

in 2003, Krall worked with him as a lyricist and began to compose her own songs, resulting in the album ''

The Girl in the Other Room ''The Girl in the Other Room'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on March 31, 2004, by Verve Records. In addition to cover versions, it is Krall's first album to include original material, which she co-wrote with ...

''. Released in April 2004, it quickly rose to the top five in the United Kingdom and made the Australian top 40 album charts. She also joined Ray Charles on his '' Genius Loves Company'' album in 2004 for the song " You Don't Know Me", and her 2004 performance at Bell Centre, Montreal on June 29 was released as her second live CD and DVD, ''

Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival ''Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival'' is the second DVD by Canadian jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall, released on 23 November 2004 via Verve label. The album was recorded live on 29 June 2004 at Bell Centre Bell Centre (), formerly kno ...

'', released on November 23, 2004. In late May 2007, Krall was featured in a Lexus ad campaign. That year she also sang "

Dream a Little Dream of Me "Dream a Little Dream of Me" is a 1931 song with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was first recorded in February 1931 by Ozzie Nelson and also by Wayne King and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ernie Birchil ...

" with piano accompaniment by pianist

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

for an "all-star" tribute album '' We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song'' (2007) produced by Phil Ramone. 145 Diana Krall

'' Quiet Nights'', produced by Krall and Tommy LiPuma, was released on March 31, 2009, and consisted of mainly

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

standards. Krall produced Barbra Streisand's album '' Love Is the Answer'', released on September 29, 2009. In 2011, Krall went on a private retreat to Sri Lanka. In September 2012, she accompanied Paul McCartney at

Capitol Studios Capitol Studios are recording studios located at the landmark Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California. The studios, which opened in 1956, were initially the primary recording studios for the American record label Capitol Records. While t ...

in a live performance of his album ''

Kisses on the Bottom ''Kisses on the Bottom'' is the fifteenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, consisting primarily of covers of traditional pop music and jazz. Released in February 2012 on Starbucks' Hear Music label, it was McCartney's first studio album s ...

'', which was shown live on the internet. On September 13, 2012, Krall performed " Fly Me to the Moon" at astronaut

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

's memorial service in Washington, D.C. Her 11th studio album, '' Glad Rag Doll'', produced by T Bone Burnett, was released on October 2, 2012, and covered mainly jazz tunes from the 1920s and 1930s. Her next, '' Wallflower'', released on February 3, 2015, by Verve Records and produced by David Foster, tackled more recent composers including the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

(two songs),

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

(" Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"),

10cc 10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured t ...

(" I'm Not in Love"), Neil Finn (" Don't Dream It's Over"), and Gilbert O'Sullivan (" Alone Again (Naturally)"). The album's title song is from Bob Dylan's "Bootleg Series", and Paul McCartney gave her his blessing to include '' I'll Take You Home Tonight'', a previously unreleased original song he'd written for his own jazz-flavoured ''

'' album. On May 5, 2017, Krall released her thirteenth album, ''

Turn Up the Quiet ''Turn Up the Quiet'' is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on May 5, 2017, by Verve Records. Background The album consists of 11 jazz standards. The Japanese edition of the album includes "How Deep Is the Ocean ...

'', produced by Krall and Tommy LiPuma again. The album won a Juno Award as vocal jazz album of the year in 2018. On September 14, 2018, a joint album between Krall and Tony Bennett, '' Love Is Here to Stay'', was released. The album features the song " Fascinating Rhythm", originally recorded by Bennett in 1949, which earned him a

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for the "longest time between the release of an original recording and a re-recording of the same single by the same artist" — 68 years and 342 days. September 2020 brought the release of her sixteenth studio album, ''

This Dream of You ''This Dream of You'' is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on September 25, 2020, by Verve Records. The album spawned two singles released in August 2020. Background The album is named after Krall's rendition of ...

'', named after Krall's rendition of the Bob Dylan song from his 2009 album '' Together Through Life''. The album's dozen tracks were selected from over 30 unused recordings previously laid down by Krall with her longtime producer Tommy LiPuma before his death in 2017. The album was completed in May 2020 with production finished by Krall herself, and included the jazz standard " Autumn in New York" for which a video was created to raise awareness for

New York Cares New York Cares is a nonprofit organization focused on volunteer management and was founded by a group of New York residents in 1987 who wanted to take action against social issues in New York City. The organization currently engages 65,000 volunt ...

, the largest volunteer organization in New York City founded in 1987.

Personal life

Krall and British musician

were married on December 6, 2003, at

's estate outside London. Their twin sons, Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, were born December 6, 2006, in New York City. Krall's mother died of

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, an ...

in 2002, within months of the deaths of Krall's mentors Ray Brown and

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as " Botch-a-Me", " Mambo Italiano", ...

Honours

Canadian honours

National honours

Officer of the Order of Canada – 2005

Provincial and territorial honours

Member of the Order of British Columbia – 2000

Honorary doctorates

* Honorary Ph.D. (Fine Arts) from the University of Victoria

Other awards and recognitions

* Induction into Canada's Walk of Fame – 2004 * Nanaimo Harbourfront Plaza was renamed Diana Krall Plaza – 2008 * Honorary Board Member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation * Steinway & Sons Artist, performing exclusively with Steinway pianos in recording sessions, concerts, and public appearances

Discography

* '' Stepping Out'' (1993) * '' Only Trust Your Heart'' (1995) * '' All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio'' (1996) * '' Love Scenes'' (1997) * '' When I Look in Your Eyes'' (1999) * '' The Look of Love'' (2001) * ''

'' (2002) (aka. ''A Night in Paris'') * ''

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Christmas Songs'' (2005) * '' From This Moment On'' (2006) * '' Quiet Nights'' (2009) * '' Glad Rag Doll'' (2012) * '' Wallflower'' (2015) * ''

'' (2017) * '' Love Is Here to Stay'' with Tony Bennett (2018) * ''

'' (2020)

Filmography

Awards

References

External links

* – official site * * * Diana Krallat Billboard.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Krall, Diana 1964 births Living people 20th-century Canadian pianists 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian pianists 21st-century Canadian women singers Ballad musicians Berklee College of Music alumni Canadian contraltos Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian women jazz singers Canadian jazz pianists Canadian jazz singers Canadian women pianists Crossover jazz singers Elvis Costello Grammy Award winners Impulse! Records artists Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award winners Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Artist of the Year winners Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year winners Justin Time Records artists Mainstream jazz pianists Members of the Order of British Columbia Musicians from British Columbia Officers of the Order of Canada People from Nanaimo Rhythm and blues pianists Smooth jazz singers The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Torch singers Traditional pop music singers Verve Records artists Women jazz pianists 20th-century women pianists 21st-century women pianists