Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist and

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

known for her

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, '' Billboard'' magazine named her the second greatest jazz artist 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 and eight Juno Awards. She has also earned nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums.

Early years

Krall was born on November 16, 1964, in Nanaimo, 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 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

). 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 The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Con ...

. 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 Justin Time Records is a Canadian record company and independent record label founded in Montreal by Jim West. It was established in 1983 and specialises in jazz and blues. Although Justin Time initially recorded Canadian musicians such as Olive ...

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 and Martha Clayton, John Bell Clayton (c. 1907–1955), American writer *John Clayton (sportswriter) ( ...

and drummer Jeff Hamilton. It caught the attention of producer

Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. He received 33 Grammy nominations, 5 Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles ...

, who produced her second album, ''

Only Trust Your Heart ''Only Trust Your Heart'' is the second studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on February 14, 1995, by GRP Records. Track listing Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Only Trust Your Heart''. Musicians * Diana ...

'' (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 (guitar), and

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...

(bass). In August 2000, Krall partnered with

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

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 John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

provided the background for her fifth studio album ''

When I Look in Your Eyes ''When I Look in Your Eyes'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on June 8, 1999, by Verve Records. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the first time in 25 years that a jazz album was nominate ...

'' (1999), her first released through

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

. The band mix was kept, following arrangements on '' The Look of Love'' (2001) created by

Claus Ogerman Claus Ogerman (born Klaus Ogermann; 29 April 1930 – 8 March 2016) was a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. Life and wor ...

; 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 Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...

and

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for ...

, reached number 22 on the adult contemporary chart. In September 2001, Krall began a world tour. Her concert at the

Paris Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra ...

was recorded and released in 2002 as her first live record, '' Live in Paris'' (issued with a different European title, ''A Night In Paris''). The album included covers of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" (a hit on U.S.

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...

radio) and Joni Mitchell'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 David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...

. After marrying English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello 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''. 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 Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

on his ''

Genius Loves Company ''Genius Loves Company'' is the final studio album by rhythm and blues and soul musician Ray Charles, posthumously released August 31, 2004, on Concord Records. Billboard.com: Discography - Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company Nielsen Business Medi ...

'' album in 2004 for the song " You Don't Know Me", and her 2004 performance at

Bell Centre Bell Centre (), formerly known as Molson Centre (), is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montr ...

, 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 is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...

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 Birchill. ...

" with piano accompaniment by pianist Hank Jones for an "all-star" tribute album '' We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song'' (2007) produced by

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business pa ...

'' Quiet Nights'', produced by Krall and

, was released on March 31, 2009, and consisted of mainly bossa nova standards. Krall produced

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

'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 Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

at Capitol Studios 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 "Fly Me to the Moon", originally titled "In Other Words", is a song written in 1954 by Bart Howard. The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kaye Ballard. Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions ...

" at astronaut Neil Armstrong's memorial service in Washington, D.C. Her 11th studio album, ''

Glad Rag Doll "Glad Rag Doll" is a 1928 song composed by Milton Ager and Dan Dougherty with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was Ager and Yellen's first movie theme song, written for the motion picture of the same name (released in 1929) starring Dolores Costello. ...

'', produced by

T Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...

, was released on October 2, 2012, and covered mainly jazz tunes from the 1920s and 1930s. Her next, ''

Wallflower ''Erysimum'', or wallflower, is a genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. It includes more than 150 species, both popular garden plants and many wild forms. The genus ''Cheiranthus'' is sometimes included here in whole o ...

'', released on February 3, 2015, by

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, jus ...

(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 ("

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the '' Blue Moves'' album. It was John's sec ...

"), 10cc (" I'm Not in Love"),

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...

Don't Dream It's Over "Don't Dream It's Over" is a song by rock band Crowded House, recorded for their 1986 self-titled debut studio album. The song was composed and written by New Zealand frontman Neil Finn, and released in October 1986 as the fourth single from ...

"), and

Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's so ...

Alone Again (Naturally) "Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. It was recorded in 1972 at the same time as his album '' Back to Front'' and was a worldwide hit. The single spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on ''B ...

"). The album's title song is from

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's "Bootleg Series", and

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

, ''

Love Is Here to Stay "Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the movie ''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938). History "Love Is Here to Stay" was first performed by Kenny Baker in ''The Goldw ...

'', was released. The album features the song "

Fascinating Rhythm "Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was first introduced by Cliff Edwards, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical '' Lady Be Good.'' The Astaires also recorded ...

", originally recorded by Bennett in 1949, which earned him a Guinness World Record 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

song from his 2009 album ''

Together Through Life ''Together Through Life'' is the 33rd studio album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on April 28, 2009, by Columbia Records. The release of the album, which reached number 1 in multiple countries, was unexpected and surprised fans. Dyla ...

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

Personal life

Krall and British musician Elvis Costello 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 in 2002, within months of the deaths of Krall's mentors Ray Brown and Rosemary Clooney.

Honours

Canadian honours

National honours

Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

– 2005

Provincial and territorial honours

Member of the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier ...

– 2000

Honorary doctorates

* Honorary Ph.D. (Fine Arts) from the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...

Other awards and recognitions

* Induction into

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...

– 2004 * Nanaimo Harbourfront Plaza was renamed Diana Krall Plaza – 2008 * Honorary Board Member of the

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is a charitable organization dedicated to multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. The MMRF runs as if it were a for-profit business, expecting high returns from the money the organization rais ...

* Steinway & Sons Artist, performing exclusively with Steinway pianos in recording sessions, concerts, and public appearances

Discography

* '' Stepping Out'' (1993) * ''

'' (1995) * '' All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio'' (1996) * '' Love Scenes'' (1997) * ''

'' (1999) * '' The Look of Love'' (2001) * '' Live in Paris'' (2002) (aka. ''A Night in Paris'') * '' The Girl in the Other Room'' (2004) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

Christmas Songs Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...

'' (2005) * '' From This Moment On'' (2006) * '' Quiet Nights'' (2009) * ''

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2017) * ''

'' with

(2018) * ''

'' (2020)

Filmography

Awards

References

External links

* – official site * * *

Diana Krall 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'' maga ...

Billboard.com ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

* {{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