Diana Krall was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She grew up around the piano, as her parents both played it. She started studying classical piano, but switched to jazz. Her first gig occurred when she 15 years old. Her early influence was Fats Waller, who was perhaps the first great "hyphenated," a phrase Krall uses to describe singer-pianist.
She studied for awhile at Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship from the Vancouver Jazz Festival. She became friends with Jeff Hamilton and Ray Brown. When she asked Brown who he recommended that she study piano with, he recommended Jimmy Rowles. She moved to Los Angeles and studied under Rowles on a grant from the Canadian Arts Council.
She moved back to Canada in 1984 and settled in Toronto, where she studied with bassist-pianist Don Thompson. She then moved to New York in 1990 and started playing in Boston. She recorded her first album in 1992, Stepping Out, with Hamilton (drums) and John Clayton (bass). This record has recently been released in the United States. She recorded Only Trust your Heart in 1995, which featured Christian McBride, Ray Brown, Lewis Nash, and Stanley Turrentine. In 1996, she recorded one of my very favorite albums ever, All for You (A dedication to the Nat "King" Cole Trio). She recorded the album with her travelling group, Russell Malone (guitar), and Paul Keller (bass). Her group has a real chemistry and "tightness." Her voice shows real depth and passion. If you listen to her singing and you don't feel anything, then check your pulse, because you are probably dead. The material recorded on that record was a perfect fit, since Krall and Cole are both great singers and pianist and both had excellent trios (with the same instruments!). She was nominated for a Grammy for this recording (and how she didn't win, I'll never know!). In 1997, she released a collection of love songs called Love Scenes. Malone returns on guitar, and McBride brings his melodic bass style to the recording. Krall continues with her mature vocal style that has been described (rather accurately) as "wild honey with a spoonful of scotch."
To learn more about Diana Krall, check out these sites:
Diana Krall
- from justin-time.com
Diana Krall
- a fan's tribute
