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Portrait of Diana Krall at Toronto Indigo Chapters bookstore for in-store concert and CD signing. Photo by: Chris Govias- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Diana Krall

Diana Krall is one of the most gifted and talented jazz musicians of the modern era. People talk about Frank Sinatra’s gift for timing and his ability to immerse himself in a song. Krall is also on the same plane as him.

She delves deep into songs and tells us things about them that no one else can. Add to that her superb piano playing, which is on par with anyone, and you have the ideal musical package.

She delves deep into songs and tells us things about them that no one else can.

1. Diana Krall’s early childhood 

Diana Krall (born November 16, 1964 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian jazz musician who achieved crossover success with her sultry, effortless contralto voice and exquisite piano playing.

Krall grew up playing classical piano, singing in church choirs, and learning to play and sing Fats Waller songs from her father’s record collection. She began playing piano professionally at the age of 15 and later studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and privately with jazz pianist Jimmy Rowles.

She established a range of skills that included subtle, sophisticated songs and sparse accompaniment—a cool jazz rhythm section featuring her own piano, occasionally augmented by discreet string-orchestra backgrounds—while performing in the United States and Canada.

2. How did Diana Krall’s first album perform?

Diana Krall live at The Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia. Photo by: Rob Garland- Wikimedia.

Stepping Out, Krall’s debut album, was released in 1993, and All for You, a tribute to Nat King Cole that spent more than a year on jazz best-seller lists, followed three years later. When I Look in Your Eyes (1999), for which she also received her first Grammy Award, helped her gain a larger crowd.

The Look of Love (2001) and the concert recording Live in Â鶹APP were later albums (2002). This was also nominated for a Grammy for best jazz vocal album. Krall included some of her own compositions as well as songs written or cowritten by British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello on The Girl in the Other Room (2004) for the first time.

4. Diana Krall’s second album

Christmas Songs (2005), From This Moment On (2006), a selection of guidelines; Quiet Nights (2009), a trial with bossa nova; Glad Rag Doll (2012), a discovery of lesser-known jazz tunes beloved by her father; and Wallflower (2015), a collection of light rock covers, were among Krall’s later albums. She returned to the Turn Up the Quiet standards (2017).

Krall and Tony Bennett performed George Gershwin songs on their 2018 album Love Is Here to Stay. This Dream of You (2020) was a low-key tribute to her late longtime producer Tommy LiPuma.

5. Diana Krall’s musical background from a young age

Former U.S. Senator John Glenn, left, and musician Diana Krall during a memorial service celebrating the life of Neil Armstrong, on Thursday, 13 September 2012, at the Washington National Cathedral. Photo by: NASA/Bill Ingalls- Wikimedia.

Diana Jean Krall was born and raised in a musical family in British Columbia, with a father who loved jazz and played the piano and a mother who sang in a community choir. She began taking piano lessons at the age of four and by her mid-teens was studying harmony and playing jazz in a local restaurant.

She began playing in a duo at the age of 15, and a trio at the age of 16, learning how to write charts for the trio from her senior school’s band director; otherwise, she is largely self-taught, having been highly inspired by her father’s and her school band director’s 78 rpm record collections. Fats Waller was a fan favorite from the start.

6. Diana Krall’s educational background

Krall’s musical education was furthered by a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. Ray Brown convinced her to go to Los Angeles after graduation, where she spent three years playing jazz professionally before returning to Canada.

Stepping Out, Krall’s debut album, was recorded with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton in 1993. Only Trust Your Heart was released on GRP two years later, with Tommy LiPuma producing and Ray Brown on bass.

But it wasn’t until she signed with Impulse! and released her third album, All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio (1996), that she cemented her place as an international superstar. This album spent 70 weeks on the Billboard jazz charts and was nominated for a Grammy.

7. How successful was Diana Krall?

Diana Krall’s star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. Photo by: Tabercil- Wikimedia.

Diana Krall has sold over 6 million album copies in the United States and more than 15 million worldwide. She is the first jazz singer to have eight albums chart at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. She has received eight Juno Awards and three Grammies, among other honors.

8. What awards has Diana Krall receive?

Diana Krall was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2000 and the Order of Canada in 2005. In 2003, she received an honorary Ph.D. in Fine Arts from the University of Victoria. In 2004, she was inducted into the Canada Walk of Fame.

9. Diana Krall’s private life

Diana Krall married British musician Elvis Costello on December 6, 2003, at the estate of musician Elton John. Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, the couple’s twin sons, were born on December 6, 2006, in New York City.

10. What was the atmosphere like in the studio between you, Tommy, and your players?

Tommy refused to be removed. He removed himself from the behind-the-scenes situation and immersed himself in it, becoming part of the ensemble without getting in anyone’s way. He’d be completely silent. Respectful. He’d put on his headphones, close his eyes, and listen to music.

He’d just let you finish a song… until he opened his eyes. He’d look at you and say quietly, “Yeah,” or “One more.” Always quietly. He knew I needed silence to work, process, and vibe off the musicians. Tommy knew that the less he said, the more he would get from me. The more we worked together, the closer we became.

He made certain that you had enough time and space to complete your tasks.
He could tell I needed it. That’s why we did so many tracks the last time. I had a feeling… I wanted to leave, so I kept playing. He wasn’t feeling well at the time. Tommy was having problems while we were recording with (guitarist) Marc Ribot.