Diana Krall

Last updated

Diana Krall
OC, OBC
Diana krall.jpg
Krall at a CD signing in Toronto in September 2007
Background information
Birth nameDiana Jean Krall
Born (1964-11-16) November 16, 1964 (age 59)
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Jazz, traditional pop, bossa nova
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active1993–present
Labels Justin Time
GRP
Impulse
Verve
Spouse(s)
(m. 2003)
Website dianakrall.com

Diana Jean Krall OC OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. [1] 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.

Contents

Krall is the only jazz singer to have had eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. [2] 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. [3] [4] [5] 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 [6] and took exams through The Royal Conservatory of Music. [7] In high school, she was a member of a student jazz group; at 15, she began playing professionally in local restaurants. [8] Krall won a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied from 1981 to 1983, [9] before spending time in Los Angeles to play jazz. She returned to Canada to record her first album in 1992.

Career

Krall in 1998 Diana Krall 1998.jpg
Krall in 1998

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 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 (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 (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 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. [10]

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 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 , released on November 23, 2004. [11] [12] [13]

In late May 2007, Krall was featured in a Lexus ad campaign. [14] That year she also sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me" 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.

Krall performing in November 2010 at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia. 145 Diana Krall.jpg
Krall performing in November 2010 at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Quiet Nights , produced by Krall and Tommy LiPuma, was released on March 31, 2009, and consisted of mainly bossa nova standards.

Krall produced Barbra Streisand's album Love Is the Answer , released on September 29, 2009. [15]

In 2011, Krall went on a private retreat to Sri Lanka. In September 2012, she accompanied Paul McCartney at Capitol Studios in a live performance of his album Kisses on the Bottom , which was shown live on the internet. On September 13, 2012, Krall performed "Fly Me to the Moon" at astronaut Neil Armstrong'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 [16] and produced by David Foster, [17] tackled more recent composers including the Eagles (two songs), Elton John and Bernie Taupin ("Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"), 10cc ("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 Kisses on the Bottom album. [18]

On May 5, 2017, Krall released her thirteenth album, Turn Up the Quiet , produced by Krall and Tommy LiPuma again. [19] The album won a Juno Award as vocal jazz album of the year in 2018. [20]

On September 14, 2018, a joint album between Krall and Tony Bennett, Love Is Here to Stay , was released. [21] The album features the song "Fascinating Rhythm", 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. [22]

September 2020 brought the release of her sixteenth studio album, This Dream of You , named after Krall's rendition of the Bob Dylan song from his 2009 album Together Through Life . [23] 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. [24] The album was completed in May 2020 with production finished by Krall herself, [25] 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. [26]

Personal life

Krall with husband Elvis Costello in 2009 Elvis Costello and Diana Krall.jpg
Krall with husband Elvis Costello in 2009

Krall and British musician Elvis Costello were married on December 6, 2003, at Elton John's estate outside London. [27] Their twin sons, Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, were born December 6, 2006, in New York City. [28]

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

Provincial and territorial honours

Honorary doctorates

Other awards and recognitions

Discography

Krall performing in Cologne, Germany in October 2009 DianaKrall Cologne 2727.jpg
Krall performing in Cologne, Germany in October 2009

Filmography

List of television and film credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 At First Sight SingerSings "Mack The Knife"
1997–1998 Melrose Place Herself"A Shot in the Dark" (Season 6, Episode 8, uncredited)
"Ball N' Jane" (Season 7, Episode 4)
2001Jazz Seen: The Life and Times of William Claxton Herself [35] Documentary
2003 Anything Else HerselfSings "It Could Happen to You"
2003 De-Lovely Musical PerformerSings "Just One of Those Things"
2005 Mississippi Rising HerselfTV documentary
2008–2009 Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... Herself"Tony Bennett" (Season 1, Episode 5)
"Diana Krall Interviewed by Elton John" (Season 1, Episode 12)
2009 Public Enemies Torch SingerSings "Bye Bye Blackbird"
2017–2019 Pete the Cat Pete's Mom (voice)Season 1 only (replaced by KT Tunstall)

Awards

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>The Girl in the Other Room</i> 2004 studio album by Diana Krall

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 her husband Elvis Costello.

<i>Love Scenes</i> (Diana Krall album) 1997 studio album by Diana Krall

Love Scenes is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on August 26, 1997, by Impulse! Records.

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The Look of Love is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on September 18, 2001, by Verve Records. It became Krall's first album to top the Canadian Albums Chart. In 2002, the album earned Al Schmitt the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and received the Juno Award for Album of the Year in Canada.

<i>Live in Paris</i> (Diana Krall album)

Live in Paris is the first live album and video album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on October 1, 2002, by Verve Records. The album was recorded during Krall's sold-out concerts at Paris's Olympia from November 29 to December 2, 2001, and includes songs from her albums Only Trust Your Heart (1995), All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio (1996), When I Look in Your Eyes (1999), and The Look of Love (2001).

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<i>Ask a Woman Who Knows</i> 2002 studio album by Natalie Cole

Ask a Woman Who Knows is a 2002 jazz album by vocalist Natalie Cole, with guest Diana Krall, and receiving four Grammy Award nominations.

<i>Quiet Nights</i> (Diana Krall album) 2009 studio album by Diana Krall

Quiet Nights is the tenth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on March 31, 2009, by Verve Records.

<i>Love Is the Answer</i> (album) 2009 album by Barbra Streisand

Love Is the Answer is the thirty-second studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand released on September 29, 2009. The album consists of jazz standards and was produced by Diana Krall and Tommy LiPuma. It also features Krall on piano and orchestral arrangements by Johnny Mandel, Anthony Wilson and Alan Broadbent. A deluxe edition contains a bonus disc featuring versions of the songs with just Streisand's vocals and Krall's quartet.

<i>Glad Rag Doll</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Diana Krall

Glad Rag Doll is the eleventh studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on October 2, 2012, by Verve Records. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the album covers mainly jazz tunes from the 1920s and 1930s, mostly from Krall's father's collection of 78-rpm records.

<i>Wallflower</i> (Diana Krall album) 2015 studio album by Diana Krall

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<i>Turn Up the Quiet</i> 2017 studio album by Diana Krall

Turn Up the Quiet is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on May 5, 2017, by Verve Records.

<i>Love Is Here to Stay</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Tony Bennett and Diana Krall

Love Is Here to Stay is a collaborative studio album by American singer Tony Bennett and Canadian singer and pianist Diana Krall. It was released on September 14, 2018, by Verve Records and Columbia Records. The album features the New York–based jazz group the Bill Charlap Trio. An exclusive CD edition containing two bonus tracks was released at Target, while a red-colored opaque vinyl of the album was made available exclusively through Barnes & Noble.

<i>Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas</i> (EP) 1998 EP by Diana Krall

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<i>This Dream of You</i> 2020 studio album by Diana Krall

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References

  1. "Music review: Diana Krall". Barnes & Noble. September 18, 2001. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  2. "Best of the 2000s – Artists of the Decade" positions 51–60, Billboard.
  3. Kyle Smith, "Look of Love" Archived May 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , People (Archive), March 31, 2003, Vol. 59, No. 12.
  4. "Krall, Diana", in Elizabeth Lumley (ed.), The Canadian Who's Who, Volume 43, University of Toronto Press, 2008, p. 710.
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  6. "Diana Krall Biography". biography.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  7. "Diana Krall Interviewed by Elton John". Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... February 18, 2009. Channel 4 (UK), CTV (Canada).
  8. "Diana Krall – Biography". HELLO! Canada. October 8, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
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  10. DVD (ending Credits), Universum Film GmbH & Co. KG., Constantin Films and BMG Video, Germany, 2005
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  12. "Diana Krall Live at the Montréal Jazz Festival". Allmusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
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  14. Lexus commercial on YouTube
  15. Caulfield, Keith (October 17, 2009). "Streisand Leads A Record Eight Debuts In Top 10". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 41. Nielsen Business Media. p. 36. ISSN   0006-2510.
  16. "Diana Krall's 'Wallflower': REVIEW". NY Daily News. January 27, 2015.
  17. "First Listen: Diana Krall, 'Wallflower'". NPR.org. January 25, 2015.
  18. Masley, Ed (August 17, 2015). "Interview: Diana Krall on the making of 'Wallflower'" . Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  19. Gardner, Elysa (June 19, 2017). "Diana Krall on Handling Grief, and 'Finding Romance in Everything'". New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  20. "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners". CBC News, March 25, 2018
  21. Hart, Ron. "Tony Bennett & Diana Krall on Gershwin Duets Album 'Love Is Here to Stay' & Their Mutual Admiration". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  22. Bruner, Raisa. "Tony Bennett Just Locked Down a Very Obscure Guinness Record". Time. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  23. Willman, Chris (August 15, 2020). "Diana Krall Dips Into Final Tommy LiPuma Sessions for New Album, Previewed With an Irving Berlin Classic (Listen)". Variety . Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  24. Derdeyn, Stuart (October 4, 2020). "Five things to know about This Dream of You, by Diana Krall". Vancouver Sun . Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  25. Newey, Jon (August 14, 2020). "Diana Krall does Dylan and Duke on classy new album (plus, listen to an exclusive track)". Jazzwise . Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  26. Gordon, David (September 25, 2020). "Diana Krall Releases New Album and "Autumn in New York" Video Today". TheaterMania. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
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  35. Cast list for Jazz Seen at IMDb
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Juno Award for Artist of the Year
2002
Succeeded by