Biography of Diana Krall. Diana Krall - biography, facts from life, photographs, background information

Biography of Diana Krall

Real name: Diana Krall
Born: November 16, 1964 in the Canadian city of Niamo.
Genre: jazz.
Instruments: vocals, piano.

Diana Krall was born on November 16, 1964. In light of her future career, she is undoubtedly lucky with her family. Her parents were musicians, her father and mother played the piano, and her grandmother was a singer. The house constantly played recordings of favorite performers: Nat King Cole, Fats Waller, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra, opera, retro music. As a four-year-old child, Diana first sat down at the piano, and soon she was trying to memorize all of Fats Waller’s records, singing them to her own accompaniment. In parallel with secondary school She also attended the music school. While mastering classical piano, she simultaneously played in school jazz ensembles. In her youth, she became interested in the work of Sting, R&B singers and piano virtuoso Ahmad Jamal. Diana Krall gave her first professional concert at the age of 15. She says that she read the biography of the Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kain and was struck by the coincidence of her experience with her own. We are apparently talking about overcoming the provincial complex. Because Canada is still a province compared to the States. In everything except hockey.

Kroll's musical career began with weekend performances in local bars, where she performed jazz standards on the piano. Victory in the jazz festival, which took place in Vancouver in 1981, made her the owner of a personal scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. After studying in the United States for two years, Diana returned to hometown, where she continued to perform in clubs and play music professionally.

Famous jazz musicians Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton, who happened to attend Diana's concerts and were fascinated by her art, convinced the artist to move to Los Angeles. Which she did, securing a grant from the Canadian Arts Council. In Los Angeles, at the insistence of Jimmy Rowles and under his leadership, the girl began to actively develop vocals. Although from the very beginning of her performances she, of course, often had to sing, she never seriously considered her voice as a form of self-expression, considering herself primarily a pianist. The full use of vocals in her show programs has made Daina Krall a much more popular and sought-after artist than she was previously.

Having received for herself everything that was possible at that time in Los Angeles, 20-year-old Daina Krall returns to Canada. Now she is based in Toronto, where she works as professional musician, pianist and vocalist. Six years pass like this.

In 1990, the artist again crossed the Canadian-American border and landed in New York. She has not yet been able to find work here and she settles in Boston, where she regularly performs in clubs with her trio. During her years away from America, she constantly kept in touch with her American colleagues, who are now helping her settle in her new place and will soon gather in the studio to begin her discography.

Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton assist Kroll in the first studio sessions, during which her debut album"Only Trust Your Heart", released under the GPR label in 1994. Diana considers it a great success that from the very beginning the legendary producer Tommy LiPuma was responsible for the sound of her recordings, collaboration with whom, let's get ahead of ourselves, lasted many years. Diana always spoke with delight about her studio vigils with him: “I admired him long before I met him and started working. In the studio, he deals not so much with the sound, but with the musicians; he knows how to bring out the best in each performer.”

The artist dedicated the album “All For You” that followed two years later to the memory of the idol of her youth, Nat Cole. With this recording, Daina Krall was presented for the first time at the Grammys. Considering the musical direction she has chosen, which is far from mass popularity, one can only envy such a high assessment of her second work.

Diana Krall always willingly collaborated with her colleagues, to whom she owed much of the quality of her albums. Among the most active were Ray Brown, Stanley Turrentine and Christian McBride. In studio sessions and tours She was usually accompanied by guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller.

In her second work, Diana Krall appeared as a mature and original artist. Music critics note her brilliant playing technique, characterized by freedom and liveliness. Her interpretations of other people's works, which Diana performs in such a trusting and warm voice, are filled with confidence and charm.

The next studio work, “Love Scenes” (1997), introduced Kroll as the author of original, beautiful ballads. The singer set out on an independent path, increasingly freeing herself from the influence of musicians of the past, who largely shaped her musical tastes. The highlight of the long-play is an inspired interpretation of George & Ira Gershwin's "They Cant Take That Away From Me", enhanced by the virtuoso playing of bass player Christian McBride. Diana regards the creative relationship with McBride and guitarist Russell Malone as a gift of fate: “I just have a telepathic understanding with them. We coexist in the studio extremely organically,” the artist shares in an interview.

Year after year, Diana Krall has grown as an inspired performer, as an original composer and as a profound interpreter. The best confirmation of it creative potential became the album “When I Look Into Your Eyes”, prepared in 1999. In addition to classic jazz arrangements, the recording boasted stylish inclusions of blues, samba and bossa nova. Highly rated by fans jazz music, the disc spent more than a year at the top of the Billboard jazz chart. In 2000, with this album, the artist became the winner of the Grammy ceremony. Among her ardent fans were not only famous jazz performers, but also the then President of the United States Bill Clinton, who sent her personal congratulations on receiving such a prestigious trophy.

After the release of the album “When I Look Into Your Eyes”, the singer found herself in the center of everyone’s attention: her photographs graced the covers of leading American publications “Vanity Fair”, “New York Times”, music magazine"Jazziz". Although she herself is ironic about her star status. “What is it like to be a star?.. The singer laughs. On tour I do the same thing: leaving the hotel, looking for where I can have a cup of tea, checking into a hotel, trying to get a room that doesn’t stink through cigarette smoke... What really makes sense in all of this is the opportunity to invite Jeff Hamilton or John Clayton when I need them, working with the best professionals, learning from them.”

The fact that the performer jazz direction may turn out to be so interesting commercially, it surprised many, including the artist herself. Her next release, the concert CD “Live In Paris,” which the singer released in 2002, was no less successful. The organizers of Grammy03 named Diana Krall the winner in the category “Best Jazz Vocal Album” for “Live in Paris”. American journalists dubbed Kroll nothing less than the new Ella Fitzgerald.

IN last years Diana prefers not to limit herself to jazz, trying herself in the classic pop genre. Her interpretations of songs such as "Just The Way" You Are"Billy Joel" or "The Look Of Love" by Burt Bacharach, confirm that she can do a lot of interesting things in this direction.

Remaining a jazz pianist mastering pop vocals, Kroll looks to the future with interest and hope. The artist plans to call the new studio long-play, which she is currently preparing, “Lucky Day.” She will dedicate this work to women, because “I love women very much, all women are beautiful,” says Diana.

She sings in such a way that it takes the breath away of those who hear her live. It's not like she used technology. No, she sings extremely clearly. And that's all about technology. The rest is what in English-speaking countries is called the big word “attitude”. Attitude. An approach. Worldview. This very “attitude” makes her voice significant in the most insignificant places. This peace that she pours out in singing is something few people can access.

Equally gifted as a pianist and a vocal talent, Diana Krall creates astonishing compositions that speak to each listener personally and force them to join in the graceful game she has begun. At the same time, the singer never gives direct hints and helps her listeners only with hints. “Tony Bennett taught me how important emotional messages are in music,” says Diana. It's all about how you address the person. When you tell a story, you cannot impose your attitude. You only set the mood, and then everyone is free to perceive everything in their own way. I love jazz because it’s not just a specific style, but one of the ways to interpret music and life in general.”

1964

1981

IN 1990

1994

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Diana Krall was born on November 16th 1964 of the year. In light of her future career, she is undoubtedly lucky with her family. Her parents were musicians, her father and mother played the piano, and her grandmother was a singer. The house constantly played recordings of favorite performers - Nat King Cole, Fats Waller, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra, opera, and retro music. As a four-year-old child, Diana sat down at the piano for the first time, and soon she was trying to memorize all of Fats Waller’s records, singing them to her own accompaniment.

In parallel with the general education school, she also attended music school. While mastering classical piano, she simultaneously played in school jazz ensembles. In her youth, she became interested in the work of Sting, R&B performers and piano virtuoso Ahmed Jamal. Diana Krall gave her first professional concert at the age of 15. She says that she read the biography of the Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kane and was struck by the coincidence of her experience with her own. We are apparently talking about overcoming the provincial complex. Because Canada is still a province compared to the States. In everything except hockey.

Kroll's musical career began with weekend performances in local bars, where she played jazz standards on the piano. Victory in the jazz festival, which took place in Vancouver in 1981 year, made her the owner of a personal scholarship to the College of Music at Berklee. After studying for two years in the United States, Diana returned to her hometown, where she continued to perform in clubs and play music professionally.

Famous jazz musicians Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton, who happened to attend Diana's concerts and were fascinated by her art, convinced the artist to move to Los Angeles. Which she did, securing a grant from the Canadian Arts Council. In Los Angeles, at the insistence of Jimmy Rowles and under his leadership, the girl began to actively develop vocals. Although she certainly had to sing often from the very beginning of her performances, she never seriously considered her voice as a form of self-expression, considering herself primarily a pianist. The full use of vocals in her show programs has made Daina Krall a much more popular and in-demand artist than she was previously.

Having gotten everything she could at that time in Los Angeles, 20-year-old Daina Krall returns to Canada. She now settles in Toronto, where she works as a professional musician, pianist and vocalist. Six years pass like this.

IN 1990 year, the artist again crosses the Canadian-American border and lands in New York. She has not yet been able to find work here and she settles in Boston, where she regularly performs in clubs with her trio. During her years away from America, she constantly kept in touch with her American colleagues, who are now helping her settle in her new place and will soon gather in the studio to begin her discography.

Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton assist Krall in the first studio sessions, during which her debut album, Only Trust Your Heart, is released under the auspices of the GPR label. 1994 year. Diana considers it a great success that from the very beginning the legendary producer Tommy Lipuma was responsible for the sound of her recordings, collaboration with whom - let's jump ahead - lasted many years. Diana always spoke with delight about studio vigils with him: “I admired him long before I met him and started working. In the studio, he deals not so much with the sound, but with the musicians, he knows how to bring out the best in each performer. ".

The artist dedicated the album “All for You” that followed two years later to the memory of the idol of her youth, Nat Cole. With this recording, Daina Krall was presented for the first time at the Grammys. Considering the musical direction she has chosen, which is far from mass popularity, one can only envy such a high assessment of her second work.

Diana Krall always willingly collaborated with her colleagues, to whom she owed much of the quality of her albums. Among the most active were Ray Brown, Stanley Tarrentine and Christian McBride. In studio sessions and tours, she was usually accompanied by guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller.

The next studio work, “Love Scenes,” introduced Kroll as the author of original, beautiful ballads. The singer set out on an independent path, increasingly freeing herself from the influence of musicians of the past, who largely shaped her musical tastes. The highlight of the long-play was the inspired interpretation of George and Ira Gershwin’s composition “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” adorned with the virtuoso playing of bass player Christian McBride. Diana regards the creative relationship with McBride and guitarist Russell Malone as a gift of fate: “U I just have a telepathic understanding with them. We coexist in the studio extremely organically,” the artist shares in an interview.

Year after year, Diana Krall has grown as an inspired performer, as an original composer and as a profound interpreter. The best confirmation of her creative potential was the album "When I Look into Your Eyes", prepared in 1999 year. In addition to classic jazz arrangements, the recording boasted stylish inclusions of blues, samba and bossa nova. Highly praised by jazz fans, the disc spent more than a year at the top of the Billboard jazz chart. IN 2000 With this album, the artist became the winner of the Grammy ceremony. Among her ardent fans were not only famous jazz performers, but also the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, who sent her personal congratulations on receiving such a prestigious trophy.

After the release of the album "When I Look into Your Eyes", the singer found herself in the center of everyone's attention: her photographs graced the covers of leading American publications - Vanity Fair, New York Times, and the music magazine Jazziz. Although she herself is ironic about her star status. “What’s it like to be a star?..,” the singer laughs. “On tour, I do the same thing: leaving the hotel, looking for where I can drink a cup of tea, checking into a hotel, trying to get a room that doesn’t reek of cigarette smoke... What What really makes sense about all of this is being able to bring in Geoff Hamilton or John Clayton when I need them, working with the best professionals, learning from them."

The fact that a jazz performer could turn out to be so commercially interesting surprised many, including the artist herself. Her next release was no less successful - the concert CD "Live in Paris", which the singer unveiled in 2002 year. The organizers of Grammy "03 named Diana Krall the winner in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Album" precisely for "Live in Paris." American journalists dubbed Krall nothing less than the new Ella Fitzgerald.

In recent years, Diana has preferred not to limit herself to jazz, trying herself in the classic pop genre. Her interpretations of songs such as "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel or "The Look of Love" by Burt Bacharach confirm that she can do a lot of interesting things in this direction.

December 6 2003 Diana Krall married British musician Elvis Costello in a ceremony at Elton John's estate near London. December 6 2006 Years in New York, Kroll gave birth to twin sons Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank James.

After marriage, Kroll began collaborating with her husband, performing as a songwriter, and the result of their activities was the album “ The Girl in the Other Room", released in April 2004 of the year. The same year, she took part in the recording of the song “You Don’t Know Me” for last album Ray Charles"Genius Loves Company"

Her last one is this moment an album entitled "Quiet Nights" was released in March 2009 of the year. Diana Krall produced Barbra Streisand's jazz album Love Is the Answer, which was also recorded in 2009 year.

Kroll's services to Canada were recognized by awarding her 2000 year of the Order British Columbia, induction into Canada's Walk of Fame 2004 year, as well as the awarding of the degree of Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 year.

Canadian jazz performer Diana Jean Krall was born in November 1964 in Nanaimo. Her parents are pianists, her grandmother is a singer, which could not but influence her choice of profession since childhood. As a child, she successfully studied in regular and music school while mastering piano playing skills.

Like many performers of that time, the singer's career began with performances in local bars, where Kroll accompanied herself on the piano. In 1981, she won the Vancouver Jazz Festival and received Grand Prize- scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

At one of her performances, the young performer attracted the attention of already famous jazz musicians Jeff Hamilton and Ray Brown, who convinced the girl to move to Los Angeles and continue to build musical career there. They contribute to Kroll receiving a grant from the Canadian Arts Council, thanks to which many new talents were discovered. In Los Angeles, Diana tries herself as a vocalist, which makes her everyone's favorite. Three years later, she returned to her native Canada, moved to Toronto and continued to perform as a vocalist and pianist.

The singer's debut album, Stepping Out, was released in 1993 with the participation of double bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The record caught the attention of producer Tommy Lee Poom, who helps Diana record her next album, “Only Trust Your Heart.” The third disc, “All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio,” was released in 1996 and was nominated for a Grammy. It remained on the Billboard jazz chart for 70 weeks. The album “Love Scenes”, released in 1997, recorded with Russell Mellowen (guitar) and Christian McBride (bass), was no less successful among listeners.

In 1999, the vocalist received a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performer for the album “When I Look In Your Eyes,” orchestrated by Johnny Mendel. The same record was nominated for album of the year. In 2001, another album, “The Look Of Love,” was released, produced by Klaus Ogermann. She received platinum status and entered the TOP 10 Billboard. The track that gave the album its title reached number 22 on the charts.

In the summer of 2000, Diana took part in a tour with Tony Bennett, a popular American singer. in autumn next year Kroll went on a world tour. The concert in Paris served as the basis for the creation of the album “Live in Paris”, which was released in 2002. The album also appeared in Billboard's TOP 20 and brought the performer a second Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal. In 2004, she was invited to participate in the recording of Ray Charles’s last album, in which she performed “You Don’t Know Me.” In 2009, Kroll released his own album, Quiet Nights, and produced the jazz album Love Is the Answer for Barbra Streisand. As a pianist, arranger and director, Diana Krall contributed to Sir Paul McCartney's 2012 jazz CD Kisses on the Bottom and his Live Kisses concert.

Diana Krall (English) Diana Krall, genus. November 16, 1964, Nanaimo) - Canadian jazz singer and a three-time Grammy Award-winning pianist.

Equally gifted as a pianist and a vocal talent, Diana Krall creates amazing compositions; it’s as if they are addressing each listener personally, forcing them to join in the graceful game started by the artist. “The emotional message is important in music,” confirms Diana. - It's all about how you address a person. I love jazz because it is not just a certain style, but one of the ways souls communicate.”

The Canadian singer pushes the usual style boundaries. What she performs can be called a delicate balance of jazz, academic music and popular rhythms; the combination is so subtle that it seems incredibly difficult, almost impossible, to implement it with dignity and taste. This is both the strength of the singer and, at the same time, an inexhaustible reason for invective from critics. Diana persistently violates these “laws”, proving that it is possible to achieve mass popularity without breaking away from the musical roots - swing and bebop, loved since childhood But mass popularity cannot be taken away; we can only say that born and received elementary education In Nanaimo, the singer and pianist became the best-selling jazz vocalist of the past decade.

Having started studying piano at the age of four, she was raised on jazz - her father was a great connoisseur of jazz piano music, and there were many records at home. Here, in Diana Krall's childhood home, located near Vancouver, recordings of her father's favorite performers - Nat King Cole, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra, and Ets Waller - were constantly playing. The latter's compositions future singer I even tried to learn them by heart, singing their own accompaniment. At the age of 15, she was already performing in local bars and restaurants, and winning a jazz festival determined her destiny. This festival, held in Vancouver in 1981, made Diana the owner of a personal scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.

New good friends only contributed to success. Famous jazz musicians Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton happened to attend a concert of young Diana and were fascinated by her art. It was they who convinced the artist to move to America, specifically to Los Angeles, arguing that Canada, despite all its advantages, is still a jazz province. Kroll was always easy-going and ready for change, especially since these changes promised a great future. Having secured a grant from the Canadian Arts Council, she leaves for Los Angeles. But she still had to study... In America, at the insistence of pianist and vocalist Jimmy Rowles and under his leadership, the girl began to actively develop vocals. Although she often had to sing, including for demanding audiences, she never seriously considered her voice as a form of self-expression, considering herself primarily a pianist. The full use of vocals made Diana Krall a much more popular and sought-after artist than could have been expected at first, and her voice itself, very unusual, intimate, rich in confidential intonations, became a signature feature.

After making the most of it in Los Angeles, 20-year-old Diana returns to Canada. She has now settled in Toronto, where she works as a professional musician. In 1990, the artist again crossed the Canada-US border and landed in New York, and then moved to Boston, where she regularly performed in clubs with her trio. The moment came when she and her American colleagues gathered together in the studio to mark the beginning of a discography, and with it a new jazz myth, whose name is Diana Krall.

Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton assisted Krall in her first studio sessions, resulting in her debut album, Only Trust Your Heart (1994). It can be considered a great success that from the very beginning the legendary producer Tommy LiPuma, equally talented both as a person and as a musician, was responsible for the sound of the recordings, collaboration with whom lasted for Diana for many years. (At the same time, Lipuma at first didn’t even want to listen to the demo material, scornfully throwing out: “Whites don’t know how to play jazz!”). Diana always spoke glowingly about her studio work with Tommy: “I admired him long before I met him and started working. In the studio, he deals not so much with sound, but with musicians; he knows how to bring out the best in each performer.”

The artist dedicated the album All for You that followed two years later to the memory of the idol of her youth, Nat Cole. With this recording, Kroll was presented for the first time at the Grammys. Considering the musical direction that is far from mass popularity, one can only envy such a high assessment of her second work. At the same time, the singer performs not only modern jazz, but also jazz and pop standards of the 20-30s and 60-80s, finding individual tones for each composition, for which the entire palette of techniques is used, starting with a tiny transformation of dynamics and ending with a new rewritten orchestration. “Jazz is the music of my heart, which allows me to express myself,” says Diana: neither take away nor add...

“Already in her second work, Kroll appears as a mature and original artist. Music critics note the brilliant playing technique, freedom and liveliness of interpretation. Her adaptations of other people's works are filled with confidence and charm, which Diana performs in a confidential and warm voice, similar to enveloping rays. sunlight“, the press wrote then.

From album to album, the singer became increasingly freed from the influences of past musicians close to her heart. In addition to classic jazz arrangements, stylish inclusions of blues, samba and bossa nova appear in her work. Among her fans now are not only famous jazz performers, but also former US President Bill Clinton, who every time sent her personal congratulations, thereby celebrating the singer’s receipt prestigious awards. She is persistently interested in musical and glossy magazines- Diana’s photos adorn the covers of leading American publications: Vanity Fair, New York Times, Jazziz and others.

The fact that a jazz performer could turn out to be so commercially interesting surprised many, including the artist herself. The live CD Live in Pans (2002) was particularly successful. For this recording, the organizers of the 2003 Grammy declared Diana Krall the winner in the category “Best Jazz Vocal Album,” dubbing the singer (for a moment!) “the new Ella Fitzgerald.” They immediately appeared gossips, who argued: Kroll is much bolder in remaking classics than in composing own songs, spending much more time in fitness clubs and SPA centers than in the rehearsal room at the piano. Diana really looks like a successful movie star, but is by no means shy about her striking appearance. And this certainly does not affect the quality of her music. And if it does, it’s only for the better.

In 2006, three were born: it was an optimistic record From This Moment On, which coincided with the birth of twin sons, an event that by no means put an end to a career, but on the contrary, contributed to further professional growth. The role of mother and wife certainly suits Diana; she found her happiness in full, having achieved success both as an artist, and as a woman, and as a mother. Diana’s husband, British singer and composer Elvis Costello, states bluntly: “This is the only woman who knows everything about jazz!” The wedding of Diana Krall and Elvis Costello took place in 2003 at the estate of not just anyone, but Elton John himself, not far from London. The mansion's bedrooms accommodated all the guests of the newlyweds. Since then, spouses often appear in gossip columns and on the covers of glossy magazines together - and only as a happy couple!

Critics of the future, if the conversation touches on the key figures of jazz at the beginning of the third millennium, will definitely mention Diana Krall and the Quiet Nights album. He appeared two years ago. The singer admits that she was inspired to create the recording by her happy family life: "It is mine love letter for my husband - very personal, romantic music.” And - let's add on our own - very tender. Starting with the melodic composition Where or When and ending with the touching performance of You"re My Thrill, all ten songs from the twelfth disc are imbued with a special, restrained but strong sensuality. Quiet Nights is based on the popular Brazilian bossa nova style, a peculiar mix of jazz and traditional local rhythms. I must admit, Diana is a long-time fan of the tunes South America. Already in the music from the album The Look of Love, released in 2001, which became a No. 1 bestseller in the United States and received five times platinum status in Canada, the influence of bossa nova could be seen. In 2009 (Quiet Nights) Diana performed three classic Brazilian melodies, four jazz standards reworked in bossa nova style, and three ballads.

It seems that in recent years Diana Krall has found inner peace and true wisdom. When she goes on stage, she no longer cares about matching the image of the enchantress from the glossy cover, whose photograph does wonders. The eccentric evening wardrobe, more appropriate for restaurant music, gave way to more restrained outfits or even prosaic jeans and a leather jacket, in keeping with club quartet jams with an abundance of improvisations, in which double bassist Paul Keller, drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Anthony Wilson show their class.

“What is it like to be a star?..,” the singer asks, smiling. “On tour, I do the same thing: leaving the hotel, looking for where to drink a cup of tea, checking into a hotel, trying to get a room that is not completely saturated with cigarette smoke...”

Three Grammys, a Billboard Award - for some, these are the main criteria for Diana Krall's success. Costs for make-up artists, massage therapists, Japanese chefs and Korean bodyguards, which are double the amount spent on the recording of the last album - these facts convince others. For a singer, the music itself is important.

Diana Krall was born on November 16, 1964. In light of her future career, she is undoubtedly lucky with her family.

Her parents were musicians, her father and mother played the piano, and her grandmother was a singer. The house constantly played recordings of favorite performers - Nat "King" Cole, Fats Waller, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra, opera, retro music. As a four-year-old child, Diana sat down at the piano for the first time, and soon she was trying to memorize all of Fats Waller’s records, singing them to her own accompaniment. In parallel with the general education school, she also attended music school. While mastering classical piano, she simultaneously played in school jazz ensembles. In her youth, she became interested in the work of Sting, R&B singers and piano virtuoso Ahmad Jamal. Diana Krall gave her first professional concert at the age of 15. She says that she read the biography of the Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kain and was struck by the coincidence of her experience with her own. We are apparently talking about overcoming the provincial complex. Because Canada is still a province compared to the States. In everything except hockey.

Kroll's musical career began with weekend performances in local bars, where she played jazz standards on the piano. Victory in the jazz festival, which was held in Vancouver in 1981, made her the owner of a personal scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. After studying for two years in the United States, Diana returned to her hometown, where she continued to perform in clubs and play music professionally.

Famous jazz musicians Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton, who happened to attend Diana's concerts and were fascinated by her art, convinced the artist to move to Los Angeles. Which she did, securing a grant from the Canadian Arts Council. In Los Angeles, at the insistence of Jimmy Rowles and under his leadership, the girl began to actively develop vocals. Although she certainly had to sing often from the very beginning of her performances, she never seriously considered her voice as a form of self-expression, considering herself primarily a pianist. The full use of vocals in her show programs has made Daina Krall a much more popular and in-demand artist than she was previously.

Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton assisted Krall in the early studio sessions that produced her debut album, Only Trust Your Heart, released under the GPR label in 1994. Diana considers it a great success that from the very beginning the legendary producer Tommy LiPuma was responsible for the sound of her recordings, collaboration with whom - let's jump ahead - lasted many years. Diana always spoke with delight about studio vigils with him: “I admired him long before I met him and started working. In the studio, he deals not so much with the sound, but with the musicians, he knows how to bring out the best in each performer. ".

Diana Krall always willingly collaborated with her colleagues, to whom she owed much of the quality of her albums. Among the most active were Ray Brown, Stanley Turrentine and Christian McBride. In studio sessions and tours, she was usually accompanied by guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller.

The next studio work, "Love Scenes" (1997), introduced Kroll as the author of original, beautiful ballads. The singer set out on an independent path, increasingly freeing herself from the influence of musicians of the past, who largely shaped her musical tastes. The highlight of the long-play is an inspired interpretation of George & Ira Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away from Me", enhanced by the virtuoso playing of bass player Christian McBride. Creative relationship with McBride and guitarist Russell Diana regards Malone as a gift of fate: “I just have a telepathic understanding with them. We coexist in the studio extremely organically,” the artist shares in an interview.

Year after year, Diana Krall has grown as an inspired performer, as an original composer and as a profound interpreter. The best confirmation of her creative potential was the album "When I Look into Your Eyes", prepared in 1999. In addition to classic jazz arrangements, the recording boasted stylish inclusions of blues, samba and bossa nova. Highly praised by jazz fans, the disc spent more than a year at the top of the Billboard jazz chart. In 2000, with this album, the artist became the winner of the Grammy ceremony. Among her ardent fans were not only famous jazz performers, but also the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, who sent her personal congratulations on receiving such a prestigious trophy.

The fact that a jazz performer could turn out to be so commercially interesting surprised many, including the artist herself. Her next release, the concert CD “Live in Paris,” which the singer released in 2002, was no less successful. The organizers of Grammy "03 named Diana Krall the winner in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Album" precisely for "Live in Paris." American journalists dubbed Krall nothing less than the new Ella Fitzgerald.

In recent years, Diana has preferred not to limit herself to jazz, trying herself in the classic pop genre. Her interpretations of songs such as Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" or Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" confirm that she can do a lot of interesting things in this direction, too.

Equally gifted as a pianist and a vocal talent, Diana Krall creates astonishing compositions that speak to each listener personally and force them to join in the graceful performance she has initiated. At the same time, the singer never gives direct hints and helps her listeners only with hints. “Tony Bennett explained to me how important emotional message is in music,” says Diana. “It’s all about how you address a person. When you tell a story, you can’t impose your attitude. You only set the mood, and then everyone "I am free to perceive everything in my own way. I love jazz because it is not just a certain style, but one of the ways to interpret music and life in general."