Krall was born into a musical family in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Her father Jim Krall’s large record collection helped to expose the young Krall to jazz legends. She began learning the piano at the age of four. In high school, she started playing in a small jazz group. When she was 15 she started playing regularly in several Nanaimo restaurants.

At age seventeen she won a scholarship from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In Nanaimo, her playing attracted the attention of famed bass player Ray Brown and drummer Jeff Hamilton. After hearing her play, Brown and Hamilton persuaded Krall to move to Los Angeles, and study with pianist Jimmy Rowles, with whom she began to sing. This also brought her into contact with influential teachers and producers. In 1990, Krall relocated to New York.

In 1993, Krall released her first album, STEPPING OUT, which she recorded with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton. It caught the attention of producer Tommy LiPuma, who produced her second album, ONLY TRUST YOUR HEART(1995).

Her third album, ALL OF 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 was paired on a 20-city tour with Tony Bennett. They were paired again for a song on the TV series Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…

Orchestral arrangements by Johnny Mandel provided the background on WHEN I LOOK IN YOUR EYES (1999); more Grammy nominations came along, and she was rewarded as Best Jazz Musician of the Year. 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 Look of Love went to number one on the Canadian album charts and went quadruple platinum in that country. The title track from the album, a cover of the Casino Royale standard popularized in the late 1960s by Dusty Springfield and Sergio 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 as her first live record. DIANA KRALL - LIVE IN PARIS topped the Billboard jazz charts, went top 20 on the Billboard 200 and went top five in Canada. It garnered her second Grammy (Best Vocal Jazz Record) and a Juno Award. 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.”

After marrying Elvis Costello, she worked with him as a lyricist and started to compose her own songs, resulting in the album THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM. The album, released in April 2004, 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 on the song, “You Don’t Know Me”.

In late May 2007, Krall was featured in a Lexus ad campaign. She also sang, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” with piano accompaniment by pianist Hank Jones.

QUIET NIGHTS, her latest album, was released on 31 March 2009.

Krall also produced Barbra Streisand’s album LOVE IS THE ANSWER, released on 29 Sep 2009.

I took a quick look at Amazon’s reviews before I put finger to keyboard and I wondered… In general the reviews missed the point of this record and the way the songs were performed. But the clues are there… for example the title of this song collection is called, QUIET NIGHTS. Now that screams out to me: quiet, reflective, moody, relaxing… And quess what? This album delivers on all fronts. Call it ‘easy listening’ if you like, but I reckon it’s a bit more than that. There are other female jazz artists I prefer to Krall, like Patricia Barber and Jessica Williams but when it comes down to performing standards in this quiet and reflective style, Krall is your girl.

But it’s not only the lady’s performance that hits the mark, it’s also the songs that have been selected to match the artist’s objective. The record opens with ‘Where Or When’ by Rogers and Hart. The ambience created by both instruments and voice is intimate and smooth. Krall adds poignancy to the song’s wonderful lyrics, while you can hear every breath and nuance. Production is such that it sounds as though she’s actually singing and playing in your room. It’s Krall at her most expressive and intimate. ‘Too Marvellous For Words’ by Johnny Mercer is a beautiful arrangement with instruments providing a floating-on-air ambience, and Krall’s vocal interpretation giving a subtle, joyful feel. ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face’ by Alan Jay Lerner (from My Fair Lady) is a classic by any standard and this interpretation is one of the best I’ve heard. In addition to the expressive vocal performance (that reminds me of the late, great Julie London), there are wonderful jazz piano passages and beautifully judged orchestrations.

‘The Boy From Ipanema’ is another superb interpretation by Krall and illustrates her strength in playing Latin beats. There are also some delightful instrumental passages that include some particularly strong percussive and piano contributions. Again, I have to say it’s one of the best versions of this classic that I’ve heard. Hal David and Burt Bacharach’s ‘Walk On By’ is pleasant enough but its Latin beat treatment seems inappropriate, while Krall sounds a little uncomfortable singing it.

‘You’re My Thrill’ is another standout track here and is given the sultry, sexy treatment by Krall as he whispers the lyrics against the most subtle instrumental backdrop. Other highlights include the gently flowing ‘Quiet Nights’, the meandering vibe of ‘Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry’, and the superb bonus track ‘Every Time We Say Goodbye’ which is an absolute heartbreaker…

The version I have (the Deluxe Edition) includes a bonus DVD of a low key live performance in Madrid with her guitar, drum and bass players. The film quality is not great but the performances are wonderful and include: ‘I Love Being Here With You’, ‘Boy From Ipanema’, Exactly Like You’, Quiet Nights’, ‘You’re My Thrill’, ‘I Don’t Know Enough About You’, and ‘Let’s Fall In Love.’ There’s also a clip from Elvis Costello’s Spectacle show where Krall plays ‘Makin’ Whoopee’ with her husband and Elton John.

4/5