Krall, Diana

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DIANA KRALL

Born: Nanaimo, British Columbia, 16 November 1964

Genre: Jazz, Pop

Best-selling album since 1990: The Look of Love (2001)

Hit songs since 1990: "When I Look in Your Eyes," "The Look of Love"

Smoky-voiced singer and pianist Diana Krall captured the admiration of the jazz world in the 1990s, earning praise from critics and musicians before casting her sights on a mainstream pop audience. By the end of the decade she had become contemporary jazz's most successful crossover artist, recording the multimillion-selling album When I Look in Your Eyes (1999). While it would be easy to explain her appeal on the basis of sultry good looks, Krall is a gifted musician with the ability to create a mood so intimate that it often feels like private conversation. Her quiet husky voice is no match for the deft, whimsical quality of her playing, but on her best recordings voice and piano merge in a warm, inviting style completely her own.

Raised in British Columbia, Krall's early appreciation for music came through the influence of her father, an avid record collector who also played piano. Enrolling in piano lessons by the age of four and performing professionally at fifteen, Krall was influenced by the swinging, flexible style of great 1920s and 1930s pianist Fats Waller. In the early 1980s she attended California's prestigious Berklee College of Music on a scholarship, then moved to Los Angeles where she studied under the tutelage of master pianist Jimmy Rowles. Rowles, famed for his sensitive accompaniment behind the greatest twentieth-century jazz vocalists, encouraged Krall to sing while playing, although the shy performer initially demurred. Moving to New York in 1990, Krall released her first album for a small label in 1993 and a year later signed with GRP Records, a well-known company in the jazz genre. In 1995 she released All for You, an acclaimed tribute to legendary vocalist and pianist Nat "King" Cole. Recorded with simple accompaniment of guitar, piano, and bass, the album garnered positive reviews for its charming, laid-back ambience. Krall informs the album with her winning musical personality, performing rapid, dexterous piano runs on "I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm" and singing the nonsense lyrics of "Frim Fram Sauce" with just the right amount of humor. While proficient on ballads, critics note that Krall really shines on up-tempo numbers, where her snappy, engaging playing and easygoing vocals fall into an infectious groove.

In an effort to reach a wider pop audience, Krall began to sing more and play less as the 1990s progressed. The effort paid off: When I Look in Your Eyes (1999), an album built largely around Krall's vocals, made a sizable impact on the pop charts and won the music industry's Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Compared to veteran jazz vocalist Carole Sloane's breathtaking 1994 rendition, however, critics found Krall's performance of the title track lacking in sufficient depth, and her vocal style too even-keeled and mellow to make ballads such as "Let's Face the Music and Dance" sound interesting. She is impressive on the faster songs, however, using her piano to lead "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" through multiple tempo shifts. On the insouciant "Devil May Care" and "Let's Fall in Love" she displays an acute sense of rhythm and swing.

By the late 1990s, Krall was a ubiquitous presence on soundtracks for television programs and films, her easy-on-the-ears style leading the Calgary Sun to crown her in 2001, rather sardonically, "the reigning queen of soft jazz." Krall's next album, The Look of Love (2001) features a sexy cover photograph, large orchestral arrangements, and even less of her distinctive piano playing. Buoyed by savvy marketing it became Krall's most commercially successful release, reaching the Top 10 of the pop album charts. In 2002 she released Live in Paris, a restrained, well-structured set showcasing her almost hypnotic power over an audience. While Krall is in fine form throughout, critics make special note of the album's biggest surprise: an emotive version of rock and folk singer Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." Here, it has been observed that Krall exhibits a more evolved sense of vocal dynamics, the power in her voice bearing a new urgency. While her past vocal performances have resembled the hushed, breathy sound of 1950s singer Julie London, on "A Case of You" Krall sings harder and louder, suggesting that she has been holding much in reserve.

Diana Krall carried 1990s jazz music into the mainstream, giving it a degree of popular acceptance not seen in decades. Although critics note her talent is best showcased on up-tempo songs, which she performs with a carefree sense of play, she has found great commercial success through her ballad performances. On her finest recordings, she conveys excitement and vitality through the sincere warmth of her sound.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Steppin' Out (Justin Time, 1993); Only Trust Your Heart (GRP, 1994); All for You (Impulse!, 1995); Love Scenes (Impulse!, 1997); When I Look in Your Eyes (GRP, 1999); The Look of Love (Verve, 2001); Live in Paris (Verve, 2002). Soundtracks: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Warner Bros., 1997); Melrose Place Jazz: Upstairs at MP (Windham Hill, 1998); Kissing Jessica Stein (Verve, 2002).