Did You Know...

Born in 1965 on Canada's Vancouver Island, Diana Krall was raised on jazz. Both parents were jazz pianists, and she studied piano at age four. The family met at Grandma's to make music; Fats Waller was everyone's idol. Diana drew inspiration from Nat King Cole and from piano-playing singers, particularly Carmen McRae. She played in the school band, but by age 15 had a gig three nights a week in the town of Nanaimo.

At age 16, she won a Vancouver Jazz scholarship to study at Boston's Berklee College of Music for the next year. Afterwards, the Canadian Arts Council awarded her a grant to study with pianist great Jimmy Rowles in L.A. The next few years she bounced between Toronto, Boston, and New York, studying with master jazz musicians and playing in small clubs. She began singing against the rhythm, developing a sultry but pure voice compared most to Julie London. She built a small following and released a few albums.

Trust Your Heart, a 1995 album tribute to Nat King Cole was successful, but All For You in the same year remained in the Top 10 of Billboard's Traditional Jazz Charts for over a year and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz vocals. 1997's Love Scenes, filled with smooth ballads like 'They Can't Take That Away From Me,' also received nominations. Throughout the 1990's, she was building a following beyond jazz lovers.