Diana Krall
Diana Krall swept from small jazz lounges to international concert halls in a remarkably short time. Following her first CD in 1993, "Steppin' Out," she continued to release recordings that captured the interest of jazz fans, critics and the general public. Her tribute to singer-pianist Nat King Cole gained her a broad audience and good reviews for the quality of both her singing and piano playing. Then, her 1998 release, "When I Look in Your Eyes," earned her not only a Grammy but also a nomination for Best Album of the year, the first jazz recording to be so nominated in twenty-some years. Clearly, Krall has something special.
She grew up in British Columbia and learned to play jazz piano from her high school band teacher and her father's record collection. She also had help and encouragement from several mentors such as famed pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Ray Brown. While working in the small clubs of Los Angeles and New York City, she was asked to sing for one engagement. Singing was something she had always done, but not in public, but fans loved her singing of classic America jazz songs. Her moody, husky vocal style of fit well on top of her sophisticated piano style and infused the traditional jazz songs with freshness and verve. Now, she continues to work with a straightforward piano trio, but has recorded with strings on several well-produced CDs, such as this year's "Live in Paris."Touring the world has been more than an artistic challenge for Krall--it's been a personal journey and a musical exchange. At a much younger age than most jazz artists, she has found herself immensely popular. If that's pressure on her, she doesn't show it. She was relaxed enough to take time at the end of an exhausting international tour to talk about jazz, traveling and life.
What kind of feeling do you have when you're playing?
I feel very deeply as a person. I have all sorts of secret, private things that I play on the piano that mean something to me and I choose to express as an actor, a storyteller, and jazz pianist. As the reasons behind it are all self-expression, I feel a little guilty about it, because I get paid for it. Hopefully it's infectious to the audience and they feel the same way. To listen to it helps them in their spirit and well-being, and I get to do it.
There's something in the songs that you choose that capture a moment or an image in relationships. Is that a conscious thing or do you just choose songs, like, "Oh, I like that!"?
Well, for example, "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is more about what's going on right now in relationships. A lot of these songs are not just about romantic relationships. It depends on how you want to interpret them. I think they are bigger than just between two people. I find a story, not about me, but a video in my head. It's not a romantic thing. And that's what I want the audience to find out, their own stories. So, I'd never go up there and say, "This song is about my loss, or my this, or about me," I just sing the song and people can take what they want from it.
What is it that's special about the songs from the Great American Songbook?
They were written during the war, or during that period from the 20s to the 60s. That was a time of strife in the world, and a time of joy. There were songwriters, and that's all they did. There was George Gershwin, and they were written for their muses, like Frank Sinatra. There were a lot of great singers at that time. That's the great part of these standards--they are lyrically satisfying to you as a singer or as a jazz musician, as well as just as a song.
I was looking at the crowd for your show in Tokyo and there were a lot of young people. Do you think that there's something in American popular song that they are not getting in other music?
It's comforting. I'm very pained by what I see on the news right now. Stephen Holden, a critic who I think really gets it, was talking about how these songs are important in the world with what's going on right now. As I was saying, these songs were written in a period of strife and I think people tend to go back to something that is maybe a bit nostalgic. I don't know what it is, but it's not angry.
This tour is taking you through Asia, do you get a feeling of the crowd being different?
I was on a Southeast Asian tour in August and then in Europe. The audiences have been really good. I love working here [in Japan] because people are so knowledgeable. When you talk about Charlie Parker, they know who he is, and they have such respect for jazz music here. So, it's great coming here. And if you're playing in a new place, Jakarta or Bangkok, people go crazy.
You played in China?
Yes, I played for the Beijing MTV Awards, and in Shanghai, which was fantastic. Cultures differ in their response, but not in their appreciation. It's just a more physical sort of response.
Some musicians in Japan are worried they're doing something wrong when the audience seems reserved.
Well, it's respect.
Going back to your development, did you feel like there were jumps, not in your career, but in how it felt?
I always knew what I wanted to do.
So, you played piano as a kid and took lessons?
I heard the Monty Alexander trio with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, and I heard Ray Brown with Oscar Peterson. That's when I wanted to know what that felt like. That was the goal. It took me all of 15 years to get there. And the goal hasn't changed. I'm still looking over my shoulder. How the hell did I get here? Perseverance and drive, of course, but I wanted to know what that felt like. They're still my mentors. I'm still the student.
Do you still feel that way, student-like?
Yes.
I talked to Monty Alexander this past summer…
He's still one of the biggest influences on me. Because of his work with Ray Brown, and his love of Nat Cole. So, my dream was to play with his band, which was John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton. So it's odd for me to look over and see them now and think of being a 16 year old kid again. When I met them I was nineteen, and so sometimes he still says to me, "You're still a 19-year-old kid."
What other things are you thinking to do? Do you see yourself evolving in certain directions?
Yeah, but I can't really be sure. I've been on the road for so long that I have to get off the road for a while and get perspective. Just stop for a minute and have creative time.
Be a person again.
I find that I am, but it's just that I need time to sit at the piano and figure out where I want to go and what I want to do. I have some ideas, but I keep them in until they're processed. So, I have to go about processing all the ideas I've gathered on the road and try to work through the road at the same time, and then sit and take a deep breath for a minute. I've been pushing really hard since the beginning of the year.
I read somewhere that you said you've been living in Samsonite…
…yes, but I'm moving to Tumi. But that was a long time ago. [laughs] Now, it's the Four Seasons. So, I'm not complaining, I'm a very happy girl as far as the level of touring we're at right now. I've got the best people around me and I don't really have to worry about anything except keeping my health together and the music. I've got people around me who are supportive and really fun.
What wears you down, jet lag, photos?
This [the interview] is exhausting [laughs]. It's the end of the tour. We have one more concert left, so your body starts to go [yawn]. I think that travel is really hard on you, trying to eat properly, trying to find consistency in when to eat, having only CNN and BBC. You have to escape. I've watched "Casablanca" four times since I've been here. I haven't really watched it, I just keep it on in the room. It's on pay-per-view and I find it comforting. I think the travel is the most difficult thing, the time changes and the travel schedule. You don't have time to recover.
The Pacific flight especially.
Yeah, it is. But it's such a high level here [in Japan], the way things are done. You're properly taken care of, so it's really easy. But there's certain things that you do for the jet lag in taking care of yourself, drink a lot of water.
Do those work for you?
[Shakes her head, "no" and laughs] Not really. At this point, it doesn't even faze me any more. But the food here is very good. It's very clean and very healthy, so that helps with things, too. Exercise.
Singers in the past didn't really have a chance to go around to all these countries.
Yeah, we did 40,000 miles in six weeks through Southeast Asia. I don't know how much we've done now. But life moves at a very fast pace. It's ever changing, ever moving, really swiftly.
And you like that?
No, not always. But, it's what I know, so it's OK.
Do you pick up bits and pieces of the culture as you go?
That's the toughest. I haven't been out of the hotel [gets up as if to escape]. But, yes, you pick up pieces of the culture. I find the best way to get a taste of the culture is through the food. So, I always go to restaurants with my band because they love to drink wine and have a good time. And I like to taste whatever is authentic to the place. And that's all the time you have. You don't have the energy for touristing. You don't have time. But you get a feel from the people, from interviewing, from working with people. Slowly but surely, the more times you come you gain more knowledge. But, it's hard.
Do you feel something like a jazz ambassadorial…
No, don't put that on me.
OK, I'll take that one back.
I'm just a servant to the music. That's all I'm supposed to do, you know. I wouldn't ever put that hype on it, but I do feel really fortunate to be playing all over the world. And if people hear Nat Cole, or Fats Waller, or Bill Evans at a concert and then go buy those records, that's great.
Do you think that Ken Burns' "Jazz" series [PBS Documentary in 2001] helped move jazz towards a renaissance?
I don't think it's a renaissance because I don't think it ever died. But I certainly think it's important to have that in every school library so kids can see it. It's like what Wynton [Marsalis] is doing. What he's doing is really for the art form. My job is to do other things in the more medical areas. And his is in education. And thank God for him because it's his thing.
It's like he has a sense of purity about the form.
Well, purity, I don't even like that word, but he's into the history of jazz, where it came from, slavery and Louis Armstrong and King Oliver and that needs its due. I don't want to start getting opinionated, but it is an original American art form, an African-American art form. It's important for people to know where it came from.
When you mentioned Wynton, you said that you…
What Wynton does is educational. He's an educator. He's an accomplished jazz musician, accomplished classical musician, but I have the ultimate respect for him because he's an educator and he's been responsible for having America's classical music being played so kids can hear it. I have not done that. It's not something I do, but I greatly respect that. He has a passion that goes deeper than just wanting to play the music. He wants this music to be thriving. I'm drawn to people who are so passionate. It's so much giving, giving, giving. For me, I learned jazz at home, but I also learned it at school by my band program in the public schools. That's why I get pissed off when the library and music [education budgets] are slashed.
You had a good band teacher?
I had the best band teacher. He was a jazz bass player before he became a music teacher. And I had it at home.
Did you start on bass?
No, but I studied with a lot of bass players. I played with the best bass players I could, because they would teach me. I always encourage students, don't just study with your instrument, but study with other people. There's a lot out there that can really give you insight. Maybe that's where I'm the eternal student, because I still have teachers, I still have Jeff Hamilton over there. It's very inspiring.
Did you learn other instruments also?
Saxophone and clarinet, but I sort of picked up trombone, and dabbled around with different things, but piano and voice were enough. I'd love to be able to play the guitar. I'd love to play like Joao Gilberto.
Can you play a little?
Not a thing.
Buy one and carry it along.I don't even have time to practice the piano!
Do you feel lucky?
Um, hmm. I have the best management in the world, and the best record company. I've been given a foundation on which to grow into my own skin without anyone pressuring me and saying, you need to be like this or this. I have really been fortunate in my life with the people around me.
You still have to work.
No, no I got it easy. But I work hard. I have a terrible schedule, but, well, you can use another word, but I don't have any bullshit around me. I'm not saying there isn't a lot of that in life, but if you can clear as much of that away as you can. With the people around me, taking care of me, there isn't any. Do you know why I was laughing so hard the first tune last night? I couldn't stop, I was hysterical.
Yeah, I noticed that. I was wondering what was going on.
Well, the night before we went to a karaoke bar. I took the whole band and crew out. We went on a karaoke bender. So, they took my normal set list and instead put the karaoke set list on the piano. So, it was like, "Act Naturally" "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" and I was just cracking up so hard.
So, you walked on stage to the piano and found the karaoke songs instead?
It was all the stuff we sang, the whole list. I couldn't play. I'd look at something else, and I kept breaking up, and then off stage all my colleagues were cracking up, so it was very funny. You should have seen us in this [karaoke] place. We took over the whole place. There were fourteen of us, and it was very small, only six other people in the room. We came in like a hurricane and sat down, in the middle of someone singing a Frank Sinatra tune. And that's when I felt like I wasn't Diana Krall or anything, I was just a person singing "Bohemian Rhapsody"[song by rock group Queen] really badly with my friends.
Did you play air guitar?
Yeah, yeah, I played air guitar. I hope the tapes don't get out, someone took a video. I was doing some serious air guitar. The other guys said, "If they only knew…." It was probably one of the best parties I've ever been to in my life and that's when you realize that this is your life. This is your party.