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The 1996 recording All For You, an album dedicated to the Nat King Cole Trio was considered by many, her breakthrough and held steady in the top ten of Billboard's traditional jazz chart for nearly 70 weeks. As well, All For You earned a spot in the New York Times' top ten adult pop albums for 1996.

Now 32, the Canadian born vocalist/pianist who has resided in New York since 1992, because as she says "New York is a bigger challenge when it comes to jazz." has found both critical and popular acclaim for Love Scenes, her latest album. On tour, she will be coming home as part of the Vancouver Jazz Festival this summer.

Love Scenes has gone gold in Canada (a remarkable feat for a jazz album), and earned her Grammy and Juno nominations.

On the phone from Juneau, Alaska, Krall credits Tony Bennett for much of her success. "Well, he has been very kind to me personally. He is a great creative interpreter of the song just like Frank Sinatra was. I could analyze and break everything into phrasing and that kind of thing, but it comes down to respect for the song. Tony has it. I think he taught me that. I've listened to him ever since I was a kid."

As for Sinatra, "I was a huge, huge fan. It's the end of an era. In his time, there was no one like him and I don't think there ever will be again. I consider him the greatest pop singer of all time."

In 1981 Krall won a Vancouver Jazz scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a year and a half she returned to B.C.. Legendary bassist Ray Brown, ex-husband of the late Ella Fitzgerald, heard her play in Nanaimo and persuaded Krall to move to L.A. and study with pianist Jimmy Rowles. "I loved hearing Jimmy sing Irving Berlin's 'How Deep is the Ocean' so I decided to record it myself for Love Scenes." She says.

Blessed with natural beauty that hasn't gone unnoticed by her record label's (Impulse!) marketing team, Krall, the jazz diva is photographed in sultry fashion on Love Scenes. Yet Krall is a true jazz talent. With a strong, clear-throated voice she is equally adept on the piano. Yet her greatest attribute may be her choice of material. She has the uncanny knack of finding the perfect torch song and making it her own. Whether it be Nat King Cole, George Gershwin or her wonderful rendition of David Frishberg's 'Peel Me a Grape' the chestnuts sound effortlessly her own. "I pick songs I like. If I don't like them, probably no one else will. Singing those old standards fulfills me. It's a form of expression of how I feel, who I am."

Recently in Vancouver (she returns home almost monthly) she commented on the new and hip lounge/martini scene that has become popular in the city. "I was at Babalu (nightclub/lounge) and it was funny to see people dancing to Nat King Cole, Jamiroquai, Earth, Wind and Fire and Sinatra. It great to see people rediscovering the music. I don't think it's about jazz or lounge or pop. Good music never dies. It can't be contained in one easy phrase. There really aren't any comfortable compartments or boxes to fit it all in. It's just good music."

Preliminary work has begun on her next release. String arranger/composer Johnny Mandel will be on board to complement Krall's trio. Again, longtime musical partner Russell Malone (guitar) and most likely bassist Christian McBride will join Krall on the recording. No release date has been set.

About Mandel, Krall says that "You may not know the name but you know the music. He wrote the theme to Mash, he provided the arrangements for Frank Sinatra's Ring-A-Ding-Ding album. Johnny's also worked with Streisand and Tony Bennett. He's one of the greatest string arrangers out there." She recalls that in her first conversation with the great composer/arranger she told him that she was both a singer and a pianist. He replied, "Oh, so you're a hyphenate?"

If Diana Krall's past quartet of recordings are an indication of what to expect, her collaboration with Sinatra's past arranger would probably make him rest just that more comfortably, knowing the torch is in good hands.