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Why men can't resist Diana...

By BARRY WIGMORE.
9 March 2003
The Mail on Sunday

Why men can't resist Diana... - Diana Krall is the hottest name in jazz. Yet her music isn't making the headlines - it's the men in her life, including Elvis Costello and Clint Eastwood.

After the stunning blonde jazz singer Diana Krall was photographed holding hands with Elvis Costello over an intimate meal at trendy New York eaterie, Nello, newspaper gossip columnists the world over went into overdrive - 'A beaut and Costello' proclaimed one.

Not long after, the pair were spotted shopping together in London, where Krall, who has homes in Vancouver and New York, spends an increasing amount of time. Then, a couple of months ago, they paired up again at Sir Elton John's Royal Opera House show. But don't read too much into it, says one of Krall's closest friends: 'Diana fell in love with Elvis a year ago - but it was his music and his mind, not his body she was after.' The two met at the Grammys when they presented an award together, and there and then the sensuous singer with the smoky voice decided that she was going to see Costello again. And what a beautiful blonde wants, she invariably gets. But that's not to say she was responsible for the break up of 48-year-old Costello's 16-year marriage to Cait O' Riordan, her friends insist. Krall is too honest and sincere for that.

The biggest thing to hit the jazz world in decades, Krall seems to collect men friends like other women collect shoes: she counts Clint Eastwood among her admirers; ex-President Bill Clinton writes her letters; actor Laurence Fishburne regularly meets her for dinner. Add to the list Harrison Ford, Edward Norton, Dustin Hoffman, Tony Bennett and Sydney Pollack, and you appreciate that this is no ordinary woman.

Woody Allen is another recent conquest; he wants her in his next film.

Elton John is always on the phone to her. All are smitten one way or another by the Krall charisma. Fishburne says: 'You can feel the passion in every line she sings, every phrase she turns.' Today Krall is charming but coy, and insists at the start, 'There are certain things I will not discuss, and romance is one of them.' It follows that it took seasoned journalists three years to discover the name of her boyfriend, New York screenwriter John-Paul Bernbach. And although Krall appears to be spending an increasing amount of time with Costello, she maintains that Bernbach is still there to cuddle up to when she retreats from the world.

In fact, with every new album a certain million-seller, Krall, 38, no longer needs gossip-column publicity. However, that wasn't always so and she is aware of the value of being seen with the right man at the right time.

Krall has been singing and playing the piano since she was four, and has been in show business for 23 years, but even two years ago, her record company's London office had a hard time persuading the British press to interview her.

Then she was photographed with Clint Eastwood, accompanied by headlines such as 'Jazz girl at the centre of Clint's "marriage split"'.

You can't buy publicity like that; the interview requests came in fast and furious, but Krall was mortified by the reports. Both Eastwood and his wife, Dina, are good friends, she insisted at the time. She just loved talking music and jamming with the 71-year-old film icon, himself a longtime aspiring jazz pianist.

Krall grew up in the mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia, in a house filled with music. Her father, Jim, loved jazz, and on Sundays the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Sinatra and Krall's all-time hero, Nat King Cole, echoed through the house. By the time she was 15, Krall was being driven every weekend to a local restaurant where she had a regular gig as the house pianist.

At 19, in 1983, jazz great Ray Brown, a world-renowned bassist who was once married to Ella Fitzgerald, saw her performing. Brown was so impressed that he arranged for her to study with pianist Jimmy Rowles, who once accompanied both Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. Rowles, who died in 1996, encouraged Krall to make singing a more prominent part of her act. 'I've been so lucky to have met so many great musicians,' she says.

Life hasn't all been rosy for Krall, though. Seven years ago, her mother, Adella, 60, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a generally incurable bone marrow cancer. Her mother has benefitted from a bone marrow transplant, but the illness has spurred Krall to raise almost £300,000 for Vancouver General Hospital's transplant programme. A big seller at the last auction was a pink suit donated by Sir Elton John.

'When terrible things like this happen, it shows you what's really important,' says Krall. 'And it's taught me a lot about hope and strength and kindness, things I've seen while my family went through this. Playing music was great therapy.' Having finally earned the recognition she has strived for so hard, Krall is defensive that her success is only down to her looks. 'It probably doesn't hurt in any walk of life, does it?' she says in exasperation. 'I'm like [the cartoon character] Jessica Rabbit: I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way! My so-called sexuality is not something that's affected. I grew up in a passionate household, and I've always been very comfortable with that part of my being.

'I love to wear great clothes and dress sexily. Sexy and black is my favourite style - and Dolce & Gabbana suits. I love their wide-legged Katharine Hepburn trousers. I also have a coat fetish. It's a joke. People say, "Just what you need, another coat." But you can throw them on over anything and look great. I am very serious about my music, but I'm also like every other woman - I like clothes. Wearing Dolce & Gabbana has nothing to do with the way I interpret Cole Porter.' Krall has a collection of shoes to rival her collection of men friends. Prada is her favourite, impossibly high stilettos are her trademark. 'I don't think I have a problem - I just love shoes. They're my favourite accessory. I'm sorry, but no matter how educated they are, no woman will pass up a good shoe.' And shopping has led to some interesting artistic liaisons. Krall met Natalie Cole, her idol Nat's daughter, in a dressing room at Saks Fifth Avenue, in New York. Since then they have gone on to duet together on Krall's latest album.

'Now Natalie can shop!' she laughs.