Diana Krall, Singing Her Own Song

Jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall became a Grammy winner putting her distinctive stamp on other people's music, bringing enormous emotional power to old standards.

But now she's writing her own tunes, in an evolution unpopular with some of her fans and some critics, as well.

She says it began with a series of e-mails to Elvis Costello. She met the multi-dimensional musician at the Grammy Awards in February 2002. He became her husband.

"We started talking about music and writing," Krall told NPR's Steve Inskeep during a recent performance chat. "He encouraged me."

"I met the right collaborator," she says. "We weren't trying to rewrite Cole Porter or George Gershwin. I wanted to write something that was more confidential."

What emerged was The Girl in the Other Room -- Krall's debut as a songwriter.

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