At that time Diana Krall met Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton and Dave McKenna. They noticed her talent and helped her development in a real artist. Ray Brown introduced Diana Krall to Jimmy Rowles in Los Angeles.Since she won Canadian Arts Council grant, in 1984 Jimmy Rowles became her new teacher. Since he played with Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and other female jazz-legends.

Diana Krall got more interested in pianist singers such as Shirley Horn, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and especially Carmen Mc Rae. Maybe most important of all of Diana Krall’s teachers through the years of her growth into a jazz-diva as she is today, Jimmy Rowles encouraged Diana Krall to sing as she plays a piano. Diana was impressed with singing and piano playing of Nat King Cole. She often mentions Nat King Cole as her ideal singing pianist performer.

During three years in Los Angeles, Diana Krall occasionally played with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton. They performed as a trio and also recorded her first album "Stepping Out" recorded at Kingsound Studios, North Hollywood, California on October 18 & 19, 1992 and Group IV Recording, Hollywood, California.

Diana Krall moved to Toronto in 1997 where her new mentor Don Thompson, bass and piano player, continued to develop her talent as all earlier mentors did as well. She moved to New York in 1990 and performed in trio with Whit Browne (bass) and Klaus Suonsaari (drums), but mostly in Boston at weekends. On tours in Europe and Japan and recordings she played with many well-known jazz musicians.

"Krall's stage presence and her romantic vocal style have been creating ripples of excitement in the jazz world. Although she performs infrequently, she has the conspicuous gift that marks many an up-and-comer: the knack for rising to an occasion."

David E. Thigpen,
"TIME Magazine"