Rebecca Parris
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Parris is an American jazz
singer. Parris has made guest appearances with many top musicians (including Count Basie
, Buddy Rich
, Wynton Marsalis
, Gary Burton
and Dizzy Gillespie
), performed at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival
in '90 & '95, North Sea Jazz Festival
, Oslo Jazz Festival and of course the ever-so-hip International Floating Jazz Festival.
“I hear a little Carmen McRae
when I listen to Rebecca, “says Ron DellaChiesa, the jazz disk jockey at WGBH
in Boston. “And a little Sarah Vaughan
. I think she's on that level”. "Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae were my friends while they were alive, and it was a huge blessing to know them," said Parris. "And being accepted as one of them was huge". Commonly referred to as the First Lady of Boston Jazz, Parris was awarded the Boston Music Awards nine times.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer. Parris has made guest appearances with many top musicians (including Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
, Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
and Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
), performed at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It debuted on October 3, 1958 and was founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons.-History:...
in '90 & '95, North Sea Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...
, Oslo Jazz Festival and of course the ever-so-hip International Floating Jazz Festival.
“I hear a little Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
when I listen to Rebecca, “says Ron DellaChiesa, the jazz disk jockey at WGBH
WGBH (FM)
WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
in Boston. “And a little Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
. I think she's on that level”. "Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae were my friends while they were alive, and it was a huge blessing to know them," said Parris. "And being accepted as one of them was huge". Commonly referred to as the First Lady of Boston Jazz, Parris was awarded the Boston Music Awards nine times.
Selective discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Live at Chan's [Live] | Jazz | Shira |
| 1990 | Love Comes and Goes | Jazz | Ent. Exclusives |
| 1993 | Spring | Jazz | Music Masters Jazz |
| 1994 | A Beautiful Friendship | Jazz | Altenburgh Jazz |
| 1994 | It's Another Day (with Gary Burton) | Jazz | GRP |
| 1997 | Double Rainbow [Live] | Jazz | Shira |
| 1997 | Passionate Fling | Jazz | Shira |
| 2001 | My Foolish Heart | Jazz | Koch Jazz |
| 2002 | The Secret of Christmas | Gospel | Shira |
| 2007 | You Don't Know Me | Jazz | Saying It With Jazz |