Biography Rebecca Parris

Rebecca Parris (Ruth Blair MacCloskey, Newton, Massachusetts, December 28, 1951 – June 17, 2018) was an American jazz singer.

Rebecca has performed all over the world with her own groups, as well as with some of jazz's greatest legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Terry Gibbs, David "Fathead" Newman, Norman Simmons. Harold Jones, Andy Simpkins, Gerry Wiggins, Bill Cunliffe, Red Mitchell, Buster Cooper, Nat Pierce, and many others. She performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, and the International Floating Jazz Festival.

She has won the Boston Music Awards nine times.

"I hear a little Carmen McRae when I listen to Rebecca", said Ron DellaChiesa, the jazz disk jockey at WGBH in Boston. "And a little Sarah Vaughan. I think she's on that level".

"Sarah Vaughan 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".

Discography

Year Title Genre Label

1984 Passionate Fling Jazz Shira

1985 Live at Chan's [Live] Jazz Shira

1990 Love Comes and Goes Jazz Ent. Exclusives

1993 Spring Jazz Musicmasters

1994 A Beautiful Friendship Jazz Altenburgh Jazz

1994 It's Another Day (with Gary Burton) Jazz GRP

1997 Double Rainbow [Live] Jazz Shira

2001 My Foolish Heart Jazz Koch

2002 The Secret of Christmas Jazz Shira

2007 You Don't Know Me Jazz Saying It With Jazz

She was born of a family of musicians and educators. Rebecca performed from the age of 6, mostly in musical theatre. Her parents encouraged her to pursue the study of music. She studied with world-famous vocal coach, Blair MacClosky (her uncle) and attended the Boston Conservatory. Rebecca started her professional career in music working with various top 40's bands in the Northeast. She found that she preferred singing jazz and embarked upon a career in the jazz world. Rebecca has performed all over the world with her own groups, as well as with some of jazz's greatest legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Terry Gibbs, David "Fathead" Newman, Norman Simmons. Harold Jones, Andy Simpkins, Gerry Wiggins, Bill Cunliffe, Red Mitchell, Buster Cooper, Nat Pierce, and many others.

Rebecca's other passion was teaching, both in a private, one-on-one and workshop/clinic setting. Her lessons and workshops focus on technique, performance and the "business" side of music, as well as lyric delivery and scat/improvisation.

Rebecca's latest release is "You Don't Know Me" on the Saying It With Jazz label. Rebecca performs some well-chosen standards with her long-time trio: Brad Harfield, piano; Peter Kontrimas, bass; and Matt Gordy, drums, plus guest artists Jerry Bergonzi and Houston Person on tenor saxophone and Gary Burton on vibes.

Rebecca's previous releases include her all-ballads CD, "My Foolish Heart," "The Secret of Christmas," "A Beautiful Friendship," with the Kenny Hadley Big Band, "Double Rainbow" with Eddie Higgins and Michael Monaghan, "A Passionate Fling," "Love Comes and Goes," and "Live at Chan's."

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