Rebecca Parris December 28, 1951 to June 17, 2018, Rebecca was born in Newton, Massachusetts to a musical family and an educator. Rebecca has been performing all her life. She was encouraged by her parents to study music from an early age. Her roots were in musical theatre at six years old. Parris’ passion for music grew and she was fortunate enough to study with Blair McClosky, a world-renowned vocal coach at McClosky Institute of Voice. Parris studied music education at Boston Conservatory. Parris started her career in music, working with top 40’s bands in Northeast before discovering her true passion for Jazz. Rebecca has been performing all over the globe with her own bands and with jazz legends like Buddy Rich, Woody Hermans, Buddy Rich, Woody Hermans, Terry Gibbs or David “Fathead”, Newman, Norman Simmons, and many others. Harold Jones, Andy Simpkins and Bill Cunliffe were among others. Parris was passionate about teaching in both a one-on-one or group setting. Parris’ lessons and workshops were focused on technique, performance, and the “business side” of music. They also covered lyric delivery and improvisation. Rebecca’s latest album, “You Don’t Know Me”, was released on Saying It With Jazz. She performed a number of well-chosen songs with her long-time trio, Brad Hatfield, Peter Kontrimas, and Matt Gordy on drums. Also, she had special guests Jerry Bergonzi, Houston Person, and Gary Burton on vibes. Her previous releases include “My Foolish Heart”, “The Secret of Christmas”, and “My Foolish Heart”. from http://rebeccaparris.com
