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Vanessa Rubin
Vanessa Rubin as Billie Holiday
Dameron Project
Rubin Bio
Publicity Photos
Rubin CD's
Rubin Video's
Critics Corner
Performances
Awards & Honors
Rubin Photo 7
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Endowed
with the kind of liquid phrasing and sheer wisdom that comes from depth of
experience on the jazz performance campaign trail, Vanessa Rubin is an
ever-evolving classic singer in the making. The development of a true jazz
singer is a long-range prospect, laden with learning experiences that forge the
voice into a true instrument, rich with passion, deeply invested in living
through life’s joys and perils; such is the journey of Vanessa Rubin, jazz
singer extraordinaire. Capable of employing the gamut of emotions, the mature
Ms. Rubin can range from whisper to shout in the blink of an eye; from
honey-laden ballads purring like a kitten, to up tempo swinging and scatting
like a fluent saxophone, she delivers the goods.
One of the surest tests of a
jazz singer is her acceptance by skilled players; the relationship between
instrumentalist and vocalist is so often fraught with distrust. Vanessa Rubin
has never experienced such travails. From the time she joined the New York jazz
community in the early 80s, under the guidance of such grandmasters as Barry
Harris and Frank Foster, Rubin’s acceptance has been universal.
Instrumentalists have always been impressed by her way around a song, her
willingness to flow with their muse, and her innate ability to swing that
music.
The list of great musicians who have graced her recordings
and bandstands is quite impressive: Monty Alexander, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny
Burrell, Frank Foster, Billy Higgins, Etta Jones, Lewis Nash, Houston Person,
Toots Thielemans, Steve Turre, Cedar Walton, Grover Washington, Jr., and James
Williams are just a few of the masters who’ve lent their skills to support Ms.
Rubin’s artistry. More recently she has completed auspicious global tours with
Herbie Hancock, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Jazz Crusaders.
The range of material within Vanessa Rubin’s broad comfort
zone is impressive. It takes conviction and expertise to address the work of
composers ranging from Ellington, Gershwin, and Weil to Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen
McRae, Wayne Shorter and Sting. But all’s well when Vanessa Rubin immerses her
pearly tones in such a capacious range of material, not to mention her own
considerable pallet of originals.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio to parents from Trinidad
and Louisiana, Vanessa arrived steeped in great musical traditions. After
achieving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Ohio State University,
Rubin taught school for a number of years, all the while with both feet squarely
in the jazz lexicon on a path towards a career in music. Along the way she
played the regional joints and concerts, dabbled in band management, and
continued to hone her skills.
By 1982 the jazz cauldron of New York City beckoned and she
wisely knew it was that time. Landing at the Jazz Cultural Theater and the
tutelage of Barry Harris and Frank Foster proved a wise move as it led not only
to veteran acceptance, but to numerous renowned bandstands. Among those early
gigs were stints with the likes of Kenny Barron, Pharoah Sanders, Lionel
Hampton, and the Mercer Ellington Orchestra. These and subsequent affiliations
are clear evidence that Rubin is not only singer, but a true musician. Ever the
pragmatist, she kept a day job in the New York City school system for a minute,
but it was clear that the bandstand would be her ultimate arena.
Clearly Vanessa Rubin’s musical skills do not end on the
bandstand. She’s not only vocalist, lyricist, and composer, she’s producer,
arranger, savvy in artist & repertoire matters, educator (cited for Outstanding
Service to Jazz Education by the International Association of Jazz Educators),
music business consultant/facilitator, and music student adjudicator engaged by
such auspicious institutions as the Thelonious Monk Institute, Jazz at Lincoln
Center and the Kennedy Center. Labeled one of the “Diva Nouvelles” by Essence
Magazine, Vanessa Rubin continues on a sure and true sojourn towards mastering
her craft.
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