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Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato's voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, she is never predictable, blurring the lines between singer and instrumentalist as she takes a lyric��and at other times improvised flights of wordless fancy��to places it's never before been. On In a Dream, her debut album for ObliqSound, which releases August 25, Parlato and her intuitive support team reinvent constantly, Parlato impeccably articulating in a voice so ethereal that the listener might very well feel that he or she is "in a dream."

Coming four years after her self-titled debut, In a Dream finds Parlato embarking on a beguiling journey deep into the heart of both her own compositions and classic material by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others��all of which she instantly makes her own. Each song emerges as a unique world unto itself, yet there's an undeniable thread linking them all together.

Aligning with a virtuosic quartet she describes as "inspiring, creative, sensitive, musical souls"��Lionel Loueke on guitar, Aaron Parks on piano and Fender Rhodes, Derrick Hodge on acoustic and electric bass, and drummer Kendrick Scott��Parlato brings the warmth and compelling command of her much-heralded live performances to 10 exquisite new peeks into her artistic personality. In a Dream firmly places Gretchen Parlato in the upper echelon of today's vocal artists.

Both Hancock and Shorter are already fans. Hancock has said that Parlato has a "deep, almost magical connection to the music," and Shorter has said "in an inconspicuous way, Gretchen plays the same instrument as Frank Sinatra."

Michele Locatelli, the album's producer and co-founder of ObliqSound, notes that Parlato's desire to blend a broad range of musical influences sets her apart. "Even though her means of expression is jazz-based, it goes beyond that. The defining thing about her, however, is her subtle sense of rhythm and timing: she makes a song seem easy when it's not."

From the opening number, her interpretation of Wonder's "I Can't Help It," best known via Michael Jackson's rendition, Parlato's extraordinary vocal calisthenics, immaculate sense of timing and nuanced phrasing are in full bloom. Parlato transforms the song into a breathy neo- bossa nova, joined solely by Loueke's closely intertwined, sweet guitar lines and vocalized percussion and bass accompaniment. "The song just grew organically and has continued to develop every time we play it," Parlato says.

The song list runs the gamut from classic Brazilian�� "Doralice," learned from the legendary singer/guitarist Jo?o Gilberto��to the flowing "Turning Into Blue," penned by the bassist Alan Hampton, with lyrics by Parlato based on Buddhist teachings. The way in which she stretches out the word "turning," then catches up with "into blue" is indicative of Parlato's innate ability to work miracles with a lyric and hold the listener's attention via her ingenuity. Ellington's "Azure," says Parlato, "taps into that dreamlike state we can be in when we long for someone and feel completely alone. I love to reveal the beauty in the darkness." Performed in a 5/4 rhythm, the track features a stunning bass solo by Hodge.

Hancock's "Butterfly," she says, "is about the beauty of simplicity and space. I arranged it so that we could play around rhythmically, while still allowing the lyrics to shine through." In this arrangement, Parlato stays on top of the groove without deviating, even while exploring every nuance it has to offer. Shorter's "ESP," not surprisingly the purest jazz track on In a Dream, eases in via meditative vocalizations and ultimately gives way to Parks' spellbinding Rhodes solo and intricate drum work from Scott. The title track, with music by the young pianist Robert Glasper and lyrics by Parlato, is appropriately dreamy, a groove-based, harmony-rich rumination on the otherworldly quality of being in love.

Two tracks, "Within Me" and "On the Other Side," arrived via guitarist Francis Jacob. On the first, Parlato's vocal sneaks in with a whisper, then barely rises, yet remains dynamic and alluring. Appropriately introspective, she drills deep inside of the lyric and instinctively delivers it the way it begs to be delivered. The latter song is more rambunctious, a tight weave of precision, melody and heart. "Weak," which closes the album, was originally performed by the R&B trio SWV in 1992. Says Parlato, "I thought it would be cool to sing this song in a new way and have people say, 'Wait, why do I know this?'"

The theme of the album's title, In a Dream, runs throughout each song. "Every song has a purpose, relates to my life in some way, and tells a story," Parlato explains. Her own story begins in Los Angeles, where she was born into a highly artistic and musical family that shaped her ears. In her youth, Parlato soaked up every sound that came her way, from rock and pop to classical, musical theatre, soul and R&B and, especially, African percussion and the sensuous rhythms of Brazil��all of which worked its way into her nascent style. Jazz gained a special foothold in her musical life because, she says, it forces an artist "to figure out who you are and find your own voice."

Her talent became apparent in her early childhood��in fact, In a Dream includes a handful of snippets of Parlato belting out songs in perfect rhythm and remarkable pitch at age 2! "I thought it was fitting to try to work these early recordings in with my current music, because it shows the first steps of my musical path, who I am, where I come from," she says. "It makes me realize that music was in me since the very beginning, I had no choice but to pursue it and share it."

As she grew, Parlato's musical abilities blossomed. She attended the L.A. County High School for the Arts, later graduated from UCLA with a BA in Ethnomusicology/Jazz Studies, then went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, as the Institute's very first vocalist. That was followed by a 2003 move to New York to pursue her dream. A year later, Parlato won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition and, in 2005, self-released her debut.

In the years since, Parlato's star has only risen. She's toured internationally with her own band and as a guest of many A-list artists; notable performances include La Villette in Paris with Wayne Shorter as her guest, the Hollywood Bowl with Oscar Castro-Neves, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins, and Dianne Reeves, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Her recording credits include Terence Blanchard's 2005 Grammy-nominated album Flow, Kenny Barron's The Traveler, and Esperanza Spalding's 2008 self-titled album. She was recently featured in The Documentary Channel's 4-part series "Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense," and in a special called "Rising Stars" on Japan's NHK-TV, with a one- hour focus on Parlato. Glowing reviews have followed her around, such as the one from the New York Times' Ben Ratliff that singled out her attention to rhythm and dynamics, and proclaimed, "It's evident that she's an extraordinary singer."

Adds Lionel Loueke, "She is the only singer that I never have to account for or change the way I play; the guitar and the voice are so well balanced that no one is ever out in front." That is in fact true of each of her accompanists. Inherently aware of the leader's ability to find herself within a given song, the musicians instinctively find their place alongside her and serve to accent Parlato's fine-tuned arrangements.

Parlato is understandably proud. "I sing from my heart and soul and hope that people feel that. I just want them to feel something. That could be joy or sadness, as long as it moves them in some way." Anyone who is not moved by In a Dream is quite possibly incapable of moving at all. Source: Jeff Tamarkin

Awards

1st place winner of the 2004 Thelonious Monk Int'l Jazz Vocals Competition

Placed in the Top Ten of Downbeat Magazine��s 2009 Critics Poll (Rising Star Female Vocalist Category)

Featured in the 2009 Documentary Channel Series ��Icons Among Us: Jazz In The Present Tense��

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Radio & Podcasts

Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke, Wayne Shorter, Trevor Dunn, and Others

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Gretchen Parlato: Turning Into Blue

by Mike Jacobs
September 30, 2023

From her album In A Dream (ObliqSound, 2009), Gretchen Parlato's “Turning Into Blue" is a sublime and seductive feast for the ears. Featuring Aaron Parks, Kendrick Scott and Derrick Hodge. ...

Album Review

Gretchen Parlato, Lionel Loueke: Lean In

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by Angelo Leonardi
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Read "Lean In" reviewed by Geno Thackara

by Geno Thackara
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With a voice as sweet and cool as a spring breeze, Gretchen Parlato would sound at home in any cozy jazz club from Paris to Sao Paulo. The sound of Lionel Loueke's voice and guitar is at least 60 percent rhythm, with his plucking and crooning having an innate percussive pulse running through it. Two decades of collaboration and close friendship are on display with Parlato and Loueke's first full duo-recording; Lean In shows the breadth of their globe-spanning interests ...

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June 23, 2022

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Event

Vocalist Gretchen Parlato Closes Lawrence University 2012-13 Jazz Series on May 3

Source: Rick Peterson
April 29, 2013

Innovative vocalist Gretchen Parlato closes Lawrence University 2012-13 Jazz Series Friday, May 10 with an 8 p.m. performance in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Hailed by jazz legend Herbie Hancock as ��a singer with a deep, almost magical connection to the music�� Parlato has been attracting fans and critics alike since winning the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition. A Los Angeles native, Parlato released her debut self-titled album to critical acclaim in 2005. Billboard magazine called her follow-up second ...
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Recording

Trumpeter John Daversa Returns with Crackling Small Group. Special Guests Bob Mintzer and Gretchen Parlato

Source: Two for the Show Media
September 5, 2012

Street Date: September 25th, 2012 “John Daversa is pioneering a new jazz sound" ?��Marc Myers, Jazz Wax On the heels of 2011's high-energy, take-no-prisoners, boundary-stretching Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, acclaimed L.A.-based trumpeter-composer-arranger John Daversa scales things back for his upbeat follow up, Artful Joy. ?"It was difficult trying to find the right album name for this one," says Daversa, who has been leading a big band and small group concurrently for the past six years. “I didn't realize ...
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191

Interview

Gretchen Parlato Finds "Peace of Mind" as a New Breed of Jazz Diva

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner
April 5, 2011

Gretchen Parlato is not your stereotypical jazz diva. You won't see this singer up on stage dressed in a prom dress, and her beautiful voice doesn't have the impressive range of other some singers out there. With a short asymmetrical haircut and a hip fashion sense, her look is her own. Nonetheless, it is Parlato's voice that stands out. She has singular ear for rhythm and phrasing, texture and subtlety. Her sweet spot is a breathy whisper that beckons with ...
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160

Contest

Announcing the Winners of the "Gretchen Parlato - In a Dream" Giveaway

Source: All About Jazz
December 19, 2009

483

Contest

Enter the ObliqSound "Gretchen Parlato - In a Dream" CD Giveaway Contest

Source: All About Jazz
November 9, 2009

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the ObliqSound “Gretchen Parlato - In a Dream“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on December 9th. Click here to enter the contest

(Following Gretchen Parlato at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)

Good luck! Your Friends at ObliqSound

About In a Dream Gretchen Parlato's voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, ...
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240

Performance / Tour

Jazz Singer Gretchen Parlato: Her Music is Pacific, Like the Ocean

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene
September 19, 2009

The title of Gretchen Parlato's new album “In a Dream" (Obliqsound) aptly captures the sustained mood of ethereal introspection that she evokes from the first track to the last. Possessing an enticingly crystalline voice and a ravishing concept deeply informed by samba ballads and bossa nova, Parlato is among the very best of a rising generation of jazz singers, an artist who has taken her own sweet time forging a highly personal sound unlike that of any of her peers. ...
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316

Recording

Gretchen Parlato's "In a Dream" Released on Obliqsound on August 25

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2009

Gretchen Parlato's voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, she is never predictable, blurring the lines between singer and instrumentalist as she takes a lyric -- and at other times improvised flights of wordless fancy -- to places it's never before been. On In a Dream, her debut album for ObliqSound released August 25, Parlato and her intuitive support team reinvent constantly, Parlato impeccably articulating in a voice so ethereal that the listener ...
read more

134

Performance / Tour

Seattle Times Review: Jazz Port Townsend Showcases a New Generation of Jazz

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene
July 27, 2009

PORT TOWNSEND — During a workshop she helped teach on the art of vocal jazz, Gretchen Parlato confessed that many of her favorite singers were those who “don't really sing." Several hours before she took the big stage at McCurdy Pavilion for her festival debut, she explained some of the singers she liked the most did not have the greatest technical ability, but rather a certain quality to their voice, a pleasing sound, an emotional gravity. To a large degree, ...
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224

Performance / Tour

Handling Sneaky Rhythms as Singer or Bandleader

Source: Michael Ricci
June 9, 2009

Gretchen Parlato became a presence in New York jazz five years ago, around the time she won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition. At the time she seemed to work best in collaboration: she played often with the guitarist Lionel Loueke in performances that nearly merged their sensibilities, and she turned up for a song on other people’s records — Terence Blanchard, Esperanza Spalding, Kenny Barron, Mr. Loueke. There was always some warm egolessness in her performances: for sure, ...
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178

Music Industry

Obliqsound Signs Vocalist Gretchen Parlato

Source: All About Jazz
July 6, 2008

ObliqSound is pleased to announce the signing of its newest artist, American vocalist Gretchen Parlato. Having appeared as a guest on three previous ObliqSound releases, the singer who Herbie Hancock describes as having a “deep, almost magical connection to the music" will release her debut ObliqSound album in 2009. The album will combine Parlato's vocals in duo and ensemble, working with Lionel Loueke on guitar and vocals, Aaron Parks on piano and Fender Rhodes, Kendrick Scott on drums and Derrick ...
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"Impassioned singer and bandleader" ��Ben Ratliff, NY Times

"The future of jazz is alive and well in the hands of artists such as Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke... Together, they make an irresistibly engaging musical combination... Parlato's voice was a flowing, mobile instrument. At times it blended seamlessly with Loueke's guitar, often in tandem with Loueke's singing. At other times, her warm sound �� a persuasive blend of innocence and irony �� found the heart of tunes... And everything she sang revealed her capacity to become immersed in the music without losing her own interpretive way." ��Don Heckman, LA Times

"Impassioned singer and bandleader" ��Ben Ratliff, NY Times

"...has the musical chops to become a legend." ��Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Parlato's sense of subtle rhythmic interplay and understated theatrical nuance takes the ache of Frank and implicates it throughout an improvisational-based esthetic that rests, most often, on Brazilian master- class moments... As simple and restive as she sounds in print, her voice- scatting, cooing, leaning back then soaring-can leap through complex tempo and rhythmic shifts as if riding rapids." -A.D. Amorosi, New York Press

"She enters the music, becoming part of the band, improvising in melody and rhythm, prying open sweet spots in the songs... it's evident that she's an extraordinary singer." -Ben Ratliff, New York Times

"a singer with a deep, almost magical connection to the music.�� Herbie Hancock

��In an inconspicuous way, Gretchen Parlato knows how to play the same instrument that Frank Sinatra played... There��s no one out there like Gretchen.�� Wayne Shorter

"From the beginning we had a real connection, a natural chemistry. She's the only singer that I never have to account for or change the way I play; the guitar and the voice are so well balanced that no one is ever out in front. We complete each other." - Lionel Loueke

"Gretchen Parlato has proven herself to be exactly the type of driven, inspiring, and creative artist that I knew she would be the first time I met her. She came to our school program with a style all her own. I am very proud of her and look forward to working with her someday, and also hearing from her in the future. She is something special." - Terence Blanchard

"Beautiful voice. The pitch, everything is perfect... She sings beautifully...5 stars" - Richard Bona, Blindfold Test, Downbeat July 2007

"Parlato has all the makings of jazz ascendancy. She has held her own with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, and her rapport with the acoustic guitarist Lionel Loueke is very nearly profound." - Nate Chinen, Jazz Times

"...has the musical chops to become a legend... intimate & completely engaging. Every sound Parlato makes is part of the musical fabric... scats and sings lyrics with a feathery, breathy voice that is gentle, feminine and full of musical nuance and color... She handles flowing, simple melodies and complex, angular lines with equal ease... -Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"deceptively dreamy but musically sophisticated" - Guardian Unlimited, UK

"If you liked Astrud Gilberto, you'll love Gretchen Parlato." - Don Heckman, LA Times

"Rarely does a jazz singer come along whose voice instantly sweeps you off your feet." - David Steinberg, Albuquerque Journal

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