Gail Pettis

Acclaimed Seattle vocalist Gail Pettis makes a very rare Bay Area appearance. Gail’s rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing inspire comparisons to Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae. A two-time winner of Northwest Vocalist of the Year, she has made a huge mark on the jazz scene of the Pacific Northwest, despite her relatively recent emergence as a professional vocalist. Her latest CD received a four-star review from DownBeat magazine and hit the Top Five on the national jazz radio charts. Listen to some tracks from that CD, Here In The Moment.

“What makes Gail’s musical overview so special is her remarkable combination of a sumptuous sound, a storyteller’s capacity to find the deepest layers in the lyrics of a song, and an irresistible rhythmic lift in her phrasing,” writes renowned jazz journalist, Don Heckman. “Add to that her gift for melodic paraphrasing, and a selective ear for finding a new way to sing old songs, and the results completely fulfill the definition of the word unique.”

Joining Gail and Anton are two linchpins of the Bay Area Jazz Scene: pianist Adam Shulman and bassist John Wiitala.

Learn more about saxophonist Anton Schwartz and Oakland loft concerts.