WEAVE Presents  2010 Northwest Vocalist of the Year, Gail Pettis, whose rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing have been described as “deliciously soulful” by Cadence Magazine.

“It feels like I’ve been looking for this all my life,” she explains. “Jazz invites you to be yourself, and that really appeals to me. You’re not required to sound like anyone else nor do you ever have to sing a song the same way twice. Jazz only asks that you live in the moment. That is tremendously freeing.”

A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Gail grew up in Gary, Indiana, surrounded by healthcare professionals. Yet there was also music in the family tree: grandfather Arthur Pettis was a blues singer and guitarist who recorded for Victor Records in Memphis in 1928 and for Brunswick in Chicago in 1930 and grandmother, Ninevah played piano around Chicago. Along with her sister, Gail sang classical music and hymns at a local Presbyterian church and continued in other school and church choirs in later years. Initially drawn to follow in the family footsteps of healthcare delivery, she attended Ohio State University, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, completing an orthodontic residency program at Harvard University, after which she taught and practiced orthodontics full-time for the next 15 years, eventually moving to Seattle WA in 1996 by way of Memphis, TN.

When an injury took Gail off the dance floor in 1996, she began looking for other creative outlets, including a jazz workshop led by Seattle saxophonist Darren Motamedy. In this class, she was delighted to discover within jazz similar opportunities to interact with the music and with fellow musicians. With Motamedy’s encouragement, she continued to pursue her new passion by participating in jam sessions and also through private study, eventually selling her orthodontic practice in 2006.

Gail's live performances have been described by Earshot jazz as going “…from strength to strength, performing a winning, crowd-involving style of vocal jazz.”.

Since embarking on a career as a vocalist, Gail has been artist-in-residence and toured Europe and Asia, performing in Amsterdam, Japan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Ivanova and Perm. She has also performed at many jazz festivals throughout the US.

Gail's debut CD, May I Come In? (Origin/OA2 Records, 2007), was nominated for  2007 Northwest Recording of the Year. The eagerly awaited sophomore recording, Here in the Moment, was released in January 2010 and was the most played new female vocal CD on America jazz radio in that year.

Whether traveling, performing closer to home or spending time in the recording studio, Gail continues to value  the freedom of personal expression she finds in music. For me, emotion is the the currency of jazz. Over the years, I have learned that wearing your heart on your sleeve is not always the best approach to every life situation, but within the context of music, vulnerability always feels right.”

Special Guest, Hans Teuber
Over the past three decades, Seattle has been the recipient of the musical wisdom of Hans Teuber, his unique take on music in a very global sense, his marvelous and personal way of orchestrating improvisation.

“What I love is the big picture, I love orchestration. And when I say that, I mean within improvising. There should be orchestration going on, not everybody doing everything at the same time,” he says.

While Teuber states that he wanted to be an alto player from the outset, his most reliable mate while improvising is the tenor. His expertise on clarinet, flute, and alto flute expresses magic in a very personal sense.

The Band
We'll let you look up the all-star band members yourself. Each of their bios could equally fill this page and then some. We're in for a real treat.

Gail Pettis, vocalist
Tony Foster, piano
Jeff Johnson, bass
D'Vonne Lewis, drums
and special guest, Hans Teuber, multi-instrumentalist

Doors open for bar & seating at 6:30
Show starts at 7:30pm
General Admission $25
Partial View Seating $12.50
Kids, Teens, & People with Disabilities $10

This is a small venue and an all-seated show so tickets will go fast.