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Rachel Bade-McMurphy

Rachel Bade-McMurphy is a vocalist, saxophonist, and composer who invites listeners into a world inhabited by individual experience. Her bold lyrical content uses varying perspectives and explores moods from hope and beauty to humor, irony and longing. Her styling combines a traditional vocal delivery with the rhythmic and harmonic turbulence of instrumental jazz music fringed with elements of popular genres.

Influenced by such instrumental artists as John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill, and Woody Shaw to name a few as well as vocal artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Abbey Lincoln, Billie Holiday, and Nancy Wilson (among others), her style is progressive and unique with a strong melodic character. Her popular influences range from country, classic rock, southern rock, folk, hard rock, soul, classic R&B, funk, and other forms of traditional pop.

Raised in Eastern Washington and largely self-taught, her success has been driven by her tenacious personality and love of music. She attended Washington State University as a classical clarinetist where she struggled personally and artistically. Encouraged by WSU faculty member Horace Alexander Young to attempt small group combo performance, she began to develop her confidence and find her voice. Rachel was awarded ‘outstanding college vocal soprano soloist’ at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 2003 and 2004 and was chosen to participate in the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Sisters in Jazz mentor program. She released a self-titled CD in 2005, followed by “The Unspoken,” a 2008 RBMC JAZZ release, which contains 11 original compositions.

Awards

Outstanding College Vocal Soprano Soloist, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival 2003 & 2004


Tags

Primary Instrument

Vocals

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Bachelor of Arts in Music from Washington State University. 10 yrs teaching experience and 10 years professional performance experience. Teach beginners of all ages through intermediate high school levels. Teach Clarinet, Saxophone, Jazz/pop vocals and jazz improvisation.

Music

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