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Paula Harris
Members of the press and media have frequently said “If Etta James Fronted the Tower of Power and they were a blues Band- THAT is what Paula Harris sounds like!” But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Paula. This classically trained vocalist has literally run the gamut of music from Blues, to jazz, and everything in between.While most vocalists sing the small areas that cross between genres- Paula performs multiple genres over the full spectrum. She spent years singing with symphony orchestras and jazz bands as well as musical theater and corporate dance bands.
She blazed into the “Blues Scene” like a meteor, winning the Monterey Blues Festival's "Battle of the Bands" as a warm up to representing the San Francisco Bay Area in the International Blues Challenge( held in Memphis TN) the largest Battle of the bands in the world, where she placed in the Top Three Best Bands in the global competition after receiving standing ovations at all stages of the competition. Paula was nominated for the 2013 Blues Music Awards in the “Best New Artist” category. She was also nominated for two Blues Blast Awards in the “Best New Artist” category as well as for the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award” Dan Aykroyd ( AKA Elwood Blues) selected her as his Blues Breaker/Favorite New Release and gained her airplay on more than 3000 stations around the world. Paula was also nominated for three 2016 Northern California Entertainers Awards: Best Female Blues Vocalist, Band of the year and overall Entertainer categories.
Paula, a native of South Carolina, with a style obviously influenced by the likes of Etta James, Diane Schuur, Gladys Knight, Phyllis Hyman, Sarah Vaughan, and Aretha Franklin- it was only natural for her to gravitate towards the genres of Blues, Jazz and Soul. With a stage presence that is undeniable and an immediate connection with her audience- Paula’s background in Musical Theater is readily apparent. Lou Rawls described her as “ a Vanilla Coating on a Chocolate Soul”. Tom Politzer from Tower of Power and who is on her debut album calls her “The REAL deal!” William Bell says “Paula is one of the finest voices in Modern Blues and her interpretation is impeccable.” If that isn’t enough, she is frequently compared to “Etta James” by members of the press and media.
Paula offers multiple show formats from her Blues Band- to her Dance band, her jazz ensembles and even a Soulful Christmas Show where she teams up with Former lead singer of Tower of Power, Rick Stevens, Cold Blood powerhouse front lady Lydia Pense, and Sacramento's soulful Dana Moret.
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Paula Harris: Speakeasy
by Walter Atkins
At first blush, SF Bay Area vocalist, music writer and band leader Paula Harris' new Speakeasy CD is a generous 16 song set (12 tracks + four bonus cuts). The album bustles with bluesy and jazz-flavored songs about bad boys and the women who find them irresistible. However, there is a lot more going on here than simply good girls going bad. Taken collectively, Harris' Speakeasy weaves a realistic episodic story of women actively making choices and accepting the ensuing ...
read moreTake Five With Paula Harris
by AAJ Staff
Meet Paula Harris: A professional vocalist for 20 years, Paula has worked with several Symphony Orchestras including the Long Bay Symphony (South Carolina)and the Atlanta Pops Symphony (Georgia). She fronted one of the most well-known orchestras in Georgia, with the Carere Orchestras for a decade. Paula has won five national and international singing competitions. For the last two years she has been performing with Grammy and People's Choice pianist Ricardo Scales and at San Francisco's Top of the ...
read more“The Highest Point, even for Harris, may have been the song she did as a tribute to her idol and Main Influence, Etta James. ‘Damn Your Eyes,’ soulful and haunting, drew applause well before she was finished.” -Front Page, Monterey Herald
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
Something Wicked
From: SpeakeasyBy Paula Harris
Speakeasy
From: SpeakeasyBy Paula Harris