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Pamela Rose is a San Francisco jazz and blues vocalist who has thrilled audiences locally and internationally with her swinging, soulful style. Rose is that rare breed of entertainer who connects solidly with her audience by always delivering a personal and unforgettable musical experience. Her rich, warm voice and easy rapport with excellent musicians moves jazz and blues audiences of all ages.
Originally from Southern California, Rose attended UC Berkeley and quickly met up with Hammond B-3 organist Merl Saunders, who took her on tour in 1977. This experience helped to define the strong passions that keep music fresh for Pamela today: writing and developing songs which are personal to her, a strong love for improvisation and spontaneity that comes with performing live, and a crazy adoration for the soulful sounds of Hammond B-3 organ.
Home from the road, Rose teamed up with guitarist Chris Cobb and formed the Eights, then Wild Kingdom, both all original dance bands that dominated the club scene of the early '80s. During this period Rose also met vocalist Glenn Walters (of the Hoo Doo Rhythm Devils) and together they mounted a show of R & B duets called "When a Man Loves a Woman." They were promptly tapped to join the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra, the 14 piece Motown Dance Band who were unquestionably the darlings of the corporate party circuit and dance clubs throughout the '80s.
Challenging herself and searching for a more intimate sound, Pamela teamed up with pianist Nate Ginsberg, penning tunes and arranging 1930's style jazz standards. This led to two recordings, the first "On the Jazzy Side of Blue" (1993) which was nominated for two BAMMIE Awards (Best Jazz CD, Best Vocalist), and the second, "Every Time I'm With You," which had the distinction of being featured in the Sharper Image National catalogue as the only vocal jazz CD offered. Both of these recordings garnered tours in Denmark and France, culminating in being invited as one of the headline acts at the Cophenhagen Jazz Festival.
Now that she had found her footing in jazz performances and clubs, Rose reached back to her love of Hammond B-3 Organ and teamed up with organist Tony Stead (Gospel Hummingbirds, Family Stone) to create an all original soul jazz CD "You Could Have it All." With B-3 master Jimmy Pugh (Robert Cray) producing, and featuring a duet with Glenn Walters on the title track, this funk splashed, soul jazz CD garnered Rose a feature on NPR's "All Things Considered" in recognition of her effort to compose new material to show off both Hammond Organ and her expressive voice.
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Pamela RoseVocalist
47
In Pictures
Pamela Rose At The Sound Room
by Walter Atkins
Popular San Francisco Bay Area vocalist / composer / educator Pamela Rose held court at the recently relocated Sound Room in downtown Oakland. Accompanied by long time musical friends guitarist Danny Caron, B3 organist Wayne De La Cruz and drummer Mark Lee, Rose presented new material nicely sprinkled with some old favorites. Rose's stellar band played Wake Up" to get the house rocking. When the tune was finished, she thanked them and introduced the individual members. Rose loved ...
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393
Live Review
Pamela Rose: Tribute To Etta James at The California Jazz Conservatory
by Walter Atkins
Pamela Rose Tribute To Etta James California Jazz Conservatory Berkeley CA February 6, 2015 Pamela Rose's tribute to Etta James was a stirring live concert/talk/multimedia celebration of the life and career of the legendary soul, R&B, rock, gospel, and jazz artist. The set was interspersed with discussions of James' life experiences, house sing-a longs, and video clips that established context and acted as preludes to the next track. The soulful performance ...
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259
Album Review
Pamela Rose: You Could have It All
by Dave Nathan
Pamela Rose has a great voice, good range and phrasing , on the mark intonation recalling Nancy Wilson. It also drips with soul and funk; no sweet sounding lady she. One might, however, question the arrangements. Too many of the tunes are accompanied by the incessant, never varying back beat of Bryant Mills' drums such as on The One That Got Away" and This Love Is Gonna Do Me in". All of the tunes are written by Rose in collaboration ...
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Performance / Tour
Jazz this week: Marcus Miller, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Pamela Rose's "Wild Women of Song," Jazz Edge Big Band, and more
Source:St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
There's lots going on in jazz and creative music this week in St. Louis, and so you don't miss out, here's a special early edition of our weekly highlights post... Tuesday, June 16 Tonight, bassist Marcus Miller and his band return to St. Louis to begin a three-night stand continuing through Thursday at Jazz at the Bistro. Miller, also known for his production work on behalf of musicians including Miles Davis and David Sanborn, is on tour promoting a new ...
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91
Performance / Tour
SFJAZZ Presents Pamela Rose's Multimedia "Wild Women of Song," Sat. Nov. 12
Source:Terri Hinte Publicity
In the two years since Pamela Rose released her CD Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era, the jazz and blues vocalist has been gratified to observe her music and the research behind it taking on an exuberant life of its own. Just last weekend she brought Wild Women to the Monterey Jazz Festival. Now Rose's internationally acclaimed and ever-expanding multimedia Wild Women show, which celebrates the lives, times, and music of the unheralded women songwriters ...
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217
Event
Pamela Rose Celebrates Women's History Month with 2 San Francisco Shows
Source:Terri Hinte Publicity
In honor of Women's History Month, jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose brings her internationally acclaimed multimedia show, Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era, to two San Francisco venues next month. The theatrical concert celebrates the lives, times, and music of the rarely mentioned women songwriters who helped create the American Songbook. On Wednesday, March 16, Rose returns to Yoshi's San Francisco, where she first presented Wild Women as a work-in-progress in the fall of ...
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79
Event
Wild Women of Song" at Feinstein's, January 7, 2011
Source:Carolyn McClair Public Relations
Pamela Rose to Bring Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era," Hit Multi-Media Jazz and Blues Concert, to Feinstein's at Loews Regency Friday, January 7, 2011 at 8:30 pm NEW YORK, NY, December 13, 2010Fresh from sold-out performances in London, Los Angeles (The Grammy Museum), San Francisco & Oakland (Yoshi's) and Santa Cruz (Kuumbwa), Bay Area jazz vocalist Pamela Rose will bring her hit multi-media jazz and blues concert Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers ...
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123
Performance / Tour
The Grammy Museum to Host a Night of Jazz History with Pamela Rose and the "Wild Women of Song"
Source:Michael Ricci
Ask any young person under the age of twenty-five what a gramophone is and good luck getting a correct answer-for that matter, try talking to them about LPs! Despite this, the gramophone has easily become one of the most prominent images in music that history can recall-it is the symbol for The Recording Academy, presenters of the annual GRAMMY Awards. For over fifty years, the GRAMMYs have been synonymous with the distinguished recording artists, songwriters, and producers of several generations. ...
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208
Performance / Tour
Source:Terri Hinte Publicity
On the heels of sold-out performances at Yoshi's San Francisco, the San Jose Jazz Winter Series, and Pacifica Performances, jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose is taking her dynamic Wild Women show on the road. Rose has created a rollicking multimedia showcase drawn from her Wild Women of Song CD, and audiences are responding in a big way. It goes beyond a jazz show," says Bruce Kelley of San Francisco magazine. It's a swinging honors course in womankind!" Rose and ...
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136
Event
Source:Terri Hinte Publicity
Following her sold-out Yoshi's San Francisco concert in November--a rollicking multimedia showcase drawn from her Wild Women of Song CD--jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose will be kicking off the new year with three Bay Area performances devoted to this same dynamic repertoire. It goes beyond a jazz show," says Bruce Kelley of San Francisco magazine. It's a swinging honors course in womankind!" Rose and her band will be featured at a special Valentine's Day show in San Jose Jazz's ...
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134
Recording
Vocalist Pamela Rose's New CD - "Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era" - Due October 13
Source:Terri Hinte Publicity
For the last five years, San Francisco jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose has been investigating the music of women songwriters—particularly those of the Tin Pan Alley and classic blues eras—in her dynamic live shows. Both she and her audiences responded strongly to the repertoire, but Rose was surprised to realize that “even though we love and revere these songs, we don’t know the writers’ names.” Determined to bring these women and their contributions into the limelight, Pamela Rose has ...
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"A musician who's at the height of her powers..."
Miles Forman, SF Station
"Intimate, at times hushed, deeply romantic...these are fully absorbed pearls and phrasings of a singer and composer who knows she needs no improvement. And the band can't be beat!
Bruce Kelley, San Francisco Magazine
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Primary Instrument
Vocals
Location
San Francisco
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Credentials/Background
Pamela Rose is on the vocal faculty at the Jazz School in Berkeley (www.jazzschool.org)
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Last Updated: April 8, 2024
Pamela Rose
Location: San Francisco
Instrument: Vocals
Born: June 28, 1956
Publicist: Terri Hinte Publicity
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