Rachelle Ferrell

Rachelle Stephanie Ferrell (born May 21, 1961) is an American vocalist and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel, and classical music scenes, she is noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. In contemporary jazz, she is noted for her delivery, control, range, improvisational vocal percussion and scatting ability. Billboard magazine has referred to her as "easily the most accomplished, imaginative, and emotionally devastating vocalist to have emerged thus far this decade."

Biography

Ferrell began singing at age six and developed a six-octave range by adulthood. Her range also includes the ability to sing in the whistle register. Ferrell's highest notes in "It Only Took A Minute" (1992) have been described as "Minnie Riperton-like wailing." She received classical training in violin and the piano at an early age and was performing professionally on both instruments and as a vocalist as a teenager. After enrolling in the Berklee College of Music and graduating a year later, having learned arrangement and developed her abilities in singing and songwriting, she secured a position teaching music for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts alongside Dizzy Gillespie.

From 1975 until 1990, Ferrell sang backup for Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams, and George Duke. Ferrell's debut, First Instrument, was released in 1990 in Japan, five years prior to its US release. Recorded with bassist Tyrone Brown, pianist Eddie Green and drummer Doug Nally, several famed jazz accompanists also recorded on her album. They include trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianists Gil Goldstein and Michel Petrucciani, bassists Kenny Davis and Stanley Clarke, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Pete Levin. Her take on standards like Sam Cooke's "You Send Me", Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?", and Rodgers and Hart's "My Funny Valentine" gained her a substantial Japanese jazz audience.

In 2014, Rachelle Ferrell appeared on a new webseries called "Now What with Kevin E. Taylor," where she was the series season premiere. Ferrell decided, moved by Spirit, to sing her entire interview and at one point, she reduced the host to tears.

"Some people sing songs like they wear clothing, they put it on and take it off," she explains in the biographical notes accompanying First Instrument. "But when one performs four sets a night, six nights a week, that experience affords you the opportunity to present the song from the inside out, to express its essence. In this way, a singer expresses the song in the spirit in which it was written. The songwriter translates emotion into words. The singer's job is to translate the words back into emotion."

Career

1975–1988: Backup singing

From 1975 to 1990, Ferrell sang backup for Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle, and Vanessa Williams. In 1988, she began touring as a backup vocalist for Phyllis Hyman. In the same year, she also appeared as backup vocalist on Miles Jaye's song "Desiree".

1989–1997: First Instrument and Rachelle Ferrell

In 1989, Ferrell secured her own recording contract with Capitol Records. In 1990, Ferrell released her first album, First Instrument, exclusively in Japan. The album contained cover versions of jazz standards.

In September 1992, she released her second album, Rachelle Ferrell. The album spawned the singles "Til You Come Back to Me", "Welcome to My Love", "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This", and "With Open Arms". The album received a gold status music recording certification. In the same year, she appeared on George Duke's album Snapshot. In 1993, Ferrell headlined her own tour and performed at several jazz festivals. In 1995, Ferrell released her album First Instrument in the USA.

From 1995 to 1997, Ferrell toured as part of the George Duke Band. The group released a concert film titled Live at Montreux, which highlighted their concert set during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1997. Ferrell also appeared as a backing vocalist on his albums Illusions (1995) and Is Love Enough? (1997).

2000–2002: Individuality (Can I Be Me?)

In August 2000, Ferrell released her third album, Individuality (Can I Be Me?). The album peaked at number 1 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and sold over 160,000 copies. The album's singles "I Forgive You" and "Satisfied" both charted in the top twenty on the Adult R&B Songs chart. In 2001, Ferrell headlined her own tour to support the album. In April 2002, she released her live album Live in Montreux 91–97.

2006–present: Recent activity

In 2006, Ferrell released a song titled "Wounds in the Way" on the Madea's Family Reunion soundtrack. In 2008, she appeared on George Duke's Dukey Treats album. In 2014, Ferrell performed at the Capital Jazz Festival. In 2018, she performed during the Phyllis Hyman tribute at the Capital Jazz Festival. Ferrell also confirmed that she was recording her forthcoming album, The Art and Soul of Rachelle Ferrell.

Vocal ability

Ferrell has a six octave vocal range. Her range also includes the ability to sing and enunciate in the whistle register. Ferrell's highest notes in "It Only Took A Minute" (1992) have been described as "Minnie Riperton-like wailing."

Personal life

In 1992, Ferrell filed a lawsuit against a production company, which was settled out of court in 2000.

In August 2023, Ferrell's management and website released a statement that Ferrell was experiencing "health, wellness, and life-related hardships".