Wesla Whitfield

One of modern jazz’s foremost interpreters of popular requirements, Wesla Whitfield won common acclaim on her behalf elastic vocals, clarion pitch, and impeccable phrasing. A indigenous of the LA area, Whitfield required both tone of voice and piano lessons as a kid, later studying traditional music in university and going to sing in the chorus from the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA Opera. Nevertheless, the opera required from her real love, the pop requirements of her youngsters, and she regularly moonlighted in regional piano pubs; finally, through the middle-’70s, Whitfield started seeking a cabaret profession full time, originally taking a work as a performing waitress. In 1977, she was the victim of a bad seemingly random road shooting that still left her paralyzed in the waistline down; after comprehensive therapy, she came back to music, and in 1981 started collaborating with bassist Michael Greensill, who five years afterwards became her hubby. As time passes, Whitfield gradually transferred from her traditional history toward jazz, her tone of voice reducing from soprano to alto; she started recording extensively through the middle-’80s on her behalf very own Myoho label, afterwards shifting to Landmark with 1990’s Lucky to become Me. She eventually jumped towards the Highnote label with 1997’s Teach Me Tonight.