Gail Pettis

Three-time nominee and recent winner of Earshot Golden Ear Awards "Northwest Vocalist of the Year," Gail is a welcome addition to the Pacific Northwest jazz scene. Gail's rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing inspire comparisons to Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae and have been described as "deliciously soulful" by Cadence Magazine. Gail inherited a passion for jazz from her family while growing up in Gary, Indiana. Over the years, her desire for creative expression fueled an exploration of instrumental performance and dance, exposing her to many other styles of music, however vocal jazz remains her first love. Now residing in Seattle, she continues to draw inspiration from these diverse influences and enjoys sharing her unique talent with listeners at home and abroad. Most recently, she was artist-in-residence at the Amersfoort Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, performing with the New Manhattan Big Band and with Eddie C. and the Dutch Jazz Cats on the mainstage and other venues in Amersfoort and Harderwijk. Included on this tour was a stop in Kobe, Japan to perform as a guest artist at Kobe's annual Jazz Vocal Queen Competition as 2006 First Place winner of the Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Audition. Closer to home, Gail's smooth, engaging style garners consistent praise from enthusiastic audiences in the region's finest jazz establishments including the Sorrento Hotel, Bake's Place Providence Point, Bellevue's 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar, Osteria La Spiga in Capitol Hill. Audiences have also enjoyed her performances at Tula's, Bite of Seattle, and Belltown's La Vita 'e Bella Café. In addition to public and private engagements, Gail enjoys spending time in the studio. Her voice-over work has been heard on radio and television commercials. Her debut CD, "May I Come In ?" was released to an enthusiastic national audience in August 2007 on the OA2 Record label. The recording has also been showcased on listeners on XM Satellite Radio and Music Choice television and was recently nominated for Earshot Golden Ear "2007 Northwest Recording of the Year".