Rachelle Ferrell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rachelle Ferrell (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American singer and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel, and classical music scene, she is most noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. ^[1]

1 Biography
2 Discography
3 Trivia
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Rachelle Ferrel began singing at the age of six, which contributed to the "development of her startling six-and-change octave range."^[2] Her range also includes the abiliy to reach the whistle register, as stated in an editorial review ^[3] in which he references her whistle note in "It only took a minute" as "Minnie Riperton-like wailing". She received classical training on violin at an early age and by the time she was a teen, she was able to play the piano at a professional level. She enrolled in Berklee College of Music in Boston where she honed her musical abilities in arrangement, singing and songwriting.

Ferrell's 1992 eponymous debut album was released on Capitol Records and had a more contemporary/pop ambience. She, however, was also able to release jazz recordings on Blue Note Records, as a result of her unique contract.

[edit] Discography

1989: First Instrument (Blue Note)
1992: Rachelle Ferrell (Manhattan)
1994: Somethin' Else ^[4]
2000: Individuality (Can I Be Me?) (Capitol)
2002: Live at Montreux (Blue Note)

[edit] Trivia

In 1999, Rachelle appeared at the "Lady of Soul Awards" to pay tribute to Natalie Cole singing "I've Got Love On My Mind." The audience gave Rachelle a standing ovation.^[5] The jazz singer later commented that she was surprised at the reaction, "I came out with no make up, with wild hair…and the people went crazy! It was such a blessing to have people respond that way after being away for [such] a long time…"^[6]