Biography
Born in Islip, New York, Patti Wicks performs as a singer and pianist in the lineage of Jeri Southern, Nina Simone, and Shirley Horn. During her studies at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York, in the late 1960s, she encountered the trumpet playing of a young John LaBarbera—an experience that committed her to a jazz career. After relocating to New York City in 1969, she formed and led a trio featuring Brian Torff on bass and Curtis Boyd on drums; Torff would later serve as George Shearing’s regular bassist. She also performed in smaller ensembles alongside drummer Alan Dawson and bassists Sam Jones and Richard Davis. While based in the city, Wicks appeared at several prominent jazz venues, among them Bradley’s.
In 1977 she settled in West Palm Beach, Florida, and for many years performed regularly at the Jazz Showcase, one of the area’s leading jazz rooms. Throughout the 1990s, accompanied by her working trio of bassist Don Payne and drummer John Yarling, she traveled the East Coast, appearing at venues in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island, at the Jazz Corner in Hilton, South Carolina, and at assorted concerts and festivals. While refining her approach, Wicks deliberately limited her exposure to other singers so as not to risk becoming an imitator; instead she focused on the music of instrumentalists Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans. The phrasing of horn players informs her vocal lines, and the imprint of Evans on her piano work is unmistakable.
Her debut album, Room at the Top, recorded with Payne and Yarling, appeared in 1998. The performances on that date underscore the aspect of jazz singing she values above all: the singer’s duty to convey the meaning of the lyrics. Though her vocal range is modest, her diction, phrasing, and intonation remain exemplary. The lineage of pianist-vocalists rests in capable hands with Patti Wicks.
In 1977 she settled in West Palm Beach, Florida, and for many years performed regularly at the Jazz Showcase, one of the area’s leading jazz rooms. Throughout the 1990s, accompanied by her working trio of bassist Don Payne and drummer John Yarling, she traveled the East Coast, appearing at venues in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island, at the Jazz Corner in Hilton, South Carolina, and at assorted concerts and festivals. While refining her approach, Wicks deliberately limited her exposure to other singers so as not to risk becoming an imitator; instead she focused on the music of instrumentalists Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans. The phrasing of horn players informs her vocal lines, and the imprint of Evans on her piano work is unmistakable.
Her debut album, Room at the Top, recorded with Payne and Yarling, appeared in 1998. The performances on that date underscore the aspect of jazz singing she values above all: the singer’s duty to convey the meaning of the lyrics. Though her vocal range is modest, her diction, phrasing, and intonation remain exemplary. The lineage of pianist-vocalists rests in capable hands with Patti Wicks.
Albums
