Vanessa Rubin

Vanessa Rubin, an engaging vocalist with a limited inclination toward improvisation, produced multiple strong recordings for Novus. Classical studies occupied her early training until a shift toward jazz took hold. She performed and served as manager for the Blackshaw Brothers, a Cleveland organ quartet. Local ensemble work, including a date with the Cleveland Jazz All-Stars, preceded her 1982 relocation to New York. There she collaborated with Pharoah Sanders, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority, and the large ensembles of Mercer Ellington and Lionel Hampton, studied with Barry Harris, and taught in the New York City public schools. Signing with Novus in 1992 led to several satisfying releases on the label, among them a strong tribute to Carmen McRae.