Biography
Vanessa Rubin is an American jazz vocalist, composer, producer, and educator known for her crystalline tone, warm timbre, and deeply swinging phrasing. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, to a mother from Trinidad and a father from Louisiana, she grew up immersed in both Caribbean traditions and classic American jazz, influences that later colored her sound and repertoire.[1][4] Her parents encouraged academic achievement and originally envisioned a legal career for her, and Rubin earned a B.A. in Journalism from The Ohio State University in 1979 before realizing that her true calling was music.[2][4] That realization crystallized when, during a college pageant, she performed Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child” (with a young Bobby Floyd at the piano) and experienced an immediate connection with both audience and material—a moment she has described as awakening her vocation as a jazz singer.[4]
Rubin began performing professionally around 1980 in Cleveland clubs such as Tucker’s Place, Bob’s Toast of the Town, Lancer’s Steak House, Club Isabella, The Native Son, and The Teal Lounge, working with local musicians including Wynn Bibbs, Skip Gibson, Willie Smith, Neal Creque, Matthew “Chink” Stevenson, and the Blackshaw Brothers organ quartet featuring vibraphonist Cecil Rucker.[2][4] In 1982 she moved to New York City, where study at Barry Harris’s Jazz Cultural Theater under Harris and saxophonist-composer Frank Foster helped refine her bebop-based vocabulary and led to engagements with prominent bandleaders including Kenny Barron, Stanley Cowell, George Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, the Lionel Hampton Big Band, and the Mercer Ellington Orchestra.[1][4] Signed to Novus/RCA in the early 1990s, she recorded five albums for the label—starting with Soul Eyes (1992), produced by Onaje Allan Gumbs—three of which reached No. 1 at radio, and later released mainstream jazz projects for Telarc such as Language of Love (1999) and Girl Talk (2001).[2][4]
Artistically, Rubin is often described as a torchbearer and storyteller who keeps one foot in straight-ahead jazz tradition while exploring underrepresented songs and narratives.[3][4] Her style is informed by the phrasing and narrative focus of singers like Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn, and Freddy Cole, and by the soulful blues inflections of Etta Jones and Irene Reid, all of whom she cites as important models.[2][3] A skilled lyricist as well as interpreter, she has written original songs such as “No Strings Attached,” “Once Was Not Enough,” “If You Ever Go Away,” and “Are You Ready for Me?,” and crafted lyrics to instrumental jazz compositions including Frank Foster’s “Simone,” Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” (retitled “All for One”), and Tadd Dameron’s “The Dream Is You” (retitled “Reveries Do Come True).[4] In addition to recording and touring internationally, Rubin has built a parallel legacy as an educator, clinician, and adjudicator for organizations and institutions including the Thelonious Monk Institute, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, and has been recognized by the International Association for Jazz Education for her contributions to jazz pedagogy.[1][4] Through this combined work on stage and in the classroom, she is widely regarded as a significant modern voice in vocal jazz and a committed steward of the music’s traditions.[1][3][4]
Fun Facts
- Rubin’s parents initially hoped she would become a lawyer; she completed a B.A. in Journalism at The Ohio State University before choosing a full-time jazz career, a decision that surprised her academically focused family.[2][4]
- Her “a‑ha” moment as a jazz singer came when she performed Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child” at a college beauty pageant accompanied by a young Bobby Floyd, winning the talent portion and discovering her calling on stage.[4]
- Early in her New York years, Rubin kept a day job in the city’s school system while simultaneously building her reputation on major jazz bandstands, reflecting a pragmatic approach to transitioning into a full-time music career.[1]
- Essence magazine once dubbed her one of the “Diva Nouvelles,” recognizing her as part of a new generation of notable jazz divas carrying the vocal tradition forward.[1]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Barry Harris - Bebop pianist and educator who mentored Rubin at his Jazz Cultural Theater after she moved to New York, shaping her understanding of harmony, phrasing, and jazz tradition. (Guided her early 1980s New York development and facilitated connections that led to major bandstand opportunities, though not tied to a specific album credit.) [Early–mid 1980s[1][4]]
- Frank Foster - Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader who taught and guided Rubin in New York and featured her with his Loud Minority ensemble. (Performed with Frank Foster’s Loud Minority; Rubin later wrote lyrics to his composition “Simone.”) [Early–mid 1980s (performance); lyric collaboration documented on later recordings[1][4]]
- Carmen McRae - Major stylistic influence whose storytelling approach, timing, and repertoire Rubin studied closely, culminating in a tribute album. (Album I’m Glad There Is You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae (1994).) [Influence recognized throughout Rubin’s career; tribute released 1994[2][4]]
- Shirley Horn - Vocal and interpretive model for Rubin’s intimate, story-driven ballad style. (Cited by Rubin as a model for narrative, less-told songs rather than a specific joint project.) [Ongoing stylistic influence noted in later-career profiles[2]]
- Freddy Cole - Influence on Rubin’s relaxed swing and conversational delivery. (Referenced as an influence on her storytelling approach, not a specific collaboration.) [Ongoing stylistic influence noted in later-career profiles[2]]
- Etta Jones - Soulful blues and ballad influence as Rubin “backs her way into the Blues.” (Referenced as a blues mentor in spirit rather than a direct collaborator.) [Cited as an influence in 21st‑century concert and promo materials[2]]
- Irene Reid - Blues and soul-jazz influence, shaping Rubin’s approach to more hard-driving, church-inflected material. (Referenced among Rubin’s ‘soulful mentors’ in blues repertoire.) [Cited as an influence in 21st‑century concert and promo materials[2]]
Key Collaborators
- Onaje Allan Gumbs - Pianist, arranger, and producer who produced Rubin’s debut album, helping to shape her recorded sound in the early 1990s. (Produced Soul Eyes (Novus/RCA, 1992).) [Early 1990s[2][4]]
- Frank Foster - Featured Rubin in his Loud Minority band and worked with her in New York’s jazz scene. (Appears on Rubin’s album Pastiche (1993) as part of an all-star sextet; leader of Loud Minority, with which she performed.[1][4]) [1980s live work; recorded collaboration 1993[1][4]]
- Cecil Bridgewater - Trumpeter who recorded with Rubin on an early album that spotlighted her horn-like phrasing. (Member of the all-star sextet on Pastiche (1993).) [Early 1990s[4]]
- Kenny Burrell - Guitarist who appeared as a guest on Rubin’s Carmen McRae tribute album, contributing to its lush, classic jazz sound. (I’m Glad There Is You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae (1994).) [Mid‑1990s[4]]
- Grover Washington Jr. - Saxophonist featured on Rubin’s McRae tribute, connecting her with a broader jazz and crossover audience. (I’m Glad There Is You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae (1994).) [Mid‑1990s[4]]
- Don Braden - Saxophonist who co-led a Hammond B3–centered project with Rubin, reflecting their shared Midwestern roots and mutual affinity for organ groups. (Full Circle (Creative Perspective Music, 2013), a joint leader project.) [2010s[4]]
- Kenny Barron - Renowned pianist with whom Rubin worked in early New York engagements, reinforcing her standing among top-tier instrumentalists. (Live performances in New York; cited among her early major sideman associations.) [Early–mid 1980s[1]]
- Pharoah Sanders - Influential saxophonist whom Rubin joined on selected gigs, exposing her to spiritually inflected, exploratory jazz contexts. (Early New York bandstand appearances; no specific commercial recording cited.) [1980s[1]]
- Lionel Hampton Big Band - Historic swing orchestra that employed Rubin as a vocalist, linking her to big-band traditions. (Touring and concerts with the Lionel Hampton Big Band; specific album credits not cited in sources.) [1980s[1]]
- Mercer Ellington Orchestra - Continuation of the Duke Ellington legacy with which Rubin performed, further rooting her in big-band and Ellingtonian repertoire. (Bandstand work with the Mercer Ellington Orchestra; specific recordings not detailed.) [1980s[1]]
- George Coleman - Tenor saxophonist who worked with Rubin in New York clubs, a collaboration underscoring her acceptance by leading instrumentalists. (Live engagements in New York; no specific album cited.) [1980s[1]]
- Stanley Cowell - Pianist who appears among Rubin’s early New York collaborators. (Live performance associations; recordings not specified in the sources.) [1980s[1]]
- The Blackshaw Brothers (with Cecil Rucker) - Cleveland-based organ quartet with which Rubin worked in her formative professional years, contributing to her comfort with organ-group textures later revisited on Full Circle. (Club performances in Cleveland prior to her move to New York.) [Circa 1980–1982[2][4]]
Artists Influenced
- [[|]] - Specific individual protégés or named artists directly influenced by Vanessa Rubin are not documented in the available sources; however, she has impacted many young musicians through her extensive work as an educator, clinician, adjudicator, and consultant for organizations such as the Thelonious Monk Institute, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. (Masterclasses, clinics, adjudication, and educational programs rather than specific recordings.) [1990s–present[1][4]]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #jazz, #rhythm-and-blues, #vocal-jazz
Heard on WWOZ
vanessa rubin has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2025 | 18:15 | superwomanfrom new horizons | Jazz from Jax Breweryw/ Al Colón |