Patricia Dean

Patricia Dean and the legendary Grady Tate are among the few artists in the history of Jazz who play drums and sing, and who do both at an exceptional level. There's probably a reason for the scarcity of Jazz drummers who sing, perhaps because it takes a lifetime to master just one of those arts, but the fact is, as listeners will hear on this superb recording, Patricia Dean is no mere "singing drummer" or "drumming singer." As a drummer, she's an inspiring and supremely tasteful time-keeper, accompanist and soloist. As a Jazz vocalist, Dean is swinging, sensitive, and, quite simply, just wonderfully musical.

This Tampa, Florida, native was literally and figuratively surrounded by music while growing up. Her father a clarinetist and alto saxophonist recorded with Bobby Sherwood on the Capital recording of "Sherwood's Forrest" later switched to piano and her brother played bass. But the person who, as she says, "totally blew me away," was none other than the singer/drummer Karen Carpenter. "My fascination with the drums and singing came about when I first saw her," Dean says. "I knew that that's what I wanted to do."

Dean went through her "banging on pots and pans stage" while playing with The Carpenter's records, though in Dean's case, it was pillows and then aluminum foil-covered boxes that took the place of the cookware. Finally, she got an actual drum set, began studying privately and really playing, at the age of 11. She played her first professional job with her father and brother when she was 14.

And along the way, she listened and listened and listened. What is so special about Dean's singing, is that she is equally skilled and convincing as a heartfelt ballad singer, swinging scatter, and evocative interpreter of Brazilian melodies. That's rare.

Through the years, Dean has worked with any number of jazz legends, including Nat Adderley, Ira Sullivan, and more recently with Jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates and saxophonist Harry Allen and the late John LaPorta who once said to her... "your two and four is so deep."

Gear

Yamaha Drums Zildjian and Paiste cymbals Neuman 105 live performance microphone FBT Powered Speakers, Yamaha 4 channel mixer

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