Intimate "Inside the Artists Studio" virtual chat with Gretchen Parlato

Grab a virtual front row seat for you and 9 of your invited guests to hear LACHSA alumna and Jazz icon, Grammy-nominated Gretchen Parlato, in conversation with fellow alumna and photographer Lauren Desberg.

About Gretchen Parlato
Gretchen Parlato has emerged as one of the most inventive and mesmerizing vocalists of her generation. In an artful communion of space, texture and a genre-bending repertoire, she has introduced a musical sea-change, making the power of subtlety front and center in jazz.

It is hard to listen to Gretchen Parlato without hearing something celestial in her singing. She is spiritual to the extent that she sings from the bottom of her very soul; indeed from the bottom of her very being. She bends and twists notes, phrases and as a result her lines are like the proverbial double helix and which dances almost head over heels.

This desire to pursue a career in the arts began at LACHSA. A 1994 alum, Gretchen continued her study at UCLA, earning a BA in Ethnomusicology/Jazz Studies. She was the first vocalist to be accepted into the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in 2001, and won 1st place in the Thelonious Monk (now Herbie Hancock) International Jazz Competition for Vocals in 2004.

Gretchen has appeared as a guest on over 85 recordings, including Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Kenny Barron, and Lionel Loueke. She has released five albums of her own, with "Live in NYC" earning her a GRAMMY nomination for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2015. 2021 welcomes her latest album, Flor, an honoring of her love of Brazilian music, featuring fellow LACHSA alum, pianist, Gerald Clayton.

Having performed with legends Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, each has sung their praises. Hancock called Gretchen, "a singer with a deep, almost magical connection to the music". Wayne Shorter added, "In an inconspicuous way, she knows how to play the same instrument that Frank Sinatra played. There's no one out there like Gretchen."

About Lauren Desberg
Multidisciplinary artist Lauren Desberg graduated from LACHSA in 2009 and went on to study at Berklee College of Music. While honing her unique musical sound, she found another artistic outlet in photography.
Today living between Los Angeles and New York City, Lauren has established herself as a premier editorial and portrait photographer, and a recording artist with a global fanbase.

Lauren has performed around the world on stages from Paris to Tokyo, and her photography work has been featured in a number of major publications including The New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and more.

Lauren has gone on to work with an impressive array of musicians, artists, and models including Grammy Award-winner Lizzo, world renowned Supermodel Coco Rocha, and fashion designer Jeremy Scott. Lauren continues to carve out a path for herself, constantly pushing the boundaries of her passions and evolving as an artist.

Details:
- Valid for 10 people.
- Approximate duration: 60 minutes.
- To be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon date, based on the donor's availability before 12/31/21.
- This is a private virtual event via Zoom.
- The winner may take a photo.
- Winner and guests can join the Zoom call from separate locations.
- Sharing of login information is forbidden and can result in cancellation of the experience.
- Recording, screen grabs, or distribution of the session is strictly prohibited unless otherwise approved by the donor.