Jessica Schultz is a jazz singer who is committed to
reconciling the tradition of the jazz vocalist with the
eclectic interests of the contemporary jazz musician. With
influences ranging from Sarah Vaughan to Brazilian popular
music to Joni Mitchell, Jessica uses her signature
mezzo-soprano to communicate the heart of a lyric.
Jessica has been called a “A lovely, engaging vocalist with
a voice to match” by Pam Jones of the Oregon Jazz Society's
Clubscene. Downbeat magazine named her “Outstanding Jazz
Soloist” for 2000 in the college category. Jessica has
performed throughout the United States. She has been a
featured vocalist with the Downbeat award-winning ensemble
Gold Company. In Portland she has been featured at the
Heathman Hotel as well as Darrell Grant’s LV’s Uptown Jazz
Club.
Jessica holds a Master’s Degree in music from Portland
State University, where she directed the PSU Vocal Jazz
Ensemble, studied vocal pedagogy and performed the song
cycle “I Could Breathe a Mountain” by American composer
William Bolcolm. As a jazz singer Jessica has studied or
participated in master classes with such artists as Sunny
Wilkinson, Fred Hersch, Mark Murphy, Kevyn Lettau, Madeline
Eastman, and Kurt Elling.
Her first self released CD, “Quiet Nights,” is an
expressive combination of jazz standards and interesting
arrangements (by pianist-composer husband Marcus Reynolds).
Highlights include an odd-meter treatment of the Police’s
“Tea In The Sahara”, a dreamy interpretation of Johnny
Mandels’ “Emily” (as a piano-voice duet) and a swinging
version of the Henderson-Dixon classic “Bye Blackbird”.