Nicki Parrott


Nicki Parrott is a jazz vocalist and bass player from Australia.

Background

Parrott took piano lessons when she was four years old, then learned flute. When she was fifteen, she started playing double bass, and after graduating from high school she studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia. While in school, she performed with Australian musicians Dale Barlow and Mike Nock and with American musicians Chuck Findley and Bobby Shew.

Career

She moved to New York City in 1994 and continued her education on bass with Rufus Reid. Her teachers also included Ray Brown and John Clayton. For several years she played bass guitar and sang backing vocals for an R&B band in Manhattan. She started a trio with John Tropea and David Spinozza. In 2000, she became the bassist for Les Paul in his trio's weekly performances at a club in Manhattan. She appeared in two documentaries about Paul: Chasing Sound and Thank You, Les.
Parrott recorded her first album, Awabakal Suite, with her sister, Lisa Parrott. She had roles on Broadway in the musicals Jekyll & Hyde and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Her first solo album, Moon River, was released in 2008 and consisted of jazz standards. She has recorded tribute albums to Burt Bacharach, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Blossom Dearie, Peggy Lee, and the Carpenters.

Awards and honors

As leader

With David Krakauer
With Chuck Redd
With others