Paula
Grady
Paula Grady is Iowa's answer to the Renaissance Woman. She
is a gifted vocalist and a professional actor and artist.
She has performed with Riverside Theatre, The Old Creamery
Theatre Company and The Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre as well
as several community theatres in the area. Paula's main focus
in singing is in the area of jazz and blues. She has a smokey-colored
voice and nearly four octaves of vocal range. She sings wiht
The Eddie Piccard Trio, The Daugherty McPartland Group, The
CR Jazz Big Band, Steinway Artist Dan Knight, The Dick Watson
Trio and pianist Gail Williams. She has also performed with
New York saxophonist Ray Blue.
A Des Moines native, Paula's interest in singing started at
a very young age. At four she was singing pop songs she heard
on the radio. Paula's parents didn't have the means or ability
to support her interest in singing and acting, but that didn't
stop her. At about 8 years old she walked, by herself, to
the Community Playhouse and auditioned for a play. At age
10 she had her first solo in a church choir production of
"The Sound of Music". Through the assistance and encouragement
of talented choir directors, Paula developed her vocal abilities
and began getting solos. In her senior year at Roosevelt High
School she played the role of Hodel in "Fiddler on the Roof".
Growing up, Paula was influenced by Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins,
Joan Baez, Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. It was Joni Mitchell's
"Twisted" that sparked her interest in jazz. This song was
her first jazz solo, where, at age 20, unrehearsed, Paula
sat in with a local jazz group in Des Moines.
For the past 10 years Paula has studied with professional
vocal coach Karla Goettel. Her work with the various jazz
groups and study with Paul Smoker at Coe College has cultivated
her jazz style. And now she is influenced by famous jazz vocalists
Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Chaka Khan and
Carmen Bradford. Dan Knight recently said of Paula, she "swings
harder than anyone".
Information provided by Jazz
Society of Eastern Iowa |
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