Showing posts with label Rebecca Kilgore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rebecca Kilgore. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Rebecca Kilgore & Lyle Ritz - Becky & Lyle Bossa Style

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2009
Time: 41:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 96,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:34) 1. A Moment Later
(2:40) 2. Take Me to Aruanda
(2:20) 3. Abobora
(4:54) 4. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:30) 5. Easy Come, Easy Go
(4:07) 6. Happy Talk
(3:16) 7. I Will
(2:33) 8. I'm Looking over a Four Leaf Clover
(4:52) 9. Once I Loved
(3:36) 10. What the World Needs Now
(3:29) 11. Triste
(2:48) 12. Old in New Mexico

Jazz vocalist Rebecca Kilgore and jazz ukulele player Lyle Ritz are excited about their second recording collaboration, "Becky & Lyle • Bossa Style." Previously they addressed gems from their vast collective repertoire of jazz standards, but here they turn their attention to the musical genre imported from Brazil and popularized in the 1960s, the bossa nova. The beat took the jazz world by storm at that time, as introduced by it's leading American proponents tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and nylon-string guitarist Charlie Byrd. Ritz adapts the style fluently and seamlessly to his nylon-string ukulele, along with the help of John Stowell on nylon-string rhythm guitar, Dave Captein on acoustic bass, and Piper Heisig on percussion. Kilgore is known for her relaxed vocals, so it was easy to chose songs which would fit the mellow, swaying style - some from Brazil, some from American composers like Lennon & McCartney and Burt Bacharach, plus four original songs from Ritz himself. The result is a perfect fit. This project was produced by Marianne Brogan of the Portland Ukulele Association.
https://www.amazon.in/Becky-Bossa-Style-Rebecca-Kilgore/dp/B002GNOOME

Becky & Lyle Bossa Style (Mp3 320)
Becky & Lyle Bossa Style (FLAC)

John Sheridan's Dream Band: Easy As It Gets (Feat. Rebecca Kilgore)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2005
Time: 64:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 148,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:12) 1. Devil May Care
(6:12) 2. Easy As It Gets
(3:35) 3. Spring Cleaning
(4:47) 4. Morning Glory
(3:19) 5. You Leave Me Breathless
(3:18) 6. Cherry
(5:05) 7. It's So Peaceful In The Country
(3:22) 8. You Lucky People You
(4:32) 9. The Gypsy
(4:27) 10. Someone Like You
(3:51) 11. When We're Alone (Penthouse Serenade)
(2:48) 12. You Do Something To Me
(4:05) 13. Me, Myself And I
(4:57) 14. Dedicated To You
(5:27) 15. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World

This is the fourth CD by the Dream Band and, the finest so far. On every track, they create lovely jazz and dance music laden with inspiring hot solos, subtle arranged passages, exuberant collective improvisation, and tender ballads. But the Dream Band isn't self-consciously historical, copying riffs from Vocalion 78s: these musicians love the tradition, but their playing is inventive, the result is timeless. 
https://arborsrecords.com/products/john-sheridans-dream-band-easy-as-it-gets-featuring-rebecca-kilgore

Personnel:
John Sheridan, piano
Rebecca Kilgore, vocals
Randy Reinhart, cornet
Russ Phillips, trombone
Ron Hockett, clarinet
Scott Robinson, tenor saxophone
Phil Flanigan, bass
Bob Leary, guitar
Joe Ascione, drums


Easy As It Gets

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Rebecca Kilgore & Hal Smith's Rhythm Makers - Sings The Music Of Fats Waller (Re-Up Request)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2016
Time: 65:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 150,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:53) 1. How Jazz Was Born
(4:49) 2. If It Ain't Love
(2:48) 3. What's Your Name?
(4:46) 4. I Hate to Leave You Now
(2:49) 5. Concentratin' (On You)
(3:35) 6. Gone
(2:48) 7. Old Yazoo
(3:08) 8. How Can I, With You in My Heart?
(3:35) 9. I'm More Than Satisfied
(2:24) 10. My Heart's at Ease
(3:22) 11. It's You
(4:32) 12. Honey Hush
(3:29) 13. What Will I Do in the Morning?
(3:48) 14. When Gabriel Blows His Horn
(3:37) 15. Sittin' up, Waitin' for You
(3:20) 16. Gotta Be, Gonna Be Mine
(3:48) 17. Dixie Cinderella
(4:37) 18. That Rhythm Man

Out of the West Coast traditional jazz (often erroneously referred to as Dixieland) mold of Lu Watters, Turk Murphy, and the Firehouse Five Plus Two comes the Hal Smith Rhythmakers with guest, the undervalued but very talented singer Rebecca Kilgore. She also works a little on guitar. The regular Rhythmakers have also been expanded with the addition of three young musicians, to wit, trumpet player Marc Caparone, bass player Clint Baker, and pianist Chris Dawson. Together they have fashioned an album of Fats Waller melodies ranging from the infectious swinging material he was famous for as well as some very pretty melodies, most, but not all, penned with Andy Razaf. The album is by no means limited to oft-played Waller tunes. To their credit, Smith and Kilgore saw fit not to include "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose" on the program. Instead, there is more than a smattering of Waller tunes that get a lot less play than these two warhorses. The very pretty "Gone" and the slow drag "How Can I, With You in My Heart" are just a few of the many gems that have been unearthed. There's plenty of hot jazz, too, to get the toe tapping. "I'm More Than Satisfied" features Caparone's burning muted trumpet and "It's You" once more with Caparone's trumpet on top along with stride piano by Dawson and strong bass by Baker. The New Orleans-like clarinet of Bobby Gordon, rarely stirring from the middle register, adds to the authenticity of this session's traditional style, especially with his solo on "I Hate to Leave You Now." There's a risk with issuing an album of traditional jazz in that it can get humdrum after a while. That trap is avoided with the presence of Rebecca Kilgore who has shown time and time again that no matter what she sings, she brings it to life. Moreover, Kilgore is quite familiar with this style of playing having recorded music in a similar vein with Dan Barrett and Dave Frishberg. A balanced play list performed by enthusiastic and talented musicians at home with Waller tunes pushes this album into the recommended category. ~by Dave Nathan

Sings the Music of Fats Waller (mp3 320)
Sings the Music of Fats Waller (FLAC)

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Rebecca Kilgore with the Harry Allen Quartet - I Like Men (Re-Up Request)

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 71:03
Size: 163.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:36] 1. I Like Men/I'm Just Wild About Harry
[5:31] 2. The Gentleman Is a Dope
[5:42] 3. The Boy Next Door
[3:40] 4. An Occasional Man
[3:14] 5. Goldfinger
[5:30] 6. Ballad of the Sad Young Men
[6:15] 7. The Man I Love
[5:15] 8. For Every Man There's a Woman
[4:31] 9. Marry the Man Today
[4:53] 10. He Needs Me
[3:39] 11. He's a Tramp
[3:29] 12. He's My Guy
[2:57] 13. Down Boy
[4:25] 14. One Man Ain't Quite Enough
[6:19] 15. The Man That Got Away

As the album title suggests all the tracks relate to the male of the species in one form or another, this is not a new concept but has been tried and tested to great advantage by Peggy Lee and many of these songs have been recorded by Miss Lee including two of her own compositions.

Rebecca Kilgore has developed into a first class interpreter of classic material and on this album she is accompanied by four musicians who are sympathetic to her style of vocalising. Rossano Sportiello has taken over the role vacated by Dave McKenna and John Bunch on their demise. Like Scott Hamilton Harry Allen knows when to fill the spaces and when to stay in the background, his solos are an added bonus. Joel Forbes on bass and Kevin Kanner on drums rounding out a superb team.

The album opens with a medley of two songs associated with Peggy Lee “I Like Men / I’m just wild about Harry” but Miss Kilgore puts her own stamp on them and with Harry Allen contributing a swinging solo on the second tune it makes for a very satisfying track. The title track from the James Bond film “Goldfinger” would not appear to be suitable material for a singer of the calibre of Miss Kilgore but she pulls it off with ease and turns it into something of quality. The same could be said of Frank Loser’s “Marry the man today” but combined with attractive solos from both Harry Allen and R4ossano Sportiello Rebecca turns it into an easy paced swinger.“Ballad of a sad young man” is Harry Allen and the rhythm section with Harry providing a sensitive ballad reading of the song with Rossano Sportiello catching the mood with a fine solo. It is not we hear songs like Harold Adamson and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Down boy” and Harold Arlen and Truman Capote’s “One man ain’t quite enough” on many singer’s albums but Rebecca Kilgore is prepared to dig a little deeper and uncover gems like these and is to be applauded. This is one of the best vocal albums I have heard in some time and with such a class backing group it’s got to be a winner. ~Roy Booth

Rebecca Kilgore - vocals; Harry Allen - saxophone; Rossano Sportiello - piano; Joel Forbes - bass; Kevin Kanner - drums.

I Like Men (mp3 320)
I Like Men (FLAC)

Friday, January 23, 2026

Lyle Ritz & Rebecca Kilgore - I Wish You Love

Styles: Jazz/Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
Time: 43:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. I Love A Ukulele
(3:09) 2. Charade
(3:19) 3. Aren't You Glad You're You
(3:10) 4. That Old Gang of Mine
(4:42) 5. Give Me The Simple Life
(4:18) 6. I Ain't Got Nothin' but The Blues
(2:47) 7. I Cried for You
(3:50) 8. Sway
(2:02) 9. Runnin' Wild
(3:40) 10. I Wish You Love
(3:09) 11. Surrey with The Fringe on Top
(3:02) 12. Reaching for The Moon
(3:00) 13. Then I'll Be Happy

Rebecca Kilgore, Vocalist, Curator, Sophisticated Lady, Dies at 76

Rebecca Kilgore, the effortlessly elegant vocalist, whose primary goal was to bring swing and the classics and rarities of the Great American Songbook into the 21st century, passed away on January 7 in her longtime homebase of Portland, Oregon. She was 76 years old. The cause of death of Lewy body dementia.

Recording primarily on small independent labels since her start around the age of 30 — first as part of a local Portland area swing ensemble the Wholly Cats, then on her own as the leader of the Rebecca Kilgore Quintet — the velvet-dipped-in-honey singer’s mission was that of purity, a clear-as-a-bell, clarion vocal tone familiar to fans of, say, Shirley Horn or Chris Connor, but by way of the music of the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s.

Along with being a canny vocalist, Kilgore was keen on finding rare gems within the Songbook’s deep catalog and revving them with verve and invention. And though she stayed under the radar with early band releases such as the Wholly Cats’ 1982 album Doggin’ Around and her cassette-only release I Hear Music, it was through the auspices of coyly clever composer and pianist Dave Frishberg that Kilgore got her first taste of fame beyond the Pacific Northwest jazz scene.

With Frishberg’s witty accompaniment and her stirring vocal qualities as a breath of fresh air to the traditions of popular jazz song, the pair recorded highly acclaimed albums such as Looking at You, I Saw Stars, Not a Care in the World and The Starlit Hour (the latter three for Arbors Records). Frishberg even told JazzTimes in 2011 that Kilgore was his “favorite singer to play for” and a “flawless,” original vocal talent. Other name-above-the-title band leaders that Kilgore teamed with on more than a few recordings were saxophonist Harry Allen, trombonist Dan Barrett, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and pianist John Sheridan.

Still, it is Kilgore’s long catalog of solo/leader recordings throughout the 2000s such as A Remembrance of Maxine Sullivan: Harlem Butterfly (Audiophile, 2001), Why Fight the Feeling? (Arbors, 2008), Yes, Indeed! (Blue Swing, 2010), I Like Men (Arbors, 2014), The Rebecca Kilgore Trio Vol. 1 (Heavywood, 2021) and A Little Taste: A Tribute to Dave Frishberg (Cherry Pie, 2024) that are most entrancing, rewarding and worth the crate-digging. Kilgore was always possessed of a stately, graceful voice and a curiously inventive sense of curation and orchestration, whether you heard her at age 30 or 70.
https://www.jazztimes.com/blog/rebecca-kilgore-vocalist-curator-sophisticated-lady-dies-at-76/

Birth: sept. 24th, 1949
Waltham, Massachusetts, EUA
Death: jan. 7th, 2026
Portland, Oregon, EUA

I Wish You Love

Friday, April 18, 2025

Rebecca Kilgore - A Little Taste a Tribute to Dave Frishberg

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2024
Time: 38:40
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 39,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. A Little Taste (The Single)
(3:42) 2. Our Love Rolls On
(5:08) 3. "Peel Me a Grape"
(2:33) 4. Little Did I Dream
(4:27) 5. Heart's Desire
(3:16) 6. Snowbound
(3:01) 7. "Brenda Starr"
(2:36) 8. Telephone Song
(3:25) 9. Ah so Pure
(2:56) 10. You Are There
(4:40) 11. Eastwood Lane

Singer Rebecca Kilgore’s A Little Taste showcases her wonderful delivery, accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The album features Dan Barrett on trombone, Dick Titterington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Todd Strait on drums, among others, creating a rich backdrop for Kilgore’s performances.

Singer Rebecca Kilgore’s A Little Taste showcases her wonderful delivery, accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The album features Dan Barrett on trombone, Dick Titterington on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Todd Strait on drums, among others, creating a rich backdrop for Kilgore’s performances. A string sections adds in that regard as well. The recording leans heavily into jazz standards, offering a nostalgic journey through well-loved tunes. Kilgore’s is effortlessly elegant style and the interplay between her vocals and the instrumental arrangements is wonderful delivers warmth and intimacy that make this a beautifully enjoyable listening experience.https://thejazzpage.com/album/rebecca-kilgore-a-little-taste/

A Little Taste a Tribute to Dave Frishberg

Monday, March 24, 2025

The Rebecca Kilgore Trio - The Rebecca Kilgore Trio, Vol. 1

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:52
Size: 108,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. Dear Bix
(3:28) 2. Day In - Day Out
(3:56) 3. Somebody Just Like You
(2:58) 4. Run, Little Raindrop, Run
(3:18) 5. Azure-Té / Azure
(2:55) 6. Talking to Myself About You
(2:48) 7. Old Soft Shoe
(4:25) 8. I Wanna Get Married
(3:00) 9. Like the Brightest Star
(3:51) 10. That Sunday That Summer
(3:59) 11. The Gentleman Is a Dope
(4:38) 12. Because We're Kids
(3:29) 13. There's a Small Hotel

What do "Doxy," "Cottontail," "Dear Bix" and "I Wanna Get Married" all have in common? Clues to a party game on some lost episode of Playboy After Dark? Give up? All make an appearance on Rebecca Kilgore's "swing and have fun" release, which is just what Kilgore and her co-conspirators (including her husband, Dick Titterington, on cornet) accomplish. Eclectic is the word for this marvelous compilation, whose composers run from Rube Bloom to Richard Rodgers.. But that's good. Putting the recording on and hearing "Dear Bix" was like reliving a summer Saturday night listening to Jim Cullum's "Live from the Landing" circa 1990, no small thing. But then again, Kilgore really hit the memory traces with Nat King Cole's "That Sunday, That Summer," which beats Percy Faith and "A Summer Place" for sigh, lost youth. And you thought Cole owned that song and the evocation of the summer of 1963, but he doesn't. At least not any longer.

How many ways can you sell a familiar song? Well, take "The Gentleman is A Dope," which is more ironic than disillusioned, and bright, even in its minor key, because Kilgore takes it slightly up from its customary tempo. This is what adventuresome musicians can do with "conventional" material from the Great American Songbook. It doesn't have to be dull. Maybe you never heard the "Because We're Kids" lyrics by one Doctor Seuss. Oh, oh. Trigger warning. They are, gasp, woke "Just because you wear a wallet near your heart, You think you're twice as smart, You know that isn't fair." Oh, yeah, sung up front in even quarter notes, just for emphasis. One's faith in Dr Seuss is restored. And Kilgore's ongoing project of rescuing interesting tunes from death by neglect is clearly validated..

Who doesn't like "There's Small Hotel," generally identified with Chet Baker? Kilgore takes it down a bit, in a very matter of fact way. This is the way a slightly whimsical and experienced woman who's lived a little would take the song. Her version does not record the enthusiasm of a first assignation. Kilgore does not sound like she's reading from anyone's script other than her own. Age sometimes matters, and not just in wine and cheese. Experience shows and it only deepens, rather than diminishes art. "Doxy," "Cottontail," "Dear Bix," well, you'll have to hear the CD to solve the puzzle. Hint: pianist Randy Porter does have a great sense of humor. Tom Wakeling's time and sound are never obtrusive, but are always there. Swing and have fun, indeed. You will.~ Richard J.Salvucci https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-rebecca-kilgore-trio-vol-1-rebecca-kilgore-heavywood-records

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore: voice / vocals; Randy Porter: piano; Tom Wakeling: bass, acoustic; Dick Titterington: cornet.

The Rebecca Kilgore Trio, Vol. 1

Tom Grant and Rebecca Kilgore - Winter Warm

Styles: Vocal, Piano
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:29)  1. Christmas Waltz
(3:17)  2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
(3:22)  3. Christmas Time is Here
(3:39)  4. I'll Be Home for Christmas
(4:06)  5. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
(4:49)  6. The Christmas Song
(3:11)  7. A Song for Christmas
(2:30)  8. Let it Snow
(4:50)  9. Winter Warm
(4:12) 10. Winter Wonderland
(3:30) 11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
(4:02) 12. Sleigh Ride
(2:43) 13. Christmas Dreaming
(3:14) 14. Snowbound

Warm is a treasure from two Northwest jazz icons. Pianist Tom Grant has produced over twenty albums of chart-topping smooth jazz and singer Rebecca Kilgore, a featured regular on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion and Terry Gross’ Fresh Air (both on NPR), is an acclaimed performer of the Great American Songbook. Rebecca tours the world with her own band and has sung on over 30 records. Famed guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli has said of her “If Benny Goodman were alive today, he’d hire Becky to sing in his band.” Dick Hadlock, author and jazz host on KCSM-FM, San Mateo CA says that Rebecca “has refined her vocal gifts and stands now….as a leading interpreter of America’s classic popular songs.” She has toured with the famed pianist, humorist-composer Dave Frishberg and they have recorded together as well. He says of Rebecca “she has a great sense of swing…and a heartfelt unpretentiousness.” Tom Grant has toured the world with such jazz greats as Joe Henderson, Tony Williams and Charles Lloyd. Jeff Lorber says “Tom is a terrific improviser and writer. He plays with an inventiveness, elegance and economy. He is one of the best players on the scene today.” He has recorded on Verve Forecast, Windham Hill and many smaller labels and during the 80’s and 90’s had sales of 30-50 thousand units on various titles.

Tom Grant is a fixture on the Northwest music scene. He was a pioneer of jazz fusion and adult contemporary jazz. His longtime group, the Tom Grant Band, was one of the biggest drawing bands of the ’80s and ’90s. Tom’s numerous recordings consistently landed at the top of the New Adult Contemporary and Smooth Jazz charts, a genre Tom helped pioneer in the mid-80s. Over the years he has played with numerous jazz icons, including Jim Pepper, Woody Shaw, Tony Williams and Joe Henderson. He plays jazz piano with the harmonic sophistication and deep sense of swing that comes from more than three decades on the bandstand, and his smooth crooning voice blends perfectly with Day’s clear-cut interpretations of the classics. Grant was recognized for his lifetime of work by the Jazz Society of Oregon, being its inductee to the Hall of Fame for 2004. The material on this Holiday record reflects Rebecca’s unique gift for finding little-known song gems. The title track “Winter Warm”, is a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song whose only prior recording is by the relatively obscure 50’s artist, Gale Storm. Another great track is the singularly quirky (and jazzy) Frishberg winner, “Snowbound”. Tom and Rebecca do a charming duet on a slightly obscure Sinatra classic called “Christmas Dreaming.” Another rare beauty is “A Song for Christmas” which Rebecca sings with a tenderness that touches the soul. http://tomgrant.com/winter-warm

Winter Warm

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Rebecca Kilgore, Andy Brown - Together - Live

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:56
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. The Touch of Your Lips (Live)
(3:33) 2. Better Than Anything (Live)
(4:26) 3. Can't Get out of This Mood (Live)
(4:00) 4. Nobody Else but Me (Live)
(4:31) 5. A Woman's Intuition (Live)
(3:20) 6. Rock Me to Sleep (Live)
(5:20) 7. The Gentle Rain (Live)
(3:27) 8. Give Me the Simple Life (Live)
(4:33) 9. Where Can I Go Without You (Live)
(3:43) 10. Destination Moon (Live)
(3:34) 11. Any Old Time (Live)
(4:03) 12. You Are There (Live)

Sometimes I hear music so touching that it leaves me rarely at a loss for words nearly speechless. The new duo CD by two of my heroes, Rebecca Kilgore and guitarist Andy Brown, did and does just that. It was recorded in performance fourteen months ago for Heavywood Records, and it is memorably intimate. But before I get my verbalizing together, perhaps you should hear what I hear, at least two delicious offerings. Listen to this (a song new to me, music by Victor Young, lyrics by Peggy Lee): or this, music by David “Buck” Wheat, lyrics by Bill Loughborough: Those performances should answer the question of why this disc is remarkable, but perhaps some words might be appropriate, like extra dressing on the already delicious salad. I think, first, that “TOGETHER” and “LIVE” are beautifully candid descriptions of what you will hear.

Rebecca and Andy have a wonderful unity, even though their respective individualities shine through it is as if they are wondrous listeners, the most sensitive and knowing musical conversationalists, who are both expert and eager to make something larger than their solitary selves spring into being. What results is warm, personal, and full of small sweet surprises. The fact that this lovely music came out of a live performance is both understandable and a triumph. Jazz clubs are full of people who, even if they are not dropping cutlery (something I have been guilty of in capital letters) are busy shifting in their chairs, inhaling and exhaling so many live recordings sound as if one is listening through a haze of low-level background noise, like looking at the beautiful landscape through eyeglasses that need a good cleaning.

Not here: the sound is warm but not clinical. And both Rebecca and Andy are professionals who create memorable music under the least happy circumstances the chilly isolation and pressure of the recording studio, and in Rebecca’s case, sometimes the “vocal booth,” which has all the physical ease of a coffin they sound happy and free here, making spacious music. There you have it. Two rewarding artists, a delightfully unhackneyed repertoire, a lovely intimacy. My only objection to this otherwise flawless CD is that I think the title needed an exclamation point. But no one asked me. You can read a little more about it in the liner note, but I urge you to go right into the deep end of the pool and (whisper it) make a purchase. It will reward your ears and heart. The music can be downloaded through Amazon, Apple, Spotify, and I think other sources. https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/together-%E2%80%A2-live-rebecca-kilgore-andy-brown/

Together - Live

Monday, March 17, 2025

Rebecca Kilgore - With Hal Smith's California Swing Cats

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:03
Size: 148.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. With Plenty Of Money And You
[3:48] 2. 'deed I Do
[4:30] 3. Sleepy Time Down South
[2:40] 4. Swing, Brother, Swing
[3:51] 5. Georgia On My Mind
[4:13] 6. You
[3:59] 7. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[4:09] 8. Thou Swell
[4:30] 9. A Kiss To Build A Dream On
[2:43] 10. Piano Man
[4:32] 11. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
[4:03] 12. Drum Boogie
[3:57] 13. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
[5:08] 14. Sing, Sing, Sing
[3:12] 15. Pardon My Southern Accent
[3:30] 16. Cow Cow Boogie
[3:24] 17. La Vie En Rose

As an interpreter of classic American popular songs from the 1930s and 1940s, vocalist and guitarist Rebecca Kilgore helped revive the hits of yesterday for modern-era jazz audiences. Born in Waltham, MA, in 1949, she relocated to Portland, OR, at the age of 30, beginning her music career fronting an area swing band dubbed the Wholly Cats and recording a 1982 LP titled Doggin' Around. Following the group's 1984 breakup, she formed her own unit, the Rebecca Kilgore Quintet, which quickly emerged as a mainstay of the Northwest jazz scene, and in 1989, she released the cassette-only I Hear Music. Most of Kilgore's subsequent recordings were in conjunction with other performers: In 1990, she teamed with John Miller for Put on a Happy Face, and in 1993 appeared with Portland's Tall Jazz Trio on their Plays Winter Jazz disc. However, Kilgore's most fruitful collaborations were in conjunction with pianist Dave Frishberg; after teaming for 1993's Looking at You, they reunited a year later for I Saw Stars, followed in 1997 by Not a Care in the World and again in 2001 with The Starlit Hour. At the same time, Kilgore also fronted a '60s-style country band, Beck-a-Roo, and in 1994 contributed vocals to the score of the CBS animated special Tales From the Far Side, inspired by the popular Gary Larson comic strip. ~ bio by Jason Ankeny

With Hal Smith's California Swing Cats

Saturday, March 15, 2025

John Sheridan's Dream Band - Get Rhythm In Your Feet

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 69:42
Size: 159.6 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:07] 1. Stop Look And Listen
[3:56] 2. All The Cats Join In
[3:55] 3. Indian Summer
[6:42] 4. I Love My Baby
[4:04] 5. I Was Doing All Right
[6:42] 6. A Gal In Calico
[3:02] 7. Humpty Dumpty Heart
[3:16] 8. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:24] 9. People Like You And Me
[4:14] 10. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:52] 11. Get Rhythm In Your Feet
[4:35] 12. A Handful Of Stars
[3:18] 13. You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes
[4:05] 14. My Extraodinary Gal
[3:57] 15. Walkin' By The River
[5:27] 16. The Dixieland Band

"The Dream Band´s third release, Get Rhythm In Your Feet, is on the same high level as the first two, and in some ways is the best of the trio...John Sheridan´s Dream Band looks back towards The Swing Era and the classic groups of that era without directly copying any of them. Mixing together written and jammed ensembles with concise solos and Becky Kilgore´s joyful vocals, the Sheridan Dream Band is carving out its own legacy within the current classic jazz scene." ~ Scott Yanow

John Sheridan - leader, arranger, piano Randy Reinhart - cornet Russ Phillips - trombone Brian Ogilvie - tenor saxophone Ron Hockett - clarinet Reuben Ristrom - guitar Phil Flanigan - bass Ed Metz Jr. - drums Becky Kilgore - vocals

Get Rhythm In Your Feet

Friday, March 14, 2025

Rebecca Kilgore - I Saw Stars

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:03
Size: 140,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:15)  1. Happy as the Day Is Long
(5:12)  2. Sweet Substitute
(3:16)  3. I Saw Stars
(4:11)  4. For Heaven's Sake
(4:29)  5. Say It Isn't So
(4:07)  6. He Needs Me
(3:12)  7. Jeepers Creepers
(4:13)  8. No Love, No Nothing
(3:37)  9. Everything I Have Is Yours
(2:29) 10. Exactly Like You
(3:27) 11. A LonelLonely Co-Ed
(3:04) 12. This Is No Laughing Matter
(3:01) 13. A Fine Romance
(3:50) 14. I'll Be Around
(4:39) 15. You Can't Lose a Broken Heart
(2:45) 16. Symphony
(3:08) 17. Princess

Becky Kilgore, a singer based in the Pacific Northwest, is a longtime associate of pianist Dave Frishberg. Frishberg is part of the impressive supporting cast (along with trombonist Dan Barrett, altoist Chuck Wilson, Scott Robinson on tenor, bass sax and clarinet, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and bassist Michael Moore) for her solo debut. Kilgore has a nice swing to her style and clearly enjoys reviving such songs as "Happy as the Day Is Long," "A Lonely Coed" and "You Can't Lose a Broken Heart." She has a pleasing voice, gives a liberal amount of space to the soloists (the ensembles often sound a bit like the John Kirby Sextet), and constructs a set of enjoyable music that is heartily recommended to fans of small-group swing. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-saw-stars-mw0000026865

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore (vocals, guitar); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Scott Robinson (clarinet, tenor saxophone, bass saxophone); Chuck Wilson (alto saxophone); Dan Barrett (trumpet, trombone); Dave Frishberg (piano).

I Saw Stars

Monday, July 12, 2021

Hal Smith's Roadrunners - Absolutely! Vol.3

Styles: Post Bop, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:58
Size: 170,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:09) 1. The Song Is Ended
(2:46) 2. All Dressed up with a Broken Heart
(4:10) 3. Louisiana Fairy Tale
(2:45) 4. Limehouse Blues
(3:43) 5. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(4:10) 6. Take It from Me
(5:03) 7. I Want To Be Happy
(3:47) 8. Absolutely
(3:54) 9. Strut, Miss Lizzie
(4:08) 10. Apex Blues
(2:54) 11. Don't Leave Me, Daddy
(1:46) 12. Hallelujah!
(2:58) 13. Barrelhouse
(3:23) 14. Some Sweet Day
(3:41) 15. Four or Five Times
(3:32) 16. Sweet and Lowdown
(3:30) 17. The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else
(4:29) 18. My Buddy
(5:25) 19. Memories Of You
(2:35) 20. I'll See You in My Dreams

A drummer with strong inclinations toward traditional jazz performance, Hal Smith was born in Indianapolis, IN, on July 30, 1953. Taking up drums at the age of ten among his teachers was the great Jake Hanna he made his professional debut in 1978, and in the years to follow served with the likes of the Dukes of Dixieland and the Grand Dominion Jazz Band. Smith also led groups including the Frisco Syncopaters and the Down Home Jazz Band, and regularly collaborated with Butch Thompson and Bobby Gordon. Among his recording dates are 1994's California Here I Come, 1995's Swing, Brother, Swing, and 1996's Bourbon Street Memories. Smith was also a respected jazz journalist, contributing countless articles to publications including Jazz Rambler, Mississippi Rag, and West Coast Rag.~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-smith-mn0000660509/biography

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore – Guitar, Vocals; Bobby Gordon – Clarinet, Vocals; Ray Skjelbred – Piano; Mike Duffy – Bass, Vocals; Hal Smith – Drums, Leader

Absolutely!

Friday, July 9, 2021

Paolo Tomelleri Big Band - The Overwhelming Love

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 111:27
Size: 260,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:11) 1. Intro America West Side Story
(5:08) 2. Moonglow
(3:16) 3. L'uomo dal Braccio D'oro
(4:56) 4. Them There Eyes
(5:59) 5. Acque Amare
(4:25) 6. Le Strade di Notte
(4:00) 7. Fever
(3:51) 8. I Wish I Were Twins
(6:25) 9. After You've Gone
(5:26) 10. What's Good for Me
(4:06) 11. Woodchopper's Ball
(5:20) 12. Maria
(4:57) 13. Dark Eyes
(5:23) 14. Just a Gigolo
(8:52) 15. I've Found a New Baby
(4:22) 16. I've Got You Under My Skin
(2:02) 17. Typewriter
(4:17) 18. Almost in Your Arms
(5:48) 19. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(3:16) 20. Whirlybird
(3:34) 21. Luna indiscreta
(3:04) 22. I Wish I Knew
(3:57) 23. Rockin' in Rhythm
(6:41) 24. C Jam Blues

After the great success of the 2012 and 2013 editions of “International Live Swing” and after “Jazz Broadway 2011”, the great gala dedicated to swing music and dance returns to Milan. The best performers on the international scene will "tell us", with music and dance, how Jazz was born from the contamination of a large number of musical and entertainment genres: from Broadway musicals to Hollywood music, up to the jazz reinterpretation of famous classical music pieces.

Special Guests: Dan Barrett (trombone, US), Rebecca Kilgore (vocal, US), Frank Roberscheuten (clarinet, US), Martin Breinschmid (vibraphone and drums, US) With the participation of: Rossano Sportiello (jazz piano, US), Paolo Alderighi (jazz piano, IT), Stephanie Trick (jazz piano, US) And with the extraordinary participation of: Karima Ballerini Swing: Vincenzo Fesi (dancer and choreographer of the stage area of the theater, IT), Marco Larosa and Sonia Salsedo (dancers and choreographers of the stalls areas, IT) and a dance group of international importance: Isabella Gregorio (IT), Katja Hrastar (Slovenia), Moe Sakan (Japan), Remy Kuoaku Kouame (France) and Pontus Persson (Swiden).

"Jazz Side Story" refers to the great "West Side Story", but it is also a metaphor for how Jazz interprets the theme of our life and other forms of musical expression. West Side Story is the famous musical adaptation of the great Leonard Bernstein of Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare 1594).

The theme of the two lovers opposed by circumstances is much older and recalls dramas and legends of ancient Greece and the Celtic world, such as Troilus and Cressida, Tristan and Isolde, of course.

The theme is that of "overwhelming love", which through West Side Story, brings us to the role that Jazz has had in the world of music.

Overwhelming love is the "fil rouge" of the show: a narration of music and dance set in the America of the '30s and' 40s, through a path that intertwines the history of music, costume and vintage style, swing dances and by composers who in their time were great innovators.

On the stage of the Dal Verme the Big Band by Paolo Tomelleri, 20 brass to which is added a section of 12 strings, 2 opposing pianos, 2 drums and other instruments constitute a unique formation of its kind, which po jazz is transformed into a big band, until it becomes one of the largest symphonic rhythm orchestras in Italy.

The protagonists of the evening are jazz music and swing dance, the challenges between soloists on the international scene, which retrace Broadway musicals and certain themes of classical music.

It is known that that era was also linked to the world of dance. The orchestras addressed an audience of dancers, especially in New York. The Roseland, the Alhambra, the Savoy Ballroom were the places where most of the young people went to hear their idols. Ballrooms for 2000 people. Dancing also played a fundamental role in Broadway plays, vaudeville shows, the Cotton Club. There was no successful show that did not feature a group of dancers. It was precisely the dance, despite racial discrimination, that brought black and white boys and girls together. Swing dance became a kind of fever of the time and, subsequently, it was considered by historians to be an important element of social aggregation. At Dal Verme, as in the great shows of the time, a phenomenal dance troupe will be staged to revive the atmosphere of the great ballrooms in the America of the 1930s and 1940s. The dancers invited to the gala come from all over Europe. The choreographies are curated by Vincenzo Fesi, an internationally renowned artist and dancer.Translate By Google https://www.ipomeriggi.it/eventi/jazz-side-story-the-overwhelming-love/

The Overwhelming Love

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Hal Smith's Roadrunners, Rebecca Kilgore - Waiting at the End of the Road

Styles: Post Bop, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:15
Size: 166,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. I Need Lovin'
(5:28) 2. What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry
(5:13) 3. Wolverine Blues
(4:13) 4. You're Luck to Me
(3:18) 5. San Antonio Rose
(5:38) 6. Creole Love Call
(4:20) 7. Once or Twice
(3:45) 8. Someday You'll Want Me to Want You
(4:05) 9. Who Walks in When I Walk Out?
(4:42) 10. When I Dream Of You
(4:18) 11. Mutiny in the Parlor
(3:44) 12. True Blue Lou
(3:45) 13. It Must Be True
(3:01) 14. Texas and Pacific
(4:11) 15. Sorry
(4:48) 16. Waiting at the End of the Road
(3:16) 17. Your Mother's Son in Law

A drummer with strong inclinations toward traditional jazz performance, Hal Smith was born in Indianapolis, IN, on July 30, 1953. Taking up drums at the age of ten among his teachers was the great Jake Hanna he made his professional debut in 1978, and in the years to follow served with the likes of the Dukes of Dixieland and the Grand Dominion Jazz Band. Smith also led groups including the Frisco Syncopaters and the Down Home Jazz Band, and regularly collaborated with Butch Thompson and Bobby Gordon. Among his recording dates are 1994's California Here I Come, 1995's Swing, Brother, Swing, and 1996's Bourbon Street Memories. Smith was also a respected jazz journalist, contributing countless articles to publications including Jazz Rambler, Mississippi Rag, and West Coast Rag.~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-smith-mn0000660509/biography

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore - vocals, Hal Smith - drums, Bobby Gordon - clarinet, Ray Skjelbred - piano, Mike Duffy - bass.

Waiting at the End of the Road

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson - BEDlam

Styles: Vocal,Trombone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:21
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. It's a good day
(4:09) 2. All I do is dream of you
(4:18) 3. Blue moon
(3:57) 4. Let's get away from it all
(4:42) 5. Dear Bix
(4:08) 6. The lady's in love with you
(4:38) 7. Oklahoma medley
(4:06) 8. A woman's intuition
(4:10) 9. Sway
(2:30) 10. I want you to be my baby
(4:13) 11. I can't give you anything but love
(4:03) 12. My canary has circles under his eyes
(4:09) 13. If you were the only girl in the world
(3:09) 14. BedLam
(4:15) 15. Bye,bye,baby

BEDlam is another in the series of recordings by the unusual, fun, swinging quartet known as BED. The group’s name is the humorous acronym formed by the names of three of the band members: Becky, Eddie, and Dan. However, bassist Joel Forbes’s contributions are essential to the band’s remarkable sound. As always, Joel is heard playing acoustically here, and his rich, deep bass is much of the reason for the band’s warm, glowing sound.

This is another great collection of interesting and often-overlooked songs from the Golden Era of American songwriting. The voice of Rebecca Kilgore is sublime, and her cool phrasing has made her in demand all over the world. Like the warm-toned trombonist Dan Barrett, Rebecca has performed at Carnegie Hall and at jazz parties and major jazz festivals all over the world. Listen as she reimagines Peggy Lee’s up- tempo hit, It’s A Good Day as a finger-popping, Gospel-infused ode to joy. Dan Barrett uses his special vintage mute for a suitably-bluesy contribution to Blue Moon.

You’ll give Eddie Erickson a standing ovation (as many audiences have done all over the world) when you hear his fantastic guitar playing and his singing. Eddie is also Rebecca’s own favorite vocalist! Eddie’s beautiful baritone voice is heard in several vocals here, and in duets with Rebecca. Eddie was recently inducted into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame. His swinging plectrum banjo playing can be heard in several selections in this variety-packed album. Another highlight in this set is Eddie’s solo banjo rendition of selections from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! The title track, Bedlam, is of course a riff on the quartet’s name, but it is also a hip, boppish blues melody by the hip, boppish tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray. BED’s longtime friend and resident genius Ray Landsberg contributed the hip, boppish lyrics that Rebecca debuts here. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/bedlam

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

BEDlam

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson, Joel Forbes - Watch Out!

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:50
Size: 162,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:52) 1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
(3:22) 2. Lazy River
(4:25) 3. Lonely Moments
(4:30) 4. It Takes Time
(3:47) 5. In a Little Gipsy Tea Room
(4:42) 6. The Pearls
(4:26) 7. Im An Old Cowhand
(4:30) 8. There I've Said It Again
(3:09) 9. Bye Bye Baby
(3:26) 10. The Waiter and The Porter and the Upstairs Maid
(4:38) 11. Rockin' Chair
(4:05) 12. When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues
(3:08) 13. Watch Out
(4:18) 14. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:08) 15. Skrontch
(5:26) 16. Canadian Sunset
(3:52) 17. Fugue For Tinhorns

The cover of this CD features the foursome known as BED wearing very serious, almost menacing facial expressions. So...Watch Out! (The inside photos are much less threatening). Once again, the quartet has mined rich, largely-forgotten material from America’s great musical past. Where else could you go to hear The Waiter, The Porter, And The Upstairs Maid? Or how about Duke Ellington’s hip tribute to a Harlem dance step: Skrontch? Dan, Eddie, and Joel offer their take on Jelly Roll Morton’s one-of- a-kind composition, The Pearls. Rebecca calls their hand, and raises the pot with her Western Swing version of I’m An Old Cowhand. There are many other terrific selections in this special collection of seventeen songs. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/watch-out

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

Watch Out!

Friday, May 28, 2021

BED (Dan Barrett/Rebecca Kilgore/Eddie Erickson) - Four + 1

Styles: Trombone, Vocal And Guitar Jazz, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. I've heard that song before
(3:47) 2. This can't be love
(7:41) 3. East of the sun
(3:33) 4. Jubilee
(3:39) 5. Cheek to cheek
(4:38) 6. Say it over and over again
(3:41) 7. The hucklebuck
(4:03) 8. You can't lose a broken heart
(5:12) 9. Midnight in Moscow
(4:30) 10. You're a lucky guy
(4:31) 11. Cross your heart
(3:31) 12. The best things in life are free
(3:04) 13. Seven lonely days
(2:44) 14. Drum booguie
(3:08) 15. I'll see you in my dreams

This fun and interesting set of swinging American songs brings together five close friends who share a fondness for good tunes played with heart, and a swinging beat. BED is an acronym formed by Becky, Eddie, and Dan, three of the four members of that special quartet. (Bassist Joel Forbes is the fourth member of the troupe). BED eventually changed its funny name to honor their default leader, vocalist Rebecca “Becky” Kilgore. The group now performs as the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. For this session, Becky, Eddie Erickson, Dan Barrett, and Joel Forbes invited their good friend Jeff Hamilton to join them on drums.

Please note there are at least two terrific drummers who share that name. This particular Jeff grew up in New Orleans, and absorbed that city’s special regard for rhythm from the musicians he heard and with whom he performed around town. Additionally, Jeff studied with the great Cie Frazier, who for many years was the drummer with the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band! Over the years, Jeff’s approach has evolved into a very personal mix of New Orleans and later swing styles. He’s a perfect fit for his like-minded colleagues in the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. In addition to Becky’s beautiful singing and Jeff’s tasty time-keeping, Four + 1 also features vocals by Eddie Erickson. Eddie also shines here in masterful guitar work, and several hip, swinging plectrum banjo solos.

In the competitive jazz scene of New York City, Joel Forbes was at the top of the list of great jazz bassists. A long-time friend of Dan Barrett’s Joel contributes consistently propulsive bass lines, and several horn-like solos. Finally, Dan Barrett displays his usual élan in his trombone solos, and in his thoughtful backgrounds behind each of the singers. For the old favorite Midnight In Moscow, Dan puts down the trombone, and plays cornet. If that isn’t enough, he moves over to the piano to back Becky and Eddie on a rollicking version of The Hucklebuck! Don’t miss this great set of swinging vocal and instrumental jazz! https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/four-1

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar, Banjo; Joel Forbes Bass

Four + 1

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Dan Barrett And Rebecca Kilgore - "Being A Bear"

Styles: Vocal And Trombone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:10
Size: 158,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:22) 1. Being A Bear
(5:31) 2. The Jam Song
(5:49) 3. The Music Goes Round And Round
(4:11) 4. This Old Man
(2:36) 5. Copey´s Lament
(2:50) 6. Sing, Sing, Sing
(5:58) 7. Ursa The Blues
(6:52) 8. Mama Don´t Allow
(3:50) 9. Animation
(4:48) 10. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
(3:36) 11. Swingin´ In The Dell
(4:32) 12. Rhythm In My Nursery Rhymes
(4:58) 13. The Isle Of Capri
(4:13) 14. At The Jazz Bears Jamboree
(4:58) 15. Little Man, You´ve Had A Busy Day

There have been many attempts through the years to record a jazz set for children, but usually the music is either too complex or too childish, not achieving its purpose. The music on this particular CD was written to be used for a full-length animated film called The Jazz Bears. Most of the melodies (except for five originals) are pretty familiar and simple, but the solos are topnotch and colorful. The vocals (particularly those of the great Rebecca Kilgore) are swinging and charming. Although the opening, "Being a Bear," may make one think that this CD is only for children, it will be easy for adults who are fans of mainstream swing to enjoy this project. Dan Barrett (who arranged many of the pieces) is a versatile trombonist, and his vocal on "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" is surprisingly effective. Trumpeter Spanky Davis (who has long been underrated) has quite a few hot solos, Scott Robinson (best on baritone and bass sax) is always impressive, and Jim Galloway's soprano is another asset. Recommended, for children and their jazz-loving parents alike.

Musicians: Dan Barrett - leader, trombone and vocals; Spanky Davis - trumpet, vocals; Jim Galloway - soprano sax, baritone sax; - clarinet, baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet, alto sax; John Sheridan - piano; Paul Keller - bass; Jeff Hamilton - drums; Rebecca Kilgore - vocals, guitar

Being A Bear

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Rebecca Kilgore - Live at Jazz Ascona Festival 2001 & Rimini Jazz Festival 2008

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 95,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:04) 1. Exactly Like You
(4:37) 2. You Took Advantage of Me
(4:22) 3. Sugar (That Sugar Baby O'mine)
(3:52) 4. Them There Eyes
(6:10) 5. It Had to Be You
(5:21) 6. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(6:03) 7. Sugar (That Sugar Baby O'mine) #2
(6:33) 8. All of Me

As an interpreter of classic American popular songs from the 1930s and 1940s, vocalist and guitarist Rebecca Kilgore helped revive the hits of yesterday for modern-era jazz audiences. Born in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1949, she relocated to Portland, Oregon at the age of 30, beginning her music career fronting an area swing band dubbed the Wholly Cats and recording a 1982 LP titled Doggin' Around. Following the group's 1984 breakup, she formed her own unit, the Rebecca Kilgore Quintet, which quickly emerged as a mainstay of the Northwest jazz scene, and in 1989 she released the cassette-only I Hear Music. Most of Kilgore's subsequent recordings were in conjunction with other performers: in 1990 she teamed with John Miller for Put on a Happy Face, and in 1993 appeared with Portland's Tall Jazz Trio on their Plays Winter Jazz disc. However, Kilgore's most fruitful collaborations were in conjunction with pianist Dave Frishberg; after teaming for 1993's Looking at You, they reunited a year later for I Saw Stars, followed in 1997 by Not a Care in the World and again in 2001 by The Starlit Hour.

At the same time, Kilgore also fronted a '60s-style country band, Beck-a-Roo, and in 1994 contributed vocals to the score of the CBS animated special Tales from the Far Side, inspired by the popular Gary Larson comic strip. Released in 2004, For Lovers Only featured her voice in the company of noted stride pianists John Sheridan and Jeff Barnhart. The next year she issued the tribute disc The Music of Jimmy Van Heusen on Jump Records, followed by I Wish You Love on CD Baby in 2007. Her desire to focus on single composers was unabated, however, and she reinforced it with Why Fight the Feeling: Songs by Frank Loesser for Arbors a year later. Arriving in 2010, Lovefest at the Pizzarelli Party featured her voice fronting an all-star family band led by guitarists Bucky and John Pizzarelli, along with bassist Martin Pizzarelli, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, pianist Larry Fuller, drummer Tony Tedesco, and violinist Aaron Weinstein. The album became one of her most critically acclaimed. Kilgore was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and the Jazz Society of Oregon's Hall of Fame that same year. n 2011, she issued Live at Feinstein's at Loews Regency. In 2013, she was the guest of honor at the Roswell Jazz Festival in New Mexico. On her next date, 2014's I Like Men, she was backed by the Harry Allen Quartet, and followed it the next year with a collaborative album with vocalist Nicki Parrott entitled Two Songbirds of a Feather. Kilgore was honored as a Jazz Legend at the San Diego Jazz Party in 2016 and reentered the studio with pianist Bernd Lhotzky. They emerged with This & That, issued by Arbors in 2017. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rebecca-kilgore-mn0000870355/biography

Live at Jazz Ascona Festival 2001 & Rimini Jazz Festival 2008