Published in the June 22, 2018 edition
MELROSE — Many music lovers in the Boston area are mourning the passing of longtime jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris. She was scheduled to perform in Melrose at Temple Beth Shalom’s “Keeping Jazz Alive” concert series on June 30. Berklee bass professor Bruce Gertz, who organized the concert, says the show will go on, but will now focus on celebrating Rebecca Parris and her contributions to jazz in Boston and beyond.
DONNA McELROY will be featured at “Keeping Jazz Alive.” (Courtesy Photo)
Donna McElroy, another frequent collaborator with Gertz and beloved in her own right as a talented vocalist, has stepped up to perform. The Grammy-nominated McElroy is a voice professor at Berklee, with performances in several genres including jazz, R&B and country. She has also appeared at Temple Beth Shalom in the past.
Regarding the passing of Rebecca, Bruce wrote on Facebook: “We Lost Rebecca Parris. That is a big heartbreaker for so many of us musicians who played and all hung out with her beautiful soul. We’ve decided to do our concert in honor of Rebecca and we’ll feature vocalist, the wonderful, Donna McElroy.”
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 30. Tickets cost $25 and are available at these fine Melrose businesses: Hourglass, Bohemian Coffeehouse and Miter Biter. Tickets will also available at the door. For more information, or to make reservations, call 781-662-5856. Beer, wine and refreshments will be available for sale at the show.
Temple Beth Shalom is located at 21 East Foster Street in Melrose. Parking is plentiful and we’re just a couple of blocks from the commuter railroad. Our building is handicapped accessible. Temple Beth Shalom is a Reform Jewish Synagogue, serving about 85 families from several North Shore communities including Melrose, Malden, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham and Wakefield.
