Lil Phillips, Jazz Vocalist

About

Lillian “Lil” Phillips, Jazz Vocalist, Bandleader, Producer
MUSIC STYLES: Jazz (Traditional-Big Band-Bebop-Swing) • Blues • Contemporary • Gospel
VENUES: Nightclubs, Cafes, Restaurants • Concerts • TV • Festivals • Pvt. Parties

“...a wonderful vocalist - the best!” Benny Powell (Trombonist/Bandleader)

“...Lil is blessed with a buttery voice, rich in tone and self-assured. She shares a sheer knowingness of life experience with her listeners” Willard Jenkins (Jazz Journalist/Producer/Educator)

“…She conjures up, at times, the grace & power of a Dinah Washington, the tenderness of a Shirley Horn, with the virtuosity of a Sarah Vaughan….” Larry Willis (Pianist/Composer/Arranger/Producer)

“…In her Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald Lil Phillips rose to the challenge of reproducing Ella Fitzgerald’s vocal range spanning three octaves, her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, "horn-like" improvisational ability, and scat singing. Lil’s performance was more than a copy, rather her beautifully expressive and fluid voice invoked the essence of Ella’s style in a choice selection of Lady Ella’s signature songs” Ahmed Abdullah (Musical Director, Sistas’ Place)

Lil Phillips, a Jazz Vocalist, Producer, and Bandleader, grew up in Harlem in a family of fun-loving Islanders transplanted from the Bahamas to urban Miami and New York City. A former violin/viola student at the prestigious High School of Music and Art, after graduation Lil earned a Bachelor’s (English Lit/Education) and Master’s Degree (Higher Ed Administration) from the City University of New York and became Associate Administrator for the CUNY Board of Trustees.

Lil and her trio have worked professionally in the New York metropolitan area and abroad for more than 18 years, and received enthusiastic responses from all types of audiences. Performances include outstanding original materials, as well as jazz and pop standards. She is also the featured vocalist with jazz ensembles, and several big bands (Most recently, the Tokyo/New York Big Band and Ensemble). In addition to the refreshingly original songs written by Jim Phillips, Lil is noted for her polished delivery of a wide range of vocal jazz styles. In her debut CD “Pull Out Those Dreams”, Lil sings brilliant music and lyrics by Jim Phillips. “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” (Release Pending), recorded after the death of her husband, is a collection of jazz standards selected to emphasize Lil’s undaunted zest for life and creative expression. Lil was Honoree at the 2013 International Women in Jazz Festival.

In addition to jazz, Lil has performed inspirational, sacred, and gospel music as a soloist at churches, concert halls, educational institutions and festivals. As a featured gospel singer, she completed four tours of more than twenty cities in Italy including Rome, Messina, the Umbria region, the islands of Sardinia and Sicily with US and performed at Palermo’s 12th American Black Festival, in theaters and RAI TV in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Formerly guest soloist with the ARC Gospel Ensemble, she is presently a member of the Mother Zion’s Voices of Victory Gospel Choir. Lil is Director of the Mother Zion Jazz Society, established in 2008 with a mission to enrich the community of Harlem and encourage the use of jazz in diverse artistic expressions, and Producer of the Jazz Society series: Jazz Vespers in Harlem which has featured Jazz masters as well as up-and-coming artists from myriad of genres.

Most recently, Lil Phillips has distinguished herself by her outstanding performances as Dinah Washington, in Roz Nixon’s “S.S Nirvana: Jazz on the High Seas” and in short version of Robert Frey’s play “An Evening with Dinah Washington”.

Contact Info:
Tel. 718-293-0341
Cell: 646-406-9877
Email: Lilltone@aol.com
Website: www.Lilphillips.com