Becca Stevens (born June 14, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who draws upon elements of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

chamber pop Chamber pop (also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of strings, horns, piano, and vocal harmonies, and other components drawn from t ...

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

, and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

Early life and education

Stevens was born in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

, the youngest of three children of William Stevens, a composer of religious choral music, and Carolyn Dorff, a singer. As a child Stevens performed and toured in her family's children's music group, the Tune Mammals. When she was ten years old she and her mother starred in a year-long national tour of the musical ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...

''. After her parents' separation she attended the

Peddie School The Peddie School is a non-denominational, coeducational college preparatory school located on a campus in Hightstown, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA that serves boarding and day students in the ninth through twelfth grades, as well as po ...

in New Jersey for 9th and 10th grades. She finished high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied

classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...

; at this time she also sang in her brother's jazz rock band, Gomachi. After high school she spent a year with Gomachi before attending college at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where she received a degree in

vocal jazz Vocal jazz or jazz singing is a genre within jazz music where the voice is used as an instrument. Vocal jazz began in the early twentieth century. Jazz music has its roots in blues and ragtime and can also traced back to the Dixieland jazz, New Or ...

and composition.

Career

Stevens has released five albums as a leader: ''Tea Bye Sea'' (2008), ''Weightless'' (2011), ''Perfect Animal'' (2015), ''Regina'' (2017), and ''Wonderbloom'' (2020). She has worked with

Jacob Collier Jacob Collier (born 2 August 1994) is a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator. His music incorporates a combination of jazz and elements from other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reharmo ...

Laura Mvula Laura Mvula ( Douglas; born 23 April 1986) is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula gained experience as a member or leader of a cappella, jazz/ neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. In 2012, sh ...

Billy Childs William Edward Childs (born March 8, 1957) is an American composer, jazz pianist, arranger and conductor from Los Angeles, California, United States. Early life When he was 16, Childs attended the Community School of the Performing Arts sponsored ...

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...

, Taylor Eigsti, Timo Andres,

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, touring and recording while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's quar ...

, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra, Michael McDonald, and

Snarky Puppy Snarky Puppy is an American jazz fusion band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, Snarky Puppy combines a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk and has won five Grammy Awards. Although the band has worked with vocalis ...

. She was a member of the band Tillery with Gretchen Parlato and Rebecca Martin. One track on

's Michael League-produced ''Lighthouse'' album featured Crosby, League, Stevens, and

Michelle Willis Michelle Willis (born November 6, 1986) is a British-born, Canadian-raised singer/songwriter and keyboard player. She performs regularly as a solo artist and as a side musician with David Crosby and Becca Stevens. She has also worked with The Stoo ...

(with Bill Laurance on piano) performing "By the Light of Common Day", a song written by Stevens and Crosby. The quartet became The Lighthouse Band that performed on Crosby's album '' Here If You Listen''. Jazz vocalist

Kurt Elling Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in cho ...

listed her as one of his five favorite jazz vocalists and music critic

Ted Gioia Ted Gioia (born October 21, 1957) is an American jazz critic and music historian. He is author of 12 books, including ''Music: A Subversive History'', '' The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire'', ''The History of Jazz'' and ''Delta Blues'' ...

listed her albums ''Weightless'' (2011) and ''Perfect Animal'' (2015) among the one hundred best albums of the corresponding years. Stevens's album ''Regina'' (2017) was produced by

Michael League Michael League (born April 24, 1984) is an Americans, American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the bandleader of instrumental band Snarky Puppy and the international music ensemble Bokanté. He also founded the band Forq wi ...

and Troy Miller and received a five-star review from ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' magazine, which called it "the most spectacular of albums", while

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

praised the album saying, "Lyrically, the album is astounding". She has twice been nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as t ...

, in 2021 for "Slow Burn" on ''Wonderbloom'' and in 2022 for "2 + 2 = 5" on ''Becca Stevens , Attacca Quartet'' with her co-arranger and husband, the violist Nathan Schram.

Personal life

Stevens married Nathan Schram, the violist of the Attacca Quartet, in 2017. Stevens and Schram live in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City. They have two daughters.

Discography

As leader

* ''Tea Bye Sea'' (self-released, 2008) – remastered version (Core Port, 2015) * ''Weightless'' ( Sunnyside, 2011) * ''Perfect Animal'' (Core Port/

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

, 2014) * ''Regina'' (GroundUP, 2017) * ''Pallet on Your Floor'' with Elan Mehler (Newvelle, 2020) – recorded in 2019 * ''Wonderbloom'' (GroundUP, 2020) * ''Becca Stevens & the Secret Trio'' (GroundUP, 2021) * ''Becca Stevens , Attacca Quartet'' (GroundUP, 2022) *''Maple to Paper'' (GroundUP, 2024)

Collaborations

A benefit for "Arts For Life"
With Stevens family and their musical friends in New York and North Carolina * V.A., ''My Life Is Bold'' (Sunnyside, 2012) – compilation The Jazz Gallery and

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...

* V.A., ''Home: Gift of Music - Japan Earthquake / Tsunami Relief'' (Sunnyside, 2012) – compilation, 2 tracks. Tillery
With Gretchen Parlato and Rebecca Martin * ''Tillery'' (Core Port, 2016) Mirrors
With Gisela João, Justin Stanton,

Louis Cato Louis Cato (born May 3, 1985) is the bandleader of the Late Show Band, the house band for ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''. Cato is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who plays bass, guitar, percussion, Brass instru ...

and

* ''Mirrors'' (GroundUP, 2021)

As guest

With

* '' Djesse Vol. 2'' ( Hajanga, 2019) * '' Djesse Vol. 3'' (Hajanga, 2020) With

* ''Lighthouse'' ( Groove Masters, 2016) * '' Sky Trails'' ( BMG, 2017) * '' Here If You Listen'' (BMG, 2018) * ''

For Free "For Free" is a song by American disc jockey DJ Khaled, featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 3, 2016 by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records as the lead single from DJ Khaled's ninth studio album, ''Major Key''. The song ...

'' (BMG, 2021) – 1 track With Taylor Eigsti * ''Daylight at Midnight'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 2010) * ''Tree Falls'' (GSI, 2021) * ''Plot Armor'' (GroundUP, 2024) With

* 2017–18: '' Finding Gabriel'' (Nonesuch, 2019) * 2020–21: ''

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder () is a ladder or staircase leading to Heaven that was featured in a dream the Biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of the dream has been de ...

'' (Nonesuch, 2022) With others * Ambrose Akinmusire, '' The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 2014) – recorded in 2013 *

Susana Baca Susana Esther Baca de la Colina (; born 24 May 1944) is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter, school teacher, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and three-time Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian ...

, ''Palabras Urgentes'' (Real World, 2021) * Steve Bailey, ''Carolina'' (Treehouse, 2020) *

, ''Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro'' ( Sony Masterworks, 2014) * Peter Eldridge, ''Disappearing Day'' (Sunnyside, 2016) * Guilhem Flouzat, ''Portraits'' (Sunnyside, 2015) – recorded in 2014 * Steve Haines and The Third Floor Orchestra, ''Steve Haines And The Third Floor Orchestra'' (Justin Time, 2019) – recorded in 2018 *

José James José James (born January 20, 1978) is an American composer, baritone singer, guitar player and vocalist who combines contemporary jazz and hip hop. Biography José James, of Irish and Panamanian descent, attended The New School for Jazz and C ...

, ''While You Were Sleeping'' (Blue Note, 2014) * Antonio Lizana, ''Una Realidad Diferente'' (Warner Music Spain, 2020) * Kate McGarry + Keith Ganz Ensemble, ''What To Wear In The Dark'' (Resilience Music Alliance, 2021) * New West Guitar Group, ''Send One Your Love'' (

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

, 2015) * Aya Nishina, ''Flora'' (

Tzadik Tzadik ( ''ṣaddīq'' , "righteous ne; also ''zadik'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadīqīm'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ...

, 2013) * Jeremy Pelt, ''Shock Value: Live at Smoke'' ( Maxjazz, 2007) – live * Laura Perrudin, ''Perspectives & Avatars'' (Volatine, 2021) * The Sachal Ensemble, ''Song of Lahore'' (Universal Classics, 2016) – companion album to the film '' Song of Lahore'' (2015) * Sam Sadigursky, ''Words Project II'' (

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...

, 2008) * Sirintip, ''Tribus'' ( GroundUP Music, 2018) *

, ''

Family Dinner – Volume 2 ''Family Dinner – Volume 2'' is an album by American jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy that was released on February 12, 2016. Track listing All songs arranged by Michael League. Bonus DVD and digital download tracks Personnel * Michael Leag ...

'' (GroundUP, 2016) – recorded in 2015 *

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...

, '' Radio Music Society'' ( Heads Up, 2012) * Dayna Stephens, ''I'll Take My Chances'' ( Criss Cross, 2013) * Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra, ''Enjoy!'' (Koch, 2008) * Chris Tordini, ''Midnight Sun'' (Newvelle, 2017) – recorded in 2016

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Becca American women jazz singers American jazz singers Guitarists from North Carolina Musicians from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Peddie School alumni University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni The New School alumni Living people 1984 births Jazz musicians from North Carolina 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists GroundUPmusic artists Travis Sullivan's Björkestra members Sunnyside Records artists Jazz musicians from New York (state)