Marin Jazz is proud to present An Evening With Paula West: A Birthday Celebration on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 7 pm at the Marin Center Showcase Theater in San Rafael. She will be performing with a trio of all-star musicians: Adam Shulman, piano; Doug Miller, bass; and Deszon Claiborne, drums. This will be a celebratory evening featuring renowned jazz/cabaret singer West offering up a blend of classic jazz standards and beloved songs from such icons as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Glen Campbell, Rodgers and Hart, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and more.
West is known for her rich, smooth, contralto sound and knowing her way with lyrics. The genius is in the way she interprets the songs as she continually surprises you. Rarely does an artist possess such a creative range.
“I have never once stopped listening
to it, never taken it from frequent
rotation. The world has changed;
this Paula West album hasn’t.”
(Nathan Heller, The New Yorker)
A spellbinding performer, the West Coast singer and song interpreter has appeared at clubs and cabaret theaters from New York to San Francisco including locally at SFJAZZ, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Feinstein’s at the Nikko, and the legendary Plush Room, where it all began so many years ago.
Meet Paula West
West stepped onto the dimly lit stage, the smoky haze of the club swirling around her like a ghostly embrace. The audience at the intimate jazz lounge in San Francisco quieted as the pianist played the first few notes of “Lush Life.” Dressed in an elegant black gown, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and then let her voice spill into the room like warm honey.
For years, she had been enchanting audiences with her deeply expressive interpretations of jazz standards and Great American Songbook classics. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she was not just a singer; she was a storyteller. Every lyric she sang carried weight; every note was imbued with a lifetime of feeling. She had come a long way from her childhood in San Diego, where she first discovered jazz through her parents’ record collection. Billie Holiday, Johnny Hartman, and Dinah Washington were her earliest guides, their voices etching an emotional map that she would follow for decades.
Though she had no formal musical training, West’s natural talent and determination propelled her forward. After moving to San Francisco in the early 1980s, she began performing at small venues, earning a reputation for her nuanced delivery and impeccable phrasing. Her breakthrough came in the 1990s when she started a long-running residency at the Plush Room, a revered cabaret venue. There, she refined her artistry, crafting a repertoire that blended jazz standards with unexpected gems—Bob Dylan songs, folk ballads, and even blues-infused numbers.
West’s distinct approach set her apart. While other jazz singers focused on vocal acrobatics, she leaned into the emotional depth of a song, sometimes stripping an arrangement down to its bare essence. She believed in the power of restraint, in letting silence speak as much as sound. Her voice carried the weight of experience, a sound both sophisticated and deeply human.
One of the highlights of her career came when she was invited to perform at New York’s Lincoln Center and the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room, a dream for any cabaret artist. Critics lauded her for her fearless interpretations and ability to make every song feel personal. “Paula West doesn’t just sing a song,” one reviewer wrote. “She breathes new life into it.”
On a particular night in San Francisco, as she reached the final lines of “Lush Life,” the audience sat in rapt silence. When the last note faded, there was a moment of stillness, followed by thunderous applause. West smiled softly, her eyes shining with quiet gratitude. She knew she had done what she always set out to do—transport her listeners, if only for a moment, to another world.
Marin Jazz Presents a Paula West Birthday Celebration
Friday, April 4, 2025
Doors open at 6 pm.
Full bar and plenty of ample free parking at the Marin Center Showcase Theater in San Rafael, 20 Avenue of the Flags. Tickets at www.marinjazz.com
Arts & Entertainment
Published on March 27, 2025
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