Fort Worth's own Rachella Parks is a graduate of the University of North Texas. She is part of Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society and has shared the stage with the likes of James Carter, Rachelle Farrell, Charnett Moffet, Hank Crawford, Jimmy McGriff, Billy Preston, Bernard Wright, and Kim Jordan. Rachella has also toured with the Drifters. She has played in Jazz Festivals in London, Warsaw, Paris and around the U.S.Parks is an educator, a student, and an inspiration and mentor to up and coming musicians. Rachella has explored her sound from Avant-garde to Straight ahead. After years of searching, her sound is a mixture of Gospel, Jazz, and Pop. The sweet soulful sound of her tenor sax fills the room with a warmth that can only end with a smile. Currently she can be heard on Ronald Shannon Jackson's latest CD Shannon's House, where she composed "Rachella's Lament". Her big and bold sound has also found it's way as a finalist on BET's Jazz Discovery show, a jazz program that searches for new jazz artists.She is considered a local hero bringing not only world class music but also world-wide attention to jazz "Texas-style".Rich in tradition, crossing over lines that reach into blues and the urban sounds of today, Rachella Parks is breaking down barriers and old taboos in a genre of music that has been dominated by men. This makes her a pioneer in the struggle for recognition of women of jazz.Best known for her lush full-bodied sound coming from her tenor work to her uncanny sense of note selection she winds her way through her interpretations of jazz with silky smoothness.Like the great Texas tenors of the past, Rachella Parks is ready for the world!
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