Biography

Paula West has captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike from coast to coast. Her distinctive repertory includes songs by such writers as Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Jimmy Webb, and Leonard Cohen.

Born into a Marine Corps family, Ms. West grew up in San Diego and later moved to San Francisco. She has performed at such venues as Yoshi's San Francisco, Empire Plush Room, and the Rrazz Room, and she gives annual shows at the Herbst Theatre. In New York, she has performed at Feinstein's at the Regency, the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Blue Note, the Iridium, and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center. She has also been a featured soloist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Among her national engagements are performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Boston's Scullers, Jazz Aspen, and Spoleto Festival USA. She performed at the White House in a salute to American writers and has given engagements in Europe, Japan, and Israel. She has shared the bill with luminaries such as Rosemary Clooney, Jimmy Scott, Oscar Brown, Jr., Freddy Cole, Mose Allison, Mavis Staples, and Dave Frishberg. Ms. West has also worked with jazz greats Bobby Hutcherson, Bill Charlap, Mulgrew Miller, Frank Wess, Victor Lewis, Peter Washington, Regina Carter, Roy Haynes, Eric Reed, and Bruce Barth.

Her album Paula West Live at Jazz Standard with the George Mesterhazy Quartet (Hi-Horse Records) celebrates both the life of Mr. Mesterhazy and Ms. West’s strong musical partnership with the quartet. She makes her San Francisco Symphony debut at these performances.

(November 2017)