Litchfield Jazz Festival

Photo by Julie Mardin

Nicki Parrott

Bass

Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki Parott took up the bass at 15 because her sister needed a bassist for her group. She went on to study jazz at Sydney’s New South Wales Conservatorium of Music where she began playing professionally. When visiting bassists like Ray Brown or John Clayton came to town, Nicki took lessons with them. A nomination for the Australian Young Achievers Award granted her funds to come to New York and study with Rufus Reid in 1994.

Since arriving on the New York scene, Nicki has performed with such notables as Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Billy Taylor, Dick Hyman, Terri Thornton, Skitch Henderson, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Jr., Harry Allen, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Howard Alden, Ken Peplowski, and many others. For the past nine years until his death this August, Nicki played the Iridium Jazz Club every Monday night with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. She can still be heard there Mondays with the Les Paul Trio, on bass and voice. She is resident bassist with the Kitchen House Blend which premieres new music by New York composers and has also performed in Broadway shows, including Avenue Q, Imaginary Friends, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Summer of ’42 and Jekyll and Hyde.

Nicki has played major festivals worldwide. These include the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz in July at the 92nd Street Y, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Berlin Jazz Festival. Nicki is featured on Grammy-winning producer Arif Mardin’s final album, All My Friends Are Here, crooning the sultry film-noir song "No Way Out." She returns to join the Litchfield Jazz Camp faculty for the second time in 2010.