Gail Pettis headlines the Gala for the Arts, Friday June 25

Four-time nominee and 2007 winner of Earshot Golden Ear Awards "Northwest Vocalist of the Year," Gail's rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing have been described as "deliciously soulful" by Cadence Magazine. Attendees at the Shoreline / Lake Forest Park Arts Council "Gala for the Arts" will have a chance to hear this for themselves, as she headlines the event on Friday, June 25 at the Shoreline Center.

A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Gail moved to Seattle in 1996 by way of Memphis, Tennessee. She spent her days chair-side in her orthodontics practice and her evenings with a new-found hobby of West Coast Swing dancing, having become attracted to this particular style of swing because it afforded the opportunity to respond to the music with a partner rather than only dancing through patterns. When an injury took her off the dance floor in 1996, she began looking for other creative outlets, including a jazz workshop led by Seattle saxophonist Darren Motamedy. In this class, Gail was delighted to discover within jazz there were similar opportunities to interact with the music and with fellow musicians. With Motamedy’s encouragement, she continued to pursue her new passion by participating in jam sessions and also through private study, eventually selling her orthodontic practice in 2006.

Gail’s debut CD, May I Come In?, (Origin/OA2 Records, 2007), was given a warm reception by XM Satellite Radio and Music Choice Television as well as by stations across the United States and in Germany and Portugal. This recording was nominated for Earshot’s Golden Ear award “2007 Northwest Recording of the Year”. The eagerly awaited sophomore recording, “Here in the Moment", was released in January 2010 on Origin/OA2 Records. Gail’s refreshing readings of standard songs have been embraced by listeners, placing this CD at #5 on the JazzWeek National Airplay Chart as reported for the week of March 8, 2010.

For information about the Gala for the Arts, call 206-417-4645 or email the Arts Council. 

--Kellee Bradley