Becca Stevens

Becca Stevens (born June 14, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who draws upon elements of jazz, chamber pop, indie rock, and folk.

Early life and education

Stevens was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as the youngest of three children to William Stevens, a composer known for sacred choral music, and Carolyn Dorff, a singer trained in opera and musical theater. During her childhood she performed and toured regionally with her brother, sister, and parents in her family's children's music group, the Tune Mammals. When she was ten years old, she and her mother starred in a year-long national tour of the musical The Secret Garden. After her parents' separation she attended the Peddie School in New Jersey for 9th and 10th grades. She finished high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied classical guitar; at this time she also sang in her brother's jazz rock band, Gomachi. After high school she spent a year working with Gomachi before attending college at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where she received a degree in vocal jazz and composition.

Career

Stevens has released five albums as a leader: Tea Bye Sea (2008), Weightless (2011), Perfect Animal (2015), Regina (2017), and Wonderbloom (2020). She has worked with Jacob Collier, Laura Mvula, Billy Childs, David Crosby, Taylor Eigsti, Timo Andres, Brad Mehldau, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra, Michael McDonald, and Snarky Puppy. She was a member of the band Tillery with Gretchen Parlato and Rebecca Martin.

One track on David Crosby's Michael League-produced Lighthouse album featured Crosby, League, Stevens, and Michelle Willis (with Bill Laurance on piano) performing "By the Light of Common Day", a song written by Stevens and Crosby. The quartet became The Lighthouse Band that performed on Crosby's album Here If You Listen.

Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling listed her as one of his five favorite jazz vocalists and music critic Ted Gioia listed her albums Weightless (2011) and Perfect Animal (2015) among the one hundred best albums of the corresponding years.

Stevens's album Regina (2017) was produced by Michael League and Troy Miller and received a five-star review from Down Beat magazine, which called it "the most spectacular of albums", while BBC Radio 2 praised the album saying, "Lyrically, the album is astounding".

She has twice been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals, in 2021 for "Slow Burn" on Wonderbloom and in 2022 for "2 + 2 = 5" on Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet with her co-arranger and husband, the violist Nathan Schram.

Personal life

Stevens married Nathan Schram, the violist of the Attacca Quartet, on September 2, 2017. Stevens and Schram live in Brooklyn, New York City. Together, they have two daughters (born 2022 and 2024 respectively).

Discography

As leader

• Tea Bye Sea (self-released, 2008) – remastered version (Core Port, 2015)
• Weightless (Sunnyside, 2011)
• Perfect Animal (Core Port/Universal, 2014)
• Regina (GroundUP, 2017)
• Pallet on Your Floor with Elan Mehler (Newvelle, 2020) – recorded in 2019
• Wonderbloom (GroundUP, 2020)
• Becca Stevens & the Secret Trio (GroundUP, 2021)
• Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet (GroundUP, 2022)

Collaborations

A benefit for "Arts For Life"
With Stevens family and their musical friends in New York and North Carolina

• V.A., My Life Is Bold (Sunnyside, 2012) – compilation

The Jazz Gallery and Habitat for Humanity

• V.A., Home: Gift of Music - Japan Earthquake / Tsunami Relief (Sunnyside, 2012) – compilation, 2 tracks.

Tillery
With Gretchen Parlato and Rebecca Martin

• Tillery (Core Port, 2016)

Mirrors
With Gisela João, Justin Stanton, Louis Cato and Michael League

• Mirrors (GroundUP, 2021)

As guest

References