JazzHouston | Member Profile

Lin McPhillips

Instrument(s)	Vocalist
Email	linmcphillips@suddenlink.net
Website	http://www.linmcphillips.com/

Background

Lin McPhillips was born in San Luis Obispo California and grew up in the Monterey/Carmel area and hails it as home. Her mother was a singer/entertainer and her first real music teacher. During WWII Lin’s mom was voted “Sweetheart of Ft Ord” by all the GIs. She received a citation of merit from the Secretary of War. There were USO shows, hospital shows, bond tours, and shows performed from the backs of trucks out on bivouac. In general, entertainment for the war effort was the call of the times. Lin’s mom further claims, “Everyone served. The best of Hollywood and radio media were my colleagues. There were radio and film actors, singers, dancers, professional radio announcers, comedians, and technical crews, all in Special Services and the USO. They were all available to me. And teach me they did!”

Lin was singing at age two and hearing harmony at 5. Her career began with numerous appearances on her mother’s radio show, (“Ballads by Billie”) on KDON in Monterey. Lin did many USO shows as a child and always performed with ease in front of large audiences. Along with her singing ability, Lin also studied classical ballet for ten years. A natural!

Then Lin landed her first jazz gig at age 18. It was a dingy little nightclub with fishnet and seashells hanging on the walls. There was an annoying eternal hum through the PA system. They paid her $5 dollars a night. “I learned a lot from a wonderful piano player who was amazed at my repertoire. He taught me how to find keys for songs and recommended new ones.” Lin learned how to handle an audience, work with a mic and occasionally an inebriant customer. But she was singing the music she was born to perform. Only now, she was getting help from the musical community, and paid too!

She entered a Nelson Riddle Song Contest in college and won. She represented the college at the state level. Interviews on the Dave McElhatton Show, KCBS in San Francisco, gave her confidence and acceptance by the professional world she craved to be a part of. She didn’t win, but she was well on her way charting a music path for herself.

“As a kid, I loved singing in the church choir at the Catholic mass. I discovered the beauty of Gregorian Chants and learned to read music with more proficiency.” It was her dad who introduced her to jazz. “At age 12, I remember knowing all the musicians and singers in the Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw bands. Music was always ringing out in our home. My introduction to west coast jazz came from my uncle. He was a Stan Kenton buff, and that led me to Anita O’Day, June Christy, Ann Richards, Chris Connor, Four Freshman, Hi-Lo’s, Ella, Mel, “Jazz at the Phil” and Howard Rumsey’s west coast jazz. “I was working in that little dive in Monterey, when a wonderful bass player wandered in and sat in with our trio. One year later I married that bass player, and together we charted a life of music. We settled down in the San Francisco bay area. Mickey worked at the hungry ‘i’ and I worked clubs, concerts, radio voice over, jingles, commercials, conducted a few vocal clinics, some TV/Radio work, while also managing the rearing of two children. I always enjoyed the recording studio environment, still do.”

In the 70’s I joined a group called Solar Plexus. I began experimenting with vocal electronics and soloing as a horn. The compositions were in odd and mixed meter. It was very challenging. I found great expression with this newfound freedom. My voice became a voice with many colors. We recorded three LPs under the “Inner City” label, out of New York City.

“My work was acknowledged by the likes of Don Heckman (High Fidelity), Herb Wong (KJAZ Radio FM), Phil Elwood (San Francisco Examiner), Leigh Wiemers (San Jose Mercury News), Al Evers (BAM Magazine), James Murray (San Jose Mercury News), and John Wasserman (San Francisco Chronicle). Accolades came in from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, The Sacramento Bee, the Monterey Herald, The LA Times, Santa Cruz Independent, San Mateo Times, Radio Review, Billboard, Cash Box, and Downbeat. Billboard cited my composition “Seascape” as a preferred cut. Cashbox singled it out as well. I appeared in countless nightclubs, jazz festivals, and university concerts all over the bay area.

“I studied at Samantha Parris’s “Voice Trax” San Francisco-Sausalito for eighteen months. I found the art of acting in a one minute voice over commercial much like acting a three act play on the head of a pin. Very challenging! It left me with huge respect and admiration for the acting profession. The skills one learns along the way are invaluable.”

Lin left the music business. A long hiatus ensued with no artistic expression for Lin as an outlet. She turned to teaching vocal jazz at the prompting of her brother. She started a vocal jazz group and that lasted for a year. She found that although it was challenging enough, it really wasn’t what she wanted to do. So she disbanded the vocal group and continued teaching privately from her home.

“While I was teaching, I found my voice becoming stronger. One must be able to demonstrate the vocal exercises you are asking your students to articulate. Alas, it was my students that got me back on track. They kept a constant stream of persuasions going. I began to woodshed. That went on for a year. After I felt the voice was ready, I launched a few E-Mails, made some phone calls and before I knew it, I was back in the San Francisco bay area recording and producing a new cd.”

After 17 years of no singing, I dove right in. This time I had direction and lots of support from my music friends who continued to believe in me after such a long and arduous sojourn.” “The rest of this story is yet to be told. But I’m back and loving it all the more. And it really is lovelier the second time around!”

- Lin McPhillips

Get Lin's latest CD -
MY SHINING HOUR