"Pam is so musical, so versatile, so stylish that I always feel rewarded and confident hearing her sing my songs"
- Dave Frishberg
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Pam began her professional career in Massachussetts as a solo singer- songwriter- guitarist and became known throughout New England as leader of the progressive rock group, "The Bricker Band." Since moving to Northern Virginia in 1981, she performed with many Washington area jazz greats, including the late Charlie Byrd and Emily Remler, and Buck Hill, at venues such as Blues Alley, the King of France Tavern, and The One Step Down.
As one-fourth of the jazz vocal group, Mad Romance, Pam appeared at the Blue Note in New York City, the Barns at Wolftrap, the Smithsonian and on the Main Stage at the 1989 Monterey Jazz Festival. Their self-titled LP, Mad Romance, won critical acclaim and delighted listeners all across the country. In the late '80s/early '90s, Pam performed weekly at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington, co-leading a jazz quartet with Mad Romance arranger Rick Harris. Their numerous concert appearances included the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts, the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, and Constitution Hall (as featured vocalists with drummer Louis Bellson). In July 1993 Rick and Pam appeared at the JVC North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands. They also released two duo CDs, "All the Things You Are" and "Echoes of Mad Romance." Pam was a fifteen-time Wammie (Washington Area Music Association's annual award) nominee. She won the Best Contemporary Jazz Vocalist Wammie in 1999, 2000, 2001. In 2001, Pam's album "U-Topia" also won for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year. Pam also shares the 1993 award with Rick Harris for Best Duo or Group in the Contemporary Jazz category. In 1996, Pam released "Lookin' Good," a tribute to jazz great Dave Frishberg, with Dave himself on piano and vocals. In 2000, "U-Topia," with Wayne Wilentz and Jim West, was released. The CD was an attempt at capturing the vibe of the trio's long-standing run at the U Street "art bar" U-topia. Pam was also one of the vocalists with the internationally acclaimed lounge/electronica band Thievery Corporation. . She appeared on their recordings, The Mirror Conspiracy, and "Richest Man and Babylon," among others, and frequently toured with the group. Their popular track, "Lebanese Blonde," featuring Pam on vocals, was part of the Grammy award-winning soundtrack to the film "Garden State." Tragically, Pam Bricker's life and career were cut short when she died in February of 2005. She never received the level of recognition her talent deserved, and far too few people got the chance to experience her live. Luckily, her legacy as an artist will live on, in her recordings, in the work of her many vocal students, and in the memories of all whom she touched.
For a list of available CDs, see the
Catalog page.
Promo pics of Pam: Low-Res:
Utopian Promo Pic (color, JPG) (1MB)
Lookin' Good Promo (B&W, JPG) (1.1MB) Hi-Res:
Hi-Res TIF image (color) (13MB)
Hi-Res TIF image (B&W) (3.9MB)
Utopia Promo JPG (B&W) (7.2MB)
Utopia Cover TIF (color) (5MB)
(NOTE: These are LARGE hi-res images. You probably don't want to attempt downloading them without a high-speed connection.)
Posthumous Articles
