Missing You Since May 9, 2020
I'm one of Holli's many fans and admirers. She was the life of any group she was in. Compassionate, kind and hard working. I found some great stuff on her website about her history in the music and her approach to teaching:
"Holli Ross is proud to belong to the generation that helped to legitimize vocal jazz at the college level. During her freshman year at New England Conservatory she began to have second thoughts about her major in bassoon. Since it took little time for her to be recognized by trombonist-band leader, Phil Wilson, she fit right in to the NEC jazz band as one of their vocalists and began finding work in Boston. Only classical vocal training existed at that time, so Holli approached NEC president, Gunther Schuller with her proposal to study vocal jazz while working toward a jazz degree. But change takes time and NEC could approve no such program yet. Having already received extensive bel canto training, Holli did not wish to pursue a classical voice performance degree. Holli moved back to New York to finish her bassoon degree in a city that most definitely would have the resources for a vocalist to study jazz. While at Mannes School of Music (where she completed her bassoon degree), she was accepted into an experimental jazz performance course by pianist, Jack Reilly where she was treated and did her best to behave like an instrumentalist.
“Eventually singers must stop listening to singers and listen to instrumentalists. I’ve noticed over the years that many horn players consider a compliment of the highest order to be when you call them lyrical. I strive for the compliment, ‘Man, she sounds like a horn’.” Holli bases much of her teaching approach today on those successful early years. Along with her peers (some of the finest working jazz vocalists today), Holli has helped to develop and form many of the major vocal jazz programs in the country."
Holli's most recent project was the creation of the vocal ensemble The Royal Bopsters.
Here's a great article written about her, and her recent career highlights, shortly after her passing https://njjs.org/2020/05/12/holli-wasser-ross-artist-of-vocalese/