British singer-songwriter and composer Rebecca Poole’s story is one of a musical journey that began as a child on a farm in Oxfordshire, England.  The family lived in a house on an estate owned by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond.  Their simple farm home was always filled with music, two of her brothers became professional musicians, her mother sang a bit and she also had an aunt and uncle who played gypsy jazz professionally.  

Choosing initially to take a different tack, Rebecca became an avid writer of poetry and loved the creative arts and painting which she studied in college.  Though she never formally studied music, she eventually became interested in singing after hearing a recording of Nina Simone and also listening to other great jazz vocalists.  Friends encouraged her to sing with a contemporary/pop band that playing gigs during après ski in Zermatt, Switzerland, where in the evenings she also sang at a jazz club she discovered in the town. 

But despite all that jazz influence, Rebecca’s path led her to the commercial realm. Changing her name professionally to Purdy, she  recorded two widely acclaimed albums and garnered a large following. Her instincts, however, were telling her to return to her jazz roots. So for now, she’s set the Purdy moniker aside, and returned to using her birth name, Rebecca Poole.  Her new album called “Dreamers Ball” is the main focus of my conversation about Rebecca’s fascinating musical journey.