We remember Rebecca Kilgore who passed Jan 7, 2026

In memorium of legendary vocalist Rebecca Kilgore, we repost an article from Feb. 2, 2002

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Enters JSO's Jazz Hall of Fame, Feb 2, 2002

Becky Kilgore: Songbook interpreter par excellence

By Kyle O'Brien

Rebecca Kilgore knows good melodies. Roughly 1,000 by her count. The singer is a master of the melodic, arguably the best song interpreter in the Pacific Northwest. Her affinity for the classic songs of the 1930's and 40's comes out in her warm, rich voice.

Since coming to Portland in the late 70's, Kilgore has raised the bar for vocalists. Her duo with Dave Frishberg was a match made in heaven, and the two wowed Portland audiences for seven years together.

For all these reasons and more, the Jazz Society of Oregon is proud to make Rebecca Kilgore the latest inductee into JSO's Oregon Hall of Fame.

She joins distinguished group of people - the late Leroy Vinnegar, Mel Brown, Frishberg, Nancy King, Ron Steen, and now Kilgore. She will be honored at the next year's First Jazz 2003, Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Benson Hotel.

The concert will feature the Rebecca Kilgore Sextet, along with Glen Moore, Gordon Lee, the Willamette University Student Combos and headliner Winard Harper.

Kilgore is deserving of the honor, even though in her smiling modesty she says she doesn't feel "particularly famous or important".

"I'm just a musician who songs old fashioned songs, struggling to ge gigs. If the honor extends into the realm of being a goodwill ambassador for jazz music and for Oregon, then I can feel a little more deserving." sais Kilgore from her Portland home.

Born in 1949 in Walthem, Mass., Kilgore grew up listening to her father's record collection and gaining a great appreciation for the great songs of the swing era, along with playing folk music as a teen.

She was influenced by a multitude of singers, starting with Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Anita O'Day, and continuing with everyone from June Christy and Maxine Sullivan to Doris Day (to whom Kilgore has often been compared) and Blossom Dearie.

She moved to Portland in 1979, following her sister.

Back then, she was a computer programmer and a "closet musician - shy and kind of nerdy." But she befriended Cyd Smith, the singer and guitarist in a swing group named the Wholly Cats, whose style she liked.

When Smith quit the Cats, she suggested Kilgore try out for the position, and with her guitar in hand and voice intact, Kilgore got the gig. The band recorded the album "Doggin' Around" and Kilgore became a recognized talent in town. She retained an affinity for folk and country, singing with violinist Hollis Taylor and also with a 13-piece western swing band called "Ranch Dressing".

In 1966, she recorded an album of western swing and cowboy tunes called "Cactus Setup", with fiddle player James Mason. Kilgore also had her own '60s style honkey-tonk group called "Beck-A-Roo". She played with many folks around town, from the "Woody Hite Big Band", "Tall Jazz", "Spirits of Rhythm" and many others.

But it was with Frishberg that Kilgore really shined.

The two started their musical relationship in the early '90s with a weekly gig at the Heathman Hotel. It quickly became a must-hear gig, the two working seamlessly together; Frishberg with his wonderful piano accompaniment and Kilgore's silky, honey-filed vocals working the melodies of everything from Frishberg's classic tunes to Mercer, Porter, and Ellington.

What really made it work was the attention to the song rather than musical muscle flexing. One of Kilgore's intentions as a singer is to bring the melodies to life, to accentuate the tune by being true to it. the intimacy of the duo's sound led them to the view at Atwater's, where they spent another couple of years.

They recorded several albums together, including "The Starlit Hour", recorded live at the Heathman in 1997, capturing the magic of the moment.

Kilgore also sang at the Benson Hotel with another fine pianist, Randy Porter. But she says she'd love to work with Frishberg on a regular basis, but laments that she "knows no venue in town" that would have them.

Kilgore seems like a singer from an earlier time. She has nostalgia for black and white movies and songs that were popular before she was born. But she keeps those tunes alive, even drawing up gems that one normally wouldn't hear anymore, such as "Humming to Myself" by Sammy Fain, and "I Saw Stars" by Django Reinhardt.

Her accurate phrasing and strong voice have earned her many fans, including cartoonist Gary Larson, who had Kilgore sing "I'll Be Seeing You" for his animated TV special "Tales From the Far Side".

But at home she finds fewer places in town to sing those great songs. She even states that she doesn't much feel a part of the local scene anymore. "It does seem as if there are fewer and fewer places to play, and smaller groups are hired - unless you've got a swing dance band. God bless Ron Steen for keeping the jam sessions going and instilling younger players with respect and enthusiasm for this classic art form.

For that reason, she finds herself on the road more often, playing everywhere from California to Europe. After gigs in England, Switzerland, and a cross Atlantic cruise, she now finds herself traveling to Scotland, New Zealand. Hawaii, and Florida over the next few months.

In between she tries to spend as much time at home and with husband, trumpeter Dick Titterington. "I'm pretty domestic on the one hand," she says, "and I love my home, family, friends. garden." But performing music is a great way to travel and see the world, and I've made many wonderful friends all over the globe".

She tries to incorporate many of those new friends in her new radio show, "On the Road with Rebecca Kilgore". (8-9 p.m. Wednesday nights on KMHD 89.1 FM) The show was started after she and Titterington (who edits and produces) we bemoaning the state of jazz and wanted to do something positive for the genre.

Her travels have her meting so many people that she decided to record and interview them, interspersing the interviews with selected recordings from their catalogs.

Using her encyclopedic jazz knowledge and insider's viewpoint gives her and advantage. And she already has a noted fan in "Fresh Air" host Terry Gross, who has had Kilgore on his show several times, including one with Frishberg to celebrate Richard Rodgers' 100th year.

Musicians interviewed so far include Harry Allen, Ron Miles, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Bill Frisell, and Dan Barrett. Trombonist Barrett is part of Kilgore's new trio, BED - and acronym for its members; Becky, Dan, and guitarist / banjoist / vocalist Eddie Erickson.

It was born after an engagement they played in Tulsa in 2001. The response was so great that the three vowed to work together as often as their busy schedules would permit. They've already recorded an album, "Get Ready for Bed!" which includes bassist Dave Stone. It features, not surprisingly, older popular songs, some newer popular tunes, and a bit of western swing for good measure.

Kilgore would like to bring the group to Portland, but since the other two members live in California, the lodging and logistics still need to be worked out. "It seems easier for us to get gigs in Europe", she says.

During her busy schedule, she'll try to make her radio gig a syndicated deal, a la Marian McPartland.

"I've always had a national scope in mind for the radio show. We are starting locally on KMHD, but are attempting to syndicate to other jazz stations throughout the country and later in Europe.

Ideally, I'd like the show to reach more non-jazz audiences. I think the show has human-interest appeal. I'd like non-musicians to speculate why someone might dedicate his / her life to a pursuit which has little tangible reward and is more about personal expression.

That expression includes Kilgore's ongoing travels, more gigs, and hopefully another recording with BED. And she states, "I'll wear my Hall of Fame crown all the while".