Xenia, Ohio, gave rise to a pair of notable jazz figures in trombonist Vic Dickenson and vocalist Joanie Pallatto. Although her deeper engagement with jazz developed later, an early foundation came from a household filled with music; her father played violin while her mother played guitar, and the family often sang together at home. At around age four she began violin lessons yet soon switched to clarinet, weary of supporting the violin. A school choir audition first drew her toward singing, where she realized both her enjoyment and her aptitude for it. While attending the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music she encountered a strong introduction to jazz through recordings of Miles Davis and Chick Corea. Seeking her own vocal approach, Pallatto absorbed the work of Betty Carter, Annie Ross, Bob Dorough, Mark Murphy, and Cleo Laine. One of her earliest professional engagements arrived in the 1970s with a tour alongside the Glenn Miller Orchestra. After relocating to Chicago in 1979 she established that city as her permanent base. Alongside her husband Bradley Parker-Sparrow she helped establish Southport Records, issued her debut album on the label in 1986, and subsequently recorded four additional albums for the imprint. Pallatto regards her voice as an instrument equivalent to any horn and “plays” it accordingly. Her capacity to blend musically with fellow performers stands out and appears to striking advantage on the 1999 album Words and Music. Beyond her own recordings and appearances at Chicago jazz clubs, she invests substantial effort in production duties for Southport, which focuses on documenting such prominent local artists as Von Freeman, Willie Pickens, and Eldee Young.
