Nicki arrived in New York in May 1994 on an Arts Council grant from Australia to study with the internationally acclaimed bassist, Rufus Reid. Since June 2000, Nicki has played on Monday nights at the Iridium Jazz Club with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. Nicki and her sister, Lisa Parrott headlined at the prestigious Tribute to Mary Lou Williams festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in May 2002, which was broadcast on National Public Radio. She is also the resident bassist with the Kitchen House Blend which premieres and performs new music by New York composers.
Since coming to New York she has performed with such notable musicians as Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Billy Taylor, Dick Hyman, Terri Thornton, Holly Hoffman, Diva, Marlena Shaw, Monica Mancini, Patrice Rushen, Skitch Henderson, the New York Pops Orchestra, Florida Pops Orchestra, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Jr., Harry Allen, Red Holloway, Rebecca Paris, Kenny Davern, José Feliciano, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Bernard Purdie, John Tropea, David Krakauer, Howard Alden, Randy Sandke, Greg Osby, Jack Wilkins, Ken Peplowski, Johnny Frigo, Joe Wilder, Houston Person, Wycliffe Gordon, Rachel Z and Johnny Varro. Nicki has also performed in several Broadway shows such as Avenue Q, Imaginary Friends, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Summer of '42 and Jekyll and Hyde.
Nicki has performed at such major festivals in the USA as the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz in July at the 92nd Street Y, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, and the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Overseas, she has performed at the Berlin Jazz Festival, the Cully Lavaux and the Ascona and Berne Jazz Festivals in Switzerland, the Edinburgh and Grimsby Jazz Festivals in the UK, the Krakow Music Festival in Poland, the Ottawa Jazz Festival in Canada, and various Australian festivals.
Background
Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki started her musical training with the piano at the age of four, and soon after took up the flute as well. She continued to play flute and piano throughout her school years, but switched to double bass at the age of 15 because her sister Lisa, who plays alto sax, wanted a bassist for her group. After completing high school, Nicki moved to Sydney to study jazz at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music and shortly after began to play with well-known Australian musicians such as Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, and Ten Part Invention. She also toured Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer and American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley.
Nicki studied with various bassists in Australia, and when visiting bassists such as Ray Brown and John Clayton were in town, Nicki would take a lesson with them. She is also the recipient of two awards, the first being a scholarship to Pan Pacific Music Camps at the age of 16, and first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society’s Annual Song Competition for her composition "Come and Get It", which is the opening track of Nicki and Lisa’s debut CD. She was also nominated for the annual Australian Young Achievers Award by the Arts Council of Australia who granted her the funds to head to New York to study with Rufus Reid.
www.nickiparrott.com
I Wish You Love
Nicki Parrott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never lovers ever friends.
Goodbye, let our hearts call it a day, but before you walk away,
I sincerely want to say.
I wish you bluebirds in the spring, to give your heart a song to sing,
And then a kiss, but more than this, I wish you love.
And if you like a lemonade to cool you in some lazy glade,
My breaking heart and I agree that you and I could never be,
So in my best, my very best, I set you free.
I wish you shelter from the storm, a cozy fire to keep you warm,
But most of all, when snowflakes fall, I wish you love.
I wish you shelter from the storm, a cozy fire to keep you warm,
Most of all, when snowflakes fall, I wish you love.
All kinds of love, a whole gang of love.
The lyrics of Nicki Parrott's song "I Wish You Love" depict a farewell of two people who were once intimate and connected but now have to part. The first verse shows the acknowledgment of the end of their story and how they cannot be lovers or even friends anymore. Though they are parting, the singer still wants to express her goodwill towards the other person. In the second verse, the singer wishes the other person bluebirds and a kiss, signifying the hope for new beginnings and the presence of joy and affection in their life. She wants them to have lemonade, a symbol of refreshment and revitalization, and wishes them health and love that goes beyond any materialistic possession. The third verse reflects the sadness of the singer and how they both agree that their hearts are not meant to be. Thus in her best interest, she sets the other person free. The singer then wishes shelter from the storm, a symbol of protection, and a cozy fire to keep them warm, implying their need for security and comfort. However, above everything, she wishes them all kinds of love and a whole gang of love, implying the importance of love in one's life that transcends all barriers and brings happiness to one's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, no use leading with our chins, this is where the story ends,
We should not sugarcoat this goodbye, it is the end of our story.
Never lovers ever friends.
We cannot even be friends, let alone lovers.
Goodbye, let our hearts call it a day, but before you walk away,
Before you leave for good, let us end things with our hearts at peace.
I sincerely want to say.
I have something genuine to express.
I wish you bluebirds in the spring, to give your heart a song to sing,
May you find joy and happiness in the beauty of nature and sing your heart out.
And then a kiss, but more than this, I wish you love.
A kiss is not enough, I wish you love in all its forms.
And if you like a lemonade to cool you in some lazy glade,
If you enjoy the simple pleasures of life like a refreshing lemonade in a peaceful spot,
I wish you health, and more than wealth, I wish you love.
May you have good health and an abundance of love, which is more valuable than any material riches.
My breaking heart and I agree that you and I could never be,
My heart is shattered, and I accept that we could never have a future together.
So in my best, my very best, I set you free.
I want the best for you and am letting go of any claims or expectations to set you free.
I wish you shelter from the storm, a cozy fire to keep you warm,
May you have a place to seek refuge during hard times, and warmth and comfort in the midst of it.
But most of all, when snowflakes fall, I wish you love.
Above all, when life is cold and hard, may you have love to help you through.
I wish you shelter from the storm, a cozy fire to keep you warm,
May you have a place to seek refuge during hard times, and warmth and comfort in the midst of it.
Most of all, when snowflakes fall, I wish you love.
Above all, when life is cold and hard, may you have love to help you through.
All kinds of love, a whole gang of love.
May you experience all variations and expressions of love in abundance.
Contributed by Ethan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anonymous
on Walk On By
Walk On By - Nicki Parrott - Lyrics
If you see me walkin' down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by
Walk on by
Make believe that you don't see the tears
Just let me grieve in private 'cause each time I see you
I break down and cry
Walk on by
Just walk on by
Walk on by
I just can't get over losin' you
And so if I seem, broken and blue
Walk on by
Walk on by
Foolish pride, that's all that I have left
So let me hide the tears and the sadness you gave me
When you said goodbye
So walk on by
Walk on by
Just walk on by
Musical Interlude
Foolish pride, that's all that I have left
So let me hide the tears and the sadness you gave me
When you said goodbye
So walk on by
Walk on by
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by
Baby, leave, you'll never see the tears I cry
Walk on by
Anonymous
on Blue Christmas
I'm Glad There Is You - Nicki Parrott - Lyrics
Said I many times, love is an illusion,
A feeling, result of confusion.
With knowing smile and blaise sigh,
A cynical so-and-so was I!
I feel so secure, so positive,
So utterly unchangingly certain,
That I never was aware of loving you
Till suddenly I realized there was love and you,
And all;
In this world of ordinary people,
Extraordinary people,
I'm glad there is you.
In this world of overrated pleasures,
And underrated treasures,
I'm so glad there is you.
I live to love,
I love to live
With you beside me.
This road so new
I'll muddle through
With you to guide me.
In this world where many many play at love,
And hardly any stay in love,
I'm glad there is you.
More than ever,
I'm glad there is you.
Musical Interlude
In this world where many many play at love,
And hardly any stay in love,
I'm glad there is you.
More than ever,
I'm glad there is you.
Anonymous
on I Love Paris
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Nicki Parrott - Lyrics
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
When your true lover comes your way
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
The poets say
The story goes that once a cherry tree
Beside an apple tree did grow
And there a boy once met his
Bride to be
Long, long ago
The boy looked into her eyes
What a sight to enthroll
The breezes joined in their sighs
The blossoms started to fall
And as they gently caressed
The lovers looked up to find
The branches of the two trees
Were intertwined
And that is why the poets always write
If there's a new moon bright above
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
When you're in love
Musical Interlude
The boy looked into her eyes
It was a sight to enthroll
The breezes joined in their sighs
The blossoms started to fall
And as they gently caressed
The lovers looked up to find
The branches of the two trees
Were intertwined
And that is why the poets always write
If there's a new moon bright above
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
When you're in love