Release Date: July 31, 2026
A partnership in life and sound: Michelle Lordi and Matthew Parrish release “Live at Dirty Dog“, out now on all streaming platforms!
Acclaimed jazz vocalist Michelle Lordi and veteran bassist/producer Matthew Parrish are proud to announce Live At Dirty Dog — their debut album as co-leaders and their first release as a couple. Captured live at the storied Dirty Dog Jazz Café in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, the album is a swinging, intimate document of a partnership forged not only through music, but through a deeply shared life — on the bandstand, in the studio, and at home.
Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “an emotionally insightful performer with an arrestingly beautiful sound,” Lordi has established herself as a singular voice in modern jazz. DownBeat praised her “flawless and weighty sound,” while All About Jazz hails her as “one of the finest singers on the circuit today.” Japan’s JazzLife has called her work “fresh,” and her original music “powerful.”
As for Parrish, Live At Dirty Dog marks his long-awaited return to bandleading. In 2001, he released his debut album Circles to high acclaim. All About Jazz called it “an important addition to the acoustic contemporary canon,” while AllMusic described it as “without a doubt one of the strongest debuts of 2001.” Parrish has remained in demand ever since, recording and touring with jazz masters such as Al Grey, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Regina Carter, Freddy Cole, Houston Person, Wynton Marsalis, Orrin Evans, Marion McPartland, and many others.
Though Parrish produced and performed on Lordi’s three most recent albums — Dream a Little Dream (2017), Break Up With The Sound (2021), and Two Moons (2023) — Live At Dirty Dog marks the first time they step forward equally as co-leaders.
“It is thrilling to make music and a life with Matthew. Living together, raising children together, touring together, teaching together — you can feel this shared rhythm in the music we create,” says Lordi. “Wherever we play and whomever we play with, we carry our sound and connection with us,” say Lordi and Parrish, who both serve as faculty members and jazz ensemble directors at Princeton University. “Our journey began as colleagues, but it quickly became clear we shared a rare musical connection,” says Parrish. “From the start, I was captivated by the beauty of Michelle’s voice and her deep melodic gift.”
At its core, the album showcases the duo’s deep bond and stripped-down aesthetic, centred around the intimate interplay of voice and bass. And they’re no strangers to Detroit. The Motor City area was the site of Lordi’s first tour, and it’s where she met and befriended the late Gretchen Valade, Detroit’s beloved “Angel of Jazz,” which led to Lordi’s future appearances at her club, Dirty Dog.
“I met Ms. Valade in a café on my way to perform at Cliff Bell’s. That’s how it started,” Lordi recalls. “From 2019 on, I had the pleasure of performing for her every time I came through. She always sat in her special place at the end of the bar — we had many good conversations about life and music. She encouraged me to keep going and suggested some great tunes for us.”
On Live At Dirty Dog, Lordi and Parrish are joined by guitarist Randy Napoleon and pianist Xavier Davis — both acclaimed artists with strong Detroit ties. Napoleon, a longtime member of Freddy Cole’s quartet and a masterful accompanist, brings melodic clarity and warmth to the set. Davis, known for his work with the Clayton Brothers, Betty Carter, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, adds harmonic depth and rhythmic drive. Together, they deliver a heartfelt, vividly arranged set that spans the American Songbook and beyond, paying tribute to Detroit’s rich musical legacy — and to the trusted collaborators who help realise their vision.
The album opens with Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Chega de Saudade” (“No More Blues”), set to a heady afoxé rhythm inspired by Parrish’s travels through Brazil, where he studied with percussionists in Manaus and spent time touring and producing Brazilian artists. The tune explores wanderlust and the desire for rootedness. “I’ve traveled round the world in search of happiness, but all the happiness I’ve found was in my hometown,” Lordi sings — words that ring especially true for the couple, who balance life on the road with raising a blended family of six children, ranging from ages 8 to 26.
The album continues with a dreamy, captivating take on Bernice Petkere’s “Close Your Eyes,” followed by Ryan Adams’ “When the Stars Go Blue” from the 2001 album Gold. The latter features a lyrical guitar solo by Napoleon, adding dimension to the contemporary ballad. Michel Legrand’s “I Will Wait for You,” introduced to Lordi by Parrish during his time with the late jazz icon Freddy Cole, becomes a lush centrepiece. Later, they offer a buoyant take on “I Want to Be Happy” by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar, arranged in the spirit of Nat King Cole — a joyful staple of their live shows. The album closes on a high note with Cole Porter’s “True Love.” “It’s one of my favorites,” says Lordi, “because it’s where my love of country and jazz intersect.” “Over the years, I’ve learned that true fulfillment comes when your music and your life align” says Parrish. “Sharing both with Michelle has been the greatest gift — and together, we’ve found that the most beautiful melodies are born when love and purpose meet.” With its spare elegance and shared intimacy, Live At Dirty Dog stands as both a tribute to timeless songs and a celebration of a singular artistic union.
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Michelle Lordi
Vocalist, educator, songwriter, bandleader and curator Michelle Lordi has received international accolades and heavy rotation on jazz/AAA radio stations in the US and abroad for her jazz and genre bending recording projects. Lordi has performed in jazz clubs, festivals and performance venues all across the US and in Europe, including Birdland, Smoke (NYC), Le Duc des Lombards (Paris), The Jazz Cruise (FLA), World Café Live, Mann Music Center, The Kimmel Center (PA). Her albums have garnered favorable reviews in Downbeat, JazzTimes, Jazziz (US), NYC Jazz Record, Jazz Journal, JazzWise (UK), JazzLife & Jaz.In (Japan). Lordi’s music has been featured by NPR Music Live Sessions and Fresh Air With Terry Gross. Whether Lordi is performing American Songbook standards with jazz legends such as Houston Person, exploring experimental soundscapes in her original music or delivering her taut, mesmerizing interpretations of pop ballads, a profound love of the music she chooses to sing and the musicians she creates with is evident in every note of her vividly expressive and elegantly communicative voice. As a curator, Lordi finds joy connecting people through shared musical experience. She curated a weekly jazz session 2014-2020 in Montgomery County, PA bringing jazz students from Temple, Uarts etc, together with octogenarian jazz musicians. Lordi brings an innate ability for insightful connection, creativity, and artistic collaboration that has been honed on the bandstand to her teaching to draw out the best performances in her students.
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Matthew Parrish
Matthew Parrish is a sought-after bassist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. Renowned for his deep swing and heartfelt playing, he brings uncommon warmth and integrity to every performance—qualities that shine through his compositions and collaborations alike. Born in Central California to hardworking, music-loving parents, Parrish was the youngest of four children. His father, a Korean War Veteran and acoustic bassist, introduced the family to global musical traditions during career deployments in Iran and Europe. Immersed in this rich international soundscape, Parrish began on trumpet in middle school but made a spontaneous, pivotal switch to acoustic bass just before his audition for Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts—a leap of faith that launched his lifelong journey in jazz.
In his teens and early twenties, Parrish performed with jazz legends including Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Bobby Durham, Cecil Payne, Johnny Coles, Harry “Sweets” Edison. He also forged lasting musical bonds with rising peers such as Orrin Evans and Byron Landham.
A key mentorship came through touring with the legendary trombonist Al Grey, which led to performances with Clark Terry, Marion McPartland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lou Donaldson, Joe Cohn, Savion Glover, and Bill Charlap. After Grey’s passing in 2000, Parrish continued touring and recording with prominent ensembles led by Greg Osby, Stefon Harris, and Regina Carter.
In addition to his highly regarded work as a bassist, Parrish has been recognized as a gifted composer, arranger, producer and recording engineer. His 2001 debut album Circles (Hipnotic Records) showcased his original compositions; All About Jazz praised it as an “important addition to the acoustic contemporary canon… strongly recommended.” David R. Adler of AllMusic called it “without a doubt one of the strongest debuts of 2001.”
In the ensuing decades, Parrish has worked as a sideman for Regina Carter, Dave Leonhardt, Ben Schachter, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, James Williams, Harry “Sweets” Edison, James Newton, Miri Ben-Ari, Gary Thomas, Orrin Evans, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Freddie Cole and Houston Person. He has made inspired appearances and produced albums by his partner, vocalist Michelle Lordi, such as 2019’s Break Up with the Sound and 2023’s Two Moons. Parrish returns as album co leader with Lordi for Live At Dirty Dog which will be released summer of 2025.
Matt has toured throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Kennedy Center, Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls, Birdland, and every Blue Note club around the world. For the past eight years, Parrish has been a Lecturer of Music and a Director of Jazz ensembles at Princeton University.