A soulful vocalist that prefers not to be contained” (Midwest Records), Shelly Rudolph has long been a favored voice around her hometown of Portland, Oregon, and her musical travels have taken her to New York, Los Angeles, the West Indies, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and beyond. Dubbed a “robust and captivating vocalist” by JazzTimes, she has performed with ensembles ranging from intimate duets to full jazz orchestras and nearly everything in between. Rudolph is among the busiest vocalists in Portland, leading her own projects and collaborating with aerial dance companies and many of the region’s top jazz artists.

A magnetic vocalist and songwriting force, much of Rudolph’s childhood was spent in her mother’s contemporary art gallery, where she was immersed in cutting-edge visual and performance art, literature, and dance. “I was raised to believe that the source of artistic creativity and the source of life — of spirit — is one and the same: the mysterious, boundless, powerful core of us all,” she reflects. “My adult life has been a series of adventures and leaps of faith incited by my soul’s path and heart’s knowing, with the river of song as my ever-flowing guide.”

Described as having “enough bluesy grit and diva class to carry the day,” Rudolph has co-produced and released three acclaimed full-length albums — In This World; Water in My Hand, praised as “a stunning album — intoxicating and stimulating, a mature work from an old soul artist”; and The Way We Love (OA2, 2020), “the perfect sonic showcase” of her versatile voice and songwriting. The latter features GRAMMY-winning cellist David Darling alongside a stellar cast of Portland all-stars.

Her work also includes the holiday collection RUDOLPH and a poetry chapbook Love Lanterns. She has appeared on numerous albums with jazz icon Tom Grant, and her forthcoming release Wild Darling — a deeply soulful and celebratory album — highlights collaborations with soul-jazz guitar hero Charlie Hunter, including the “sumptuous dance party” single “I Love LOVE.” Inspired by a spirit of resilience and creative freedom, Wild Darling charts new territory while remaining anchored in the timeless flow of song that has always guided her work. 

Throughout her career, Rudolph has collaborated on stage and in the studio with a remarkable roster of artists, including David Darling (ECM), Zach Gill (Jack Johnson), David Piltch (k.d. lang), Ken Stange (Joe Cocker), David Mathews (Etta James), Tom Lackner (Airto and Flora Purim), Tom Grant, and Pink Martini’s Phil Baker. Her music has been featured on Pandora, international jazz stations, and licensing rosters, and she is a recipient of the Holler Fund Publicity Grant and RACC’s Professional Development Grant. 

Extending her creative vision beyond the stage and studio, Rudolph is the founder of Share Your Gifts — a soulful online community devoted to creative exploration, expression, and connection. Designed as a welcoming space for artists and dreamers alike, it invites members to follow their spark, share their work, and step into the vibrant current of creativity as a source of joy, healing, and transformation.