The LACHSA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Pat Bass, affectionately known as Ms. B. She was a beloved LACHSA teaching artist, mentor, and cornerstone of our arts community.
Her influence reaches across generations of LACHSA student artists, faculty, alumni, and families, having devoted over 35 years of service to LACHSA, nurturing countless voices and spirits through her direction of the Gospel Choir and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
For those wishing to pay their respect, there will be a celebration of her life on Saturday, December 20 at 3:30pm at Arcadia Community Church.
Ms. B was a consummate vocalist, educator, and performer and brought a lifetime of professional artistry into the classroom. Ms. B began her career as a member of Miss Dunns’ Stars of Tomorrow alongside Michael Difiglia (Michael Bennett) and she pursued her studies at Rosary Hill College in Buffalo, New York. Her remarkable performance career included touring with The 5th Dimension for two years and performing as a solo artist across Europe and Japan. While in Germany, she joined the Airmen of Note on a goodwill tour supporting the Armed Forces. She also made appearances on The Johnny Carson Testimonial, The Vikki Carr Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Lou Rawls Show.
Ms. B’s influence in gospel music was equally impactful. She directed The Divine Guidance Choraliers and Affirmation, bringing spirit, precision, and authenticity to every ensemble she led. Her voice can be heard in the duet “Weepin’ Woman Blues” with Queen Latifah in the HBO film Bessie.
Her excellence as an educator was widely recognized. She received the Bravo Artist Award from the Los Angeles Music Center’s Education Division for Achievement in the Arts, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble Award from the National Alliance of Black School Educators, and the L.A. Jazz Society’s Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award for her direction of the LACHSA Jazz Ensemble.
Under Ms. B’s leadership, the LACHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble earned First Place honors at the Monterey Jazz Festival High School Competition in 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, and 2015. Her ensembles performed at the Hal David 90th Birthday Salute Teachers Rock, collaborated with Josh Groban, and appeared on American Idol during the 2013 season with three semifinalists. She also directed the Gospel Choir in Say It With Music, a celebration of Irving Berlin at the Mark Taper Forum. In addition, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble often performs a the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festivals. But her greatest achievements were the many, many lives she touched and changed forever, including LACHSA alums recording artists Alex Isley, Gretchen Parlato, Lewis Frazier, and opera star Angel Blue.
Ms. Bass was a powerhouse of musicianship, a champion for young artists, and a fierce believer in the transformative power of music. Her students often speak of how she saw potential in them long before they saw it in themselves. Her impact is immeasurable, her voice unforgettable, and her legacy will forever resonate through LACHSA’s halls and beyond.
In honoring her extraordinary impact, we invite you to revisit this beautiful moment from “Art Happens Here with John Lithgow,” filmed by PBS SoCal in 2024.
Walk down memory lane with this video capturing the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble performing “Skyliner” at the 2014 Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival.
Music and Lyrics by Charlie Barnet
Directed by Pat Bass
Arrangement by Carl Oser
Commissioned by Pat Bass for the LACHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble
– – co-authored by LACHSA Department of Music Chair, Josh Gronlund
