Skip Parnell

Gerald (Skip) Parnell started his music career as a piano student at St.Carthage/St.Cyprian studying with the Sisters of St. Joseph, and later he developed an interest in the acoustic and electric bass.  Skip studied with Eligio Rossi, Richard Amoroso, Delores Chiavo, and Dennis Sandole’.  Dennis taught Skip about life and music and he taught him to take chances, and not to allow himself to be defeated by small minds.  Dennis is essentially Skip’s musical father. He taught Skip to epitomize his system on the acoustic bass. Skip recently retired from the Philadelphia School District. Through Skip’s career, he has worked with such jazz greats as Grover Washington, Rufus Harley, Sonny Simmons & Barbara Donald, Byard Lancaster, and various other people who have earned status in the jazz community.