In the jazz world, how is it possible for a singer to step out of the shadow of giants such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughan, who continue to loom large in the culture decades after their deaths?

Cleveland native Vanessa Rubin has been giving it a serious shot since 1982, when she left her hometown to plunge into the New York jazz scene, after studying jazz and journalism at Ohio State.

"I liked words and writing, dealing with lyrics and telling stores, so all of that fits together. When I decided to choose a profession, I went with music because that was my passion, but journalism helped put food on the table while I was pursuing a full-time career."

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Vanessa Rubin Quartet

• Where: Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, East Liberty.
• When: 8 p.m. Friday.
• Tickets: $20-$25. 412-394-3353. www.proartstickets.org.

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Her first prominent New York gig was sitting in at Sweet Basil and the Village Vanguard with the quartet led by avant-garde saxophonist Pharoah Sanders.

"That was a really big deal as a young singer, to meet him and have him think I had something to offer, and to encourage me."

That was only the beginning, though, as she soon sang with Mercer Ellington and Lionel Hampton's big bands, toured with Herbie Hancock, and guested on Cecil Bridgewater albums, all the while teaching in the New York public schools for a decade.

"I found out that I enjoyed working with at-risk youth, so I taught during the day and networked at night. I still have a license to substitute when I have time. I like to be in touch with teenagers because it's important to have positive role models around them."

Ms. Rubin's big break arrived in 1990 when she signed to RCA/Novus, releasing several acclaimed recordings that climbed the Billboard jazz charts. In 2000, her growing reputation paid off with an appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center, backed by a band that included bassist Christian McBride. Her most recent album was "Girl Talk" in 2001, where she's joined on two songs by raspy-voiced jazz local legend Etta Jones.

Why no output since then?

"I have a live album in the can that I haven't done anything with yet. Mostly I've just been doing a lot of live performances. We all seem to start out on labels, but we get to the point that we want to own our own master [tapes] and be more in control of our own careers. I'm trying to figure out what I want to say next."

Recently, in addition to performing a "tribute to great female singers past and present," this Friday at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in an event presented by the Kente Arts Alliance, Ms. Rubin is touring with her portrayal of Billie Holiday in "Yesterdays," by playwright Reenie Upchurch. This month, she'll do a run at the St. Louis Repertory Theater.

"This piece with Billie is another way to tell a story, giving people an appreciation of her not only as an artist but as a person. So often, we concentrate on the dark parts of her life, but there are many things about her that were beautiful. It was very hard for a single black woman traveling the South in a male-dominated business, but she survived and created great work."

So it seems as if the singer is emulating her heroines -- which certainly also include such icons as Carmen McRae and Nancy Wilson -- as much as trying to move clear of them.

"What I try to do is what's relevant in my time, just as they did in theirs, and be excellent at it. My music should reflect that, as well as being part of that lineage. I stand on their shoulders and I'm influenced by what they did. As you grow and mature, the process of originality is about coming into your own. I want to add to what's already here, not just copy it. It's inevitable if I'm going to live authentically."

Critics Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis talk about music on "The Beat," available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.