Jazz, Soul, African-Caribbean, Avant Garde and Free Musics primarily. All sounds, colors, design, forms, shapes, space, emotions, language, people...all musical instruments, all rhythms. Jorge Sylvester, Sonny Rollins, Albert Ayler, Eric Dolphy, JSun Ra, Juini Booth, James Brown [RIP to the great engine of soul and dance music], Jeanne Lee, Wassily Kandinsky, Romare Bearden, Jackson Pollack. New York City, Harlem USA. Early R&B singers. Eugene O'Neill, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Sam Shepard, Jack Dempsey, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, Nancy Wilson, Jimmy Scott, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sam Rivers, Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris - the sorcerer, Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray, Dewey Redman - for his sincere beautiful contribution to humanity and his caring and considerate compassion, Cecil Taylor - for his beautiful madness and his bold defiant courage, Gunter Hempel - for his childlike spirit and foreverness, David Murray - for making unforgettable musical impressions. My beautiful mother and father, my incredible children: Preston, Jason, Kane, Aaron and Daniel, Superman aka Mike Weiss; Allison Banks - my incredible granddaughter, Kane Jr. my incredible grandson, my Celtic and French DNA, my dear friends - my teachers, Ace Carter, Neal Creque, Marietta Richards, Juini Booth, Jorge Sylvester, all the musicians I've worked with and the greatest teacher of all.....The Life Experience.
NORA MCCARTHY RELEASES AN EXQUISITE DUET CD - CIRCLE COMPLETING
Scott Yanow, Author of nine jazz books including Trumpet Kings, Swing, Bebop, Jazz On Record 1917-76 and Jazz On Film
CIRCLE COMPLETING
Known as a brilliant improviser with a warm and highly expressive voice, Nora McCarthy recently released her newest recording, Circle Completing. The set of duets with pianist John DiMartino sums up Ms. McCarthy’s colorful story so far, is a tribute to the legendary singer Jimmy Scott, and is a consistently surprising look at life’s lessons. “One has to experience life before singing these types of songs,” says Nora.
Circle Completing, which is comprised of three of the singer’s originals plus six standards, is a very spontaneous set that emerged with a unified purpose. “We recorded all of the music in four hours,” remembers Nora,” and several of the songs came out of nowhere.” Starting with “Come Fly With Me,” an optimistic dream of having a perfect relationship, Circle Completing includes the soul ballad “To Be With You” (which was associated with Joe Cuba), a wistful and lyrical rendition of “Too Late Now,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song” (which looks back to the singer’s musical beginnings), a playful rendition of the blues “Little Red Rooster,” and her haunting original “In The Early Morning Light,” a spoken word piece which is about infidelity, having one’s heart broken, and dealing with new realities. On “The Shadow Of Your Smile,” a standard about lost love, she interprets the words and then creates some scatting that is heartfelt improvising which perfectly fits the song. Nora concludes the memorable set with her philosophical “Life Is A Song To Song” and her poetic tribute to Jimmy Scott, “Faith In Time (Jimmy’s Song).”
But more than the individual songs, Circle Completing is a moody suite that deals with the evolution of life, coming to a place of forgiveness, letting go, and ultimately moving on to the next level. “Every day you have to forgive yourself and everybody. One has to concentrate on compassion. Jimmy Scott is the living embodiment of that, how he suffered and yet rose above it all.” While Nora McCarthy has worked extensively in duets with bassist Juini Booth, saxophonist Jorge Sylvester and bassist Dominic Duval, her collaboration with John diMartino has its own personality. “No matter who you put John with, he sounds different than anyone else. He is extremely creative, has a great rhythmic concept, and can do it all. He knows how to be an accompanist without sacrificing his own artistic integrity. We have our own sound together.”
Without doubt you have a good future in the jazz scene.
Properly speaking, you are the future. You reign supreme when singing standards like "Come Fly With Me" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile" (tears in my face when I heard your interpretation).
"Too Late Now" to me is a "torch song". Am I right? Torch song in Portuguese is "música de dor-de-cotovelo". Torch song, we know, is a sentimental love song typically one in which the singer laments lost love (translating to Portuguese: "é uma canção amorosa, sentimental, típica, na qual o cantor lamenta um amor perdido"). You sing torch song with the same feeling of Edith Piaf, the supreme diva of French song.
I loved "Life Is A Song To Sing" (in Portuguese: "A Vida É Uma Canção Para Cantar").
"Circle Completing" is an album we can leave in the player and listen to over and over again.
In short: you are one of the best jazz & torch song singers I have heard in the last years. A diva. A true diva.
A hug from me to John diMartino. That guy is great!
From your Brazilian fan,
João da Penha
REVIEWS:
…"McCarthy is a fearless singer who deftly refuses to be categorized as she explores personalized means for expressing ideas. She travels infrequently heard avenues for exploring thought and adapts vocal technique to fit the circumstances of her message." Bill Donaldson for Jazz Improv NY, 2008
…"Circle Completing is a moody suite that deals with the evolution of life, coming to a place of forgiveness, letting go, and ultimately moving on to the next level. "Nora's adventurous singing, the spontaneous interplay with John diMartino, and the unpredictability of the music result in the innovative duets being full of subtle surprises." Scott Yanow, Jazz Critic & Author, 2008
“…McCarthy, who works in every setting from a bass and vocal duo to a twenty-piece orchestra, demonstrates that she is not one to simply serenade with the usual mix of standards.” Dan Bilawsky/Jazz Improv Magazine’s New York Jazz Guide, 2008
"…A good poet can tell a story with a minimum of text. So when Nora McCarthy tells the story of lies that have been "swept under the carpet / all scramble like roaches in the early morning light," she extends the idea in a couple of directions at once – with a kind of vocalese, aided by skittery piano bits. The presentation says far more than a couple of paragraphs could, that's for sure." Mark Saleski http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/1/30/nora-mccarthy-in-the-early-morning-light
“...Her shaping of pitch often foregoes the fluid note-bending of the jazz singer in favor of the full press of a sculptor’s touch against viscous clay." Ramsey Ameen/The Gathering Of The Tribes Magazine, 2005
"…Nora McCarthy, the diva, one of the top singers who shaped the jazz vocal, a superb artist!" João Da Penha ("Jazz & Bossa Nova", Brazil, 2009 )
“...A non-generic and exciting vocalist to be aware of." Alex Henderson/All About Jazz And L.A. Jazz Scene
“…A voice that is alternately liquid, breezy, and lustrous. Sophistication in the same vein as Chet Baker." Mark Keating, Editor, Sound Views Magazine
“…She plays her tender voice like a musician trying to get the best out of some favored, old horn.” Edward Hill/The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“...Yet another voice in the retro-cool school—almost at times, as cool as Julie London, but with a serpentine edge". Gary Giddins/The Village Voice
“...Continental and sophisticated, McCarthy is as much chanteuse as jazz singer.” Carlo Wolfe/The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“…Nora McCarthy delivers with the improvisational intuition of Betty Carter and the compassion of Billie Holiday. McCarthy tackles harmonically complex material of Thelonius Monk with relative ease then easily slips into a relaxed Latin style that owes much to Brazilian samba queen Astrud Gilberto.” Edward Hill/The Cleveland Plain Dealer
CDBABY LINK for NORA MCCARTHY: red&blue
NORA MCCARTHY: red&blue
Fresh Vocal Acoustic Jazz, original compositions, .."a personal and expressive voice with an impressionistic poetic quality that shows an awareness of post-bop development".
CDBABY LINK for NORA MCCARTHY AND JORGE SYLVESTER: A Small Dream In Red
NORA MCCARTHY AND JORGE SYLVESTER: A Small Dream In Red
"An aural adventure of the highest order." Avant-Jazz Voice and Saxophone Duet - Original compositions, jazz standards, improvisational masterpiece recorded live at Cleveland State University's Sundown Jazz Series.
A SMALL DREAM IN RED
Nora McCarthy & Jorge Sylvester
By Jim Santella for Jazz Improv, NYC, July 2007
Recorded during a 2003 concert performance in Cleveland State University’s recital hall, this album documents the adventures of a superb, contemporary jazz duo that forges its own trail. You can’t sit back and say that she recalls this or that singer or that he recalls this or that alto saxophonist. They’re both soulful, dramatic and highly original in their intimate recital, which includes two self-penned songs as well as several highly original interpretations. Nora McCarthy sings with an emphatic delivery. She interprets lyrics with fits of passion and relaxes casually with wordless sprees.
The program includes periods of tension mixed with areas of leisurely release. Alto saxophonist Jorge Sylvester brings a virtuosic character to the session, conversing with his musical partner in an equal balance of their two voices. There’s closeness in their duo performance that you don’t find in some ensembles. McCarthy and Sylvester have given a name to their duo, A Small Dream In Red, which amplifies several of the characteristics from their session: dreamy musical interplay mixed with fitful segments of dramatic tension.
Miles Davis’ “All Blues” is one of those standards that we can recognize without even trying. It lovely melody and comfortable rhythm can make for a pleasant afternoon. Here, McCarthy and Sylvester adhere to the song’s familiar waltz pattern while going off on tangents that instill a serious tone. She uses her fluid delivery to jump effortlessly to the highest and lowest regions of her vocal range, while follows her cues in empathy. McCarthy’s Miles Mind” carries a significant impression, as her voice recalls the frailty found in Davis’ horn through the years. Punctuation the piece with vocal and saxophone surges, the duo delivers a thoughtful tribute. Sylvester’s “Akara Moi Moi” swings with a relaxed jazz frame of reference, as wordless vocals combine with soulful alto fun to close the concert on a comfortable note. The two artists combine intuition with a love for their music and it shows.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR IMPROVISED MUSIC
A SMALL DREAM IN RED (Nora McCarthy & Jorge Sylvester)
NOVEMBER, 2007
Julianne Carney
The duo of Nora McCarthy and Jorge Sylvester presents contrasting contours stepping into and out of dissonance, with hints of tunes weaving in and out, far more scat than lyric in the vocals, and saxophone fluid, giving energy, direction, & depth. The five tracks offer a flowing, meandering walk, with occasional glimpses of recognizable melody, and otherwise a wonderful blend of shapes, colors and textures. Nora McCarthy has a deep voice, with the timbre & range of Sarah Vaughan, but without the quick vibrato. She uses ever-so-subtle pitch-bending, and straight tones, and just a lovely touch of vibrato on occasion. Splashes of color are drawn into play with the saxophone. Jorge Sylvester plays with virtuosity and artist's subtlety. Seemingly in the background, the listener is then surprised to notice the fascinating punctuation, melodic fragments, and extrapolated melody or harmonic contrast. McCarthy's comradeship with Kandinsky (whose painting Kleiner Traum in Rot gives this CD its name) is certainly presented well in this recording.
What They Are Saying:
"...McCarthy reinvents several all-time Jazz classics by scatting,
singing, and intoning over the free improvisations pouring assertively
from Sylvester's alto. McCarthy delivers with absolute clarity, adding
engrossing touches to the melody lines but primarily constructing
original versions of the tunes." Cadence Magazine for Creative and
Improvised Music, 2005
"...Nora McCarthy has a deep voice, with the timbre and range of
Sarah Vaughan....she uses ever-so-subtle pitch-bending and straight
tones and just a lovely touch of vibrato."
"...The duo of Nora McCarthy and Jorge Sylvester presents contrasting
contours stepping into and out of dissonance, with hints of tunes
weaving in and out, far more scat than lyric in the vocals, and
saxophone is fluid, giving energy, direction and depth." International
Society For Improvised Music, 2007
"...It's delightful to hear music that plays so freely with the known
and the unknown elements of jazz." All About Jazz Magazine, NY 2005
"...A superb, contemporary jazz duo that forges its own trail. You
can't sit back and say that she recalls this or that singer or that he
recalls this or that alto saxophonist. They're both soulful, dramatic
and highly original in their intimate recitals, which include
self-penned songs as well as several highly original interpretations.
"...Nora McCarthy sings with an emphatic delivery. She interprets
lyrics with fits of passion and relaxes casually with wordless
sprees."
"...Alto saxophonist Jorge Sylvester brings a character of virtuosity
to the session, conversing with his musical partner in an equal
balance of their two voices. There's closeness in their duo
performance that you don't find in some ensembles. "
"...Dreamy musical interplay mixed with fitful segments of dramatic
tension."
"...McCarthy uses her fluid delivery to jump effortlessly to the
highest and lowest regions of her vocal range, while Sylvester follows
her cues in empathy. McCarthy's Miles Mind" carries a significant
impression, as her voice recalls the frailty found in Davis' horn
through the years."
"...The two artists combine intuition with a love for their music and
it shows." Jim Santella for Jazz Improv, NYC, July, 2007
"...McCarthy and Sylvester show the utmost respect for the formal
elements of music while also possessing the daring to dissolve
borders, making A Small Dream In Red an aural adventure of the highest
order. "
"... McCarthy's voice stretches and soars and whether she's singing
straight ahead, scatting, or simply vocalizing, her voice rings true
and clear. Sylvester has a gorgeous tone and a sure touch, plus a
wonderful ability to weave in and out of melodies." All About Jazz,
2005
"...Sylvester coats the pathways McCarthy carves with freelanced and
fully open interpretations of the tunes, hitting high and low notes in
juxtaposition or in contrast with the vocals." Cadence Magazine for
Creative Improvised Music, 2005
An important force in the advanced New York jazz vocal scene since 1996, Nora McCarthy is a highly original and organic jazz singer, lyricist, composer, and poet whose repertoire includes original music and elements of contemporary jazz, classic jazz, blues and free music art forms, on-the-spot improvisation and poetry. Nora and her various groups work at the top jazz venues in New York and elsewhere in the world. Her most recent recording, Circle Completing, is a set of lyrical duets with pianist John DiMartino that, in addition to being a tribute to the legendary singer Jimmy Scott, pays homage to her roots in standards while summing up her own colorful life to this point.
Nora has two new recordings as a sideman coming out soon, Toward The Hill Of Joy with trombonist, composer George Brandon's Septet, tentative release date January, 2010 and one that she just completed a live recording with legendary avant garde multi-instrumentalist and founder of Birth Records, Gunter Hampel and his European Trio on October 5, 2009 in NYC.
Currently, Nora leads and co-leads several groups: The Nora McCarthy Qu 'ART' et; The ConceptualMotion 20-piece all original music Orchestra; A Small Dream In Red - Voice and Saxophone Duo; and, The ACE (Afro-Caribbean-Experimental) Collective with alto saxophonist, Jorge Sylvester.
For the past 5 years, Nora has been a member of "A Chorus of Poets" conducted by Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris.
Through her vast experience in the jazz and creative music field, Nora developed a unique approach to teaching voice and improvisation and founded "The Zen Of Singing...The Spiritual Path To Finding Your Voice" ™ and currently teaches privately, conducts workshops world-wide and offers on-line instruction. (www.thezenofsinging.com)
DISCOGRAPHY:
Circle Completing, 2009
A Small Dream In Red, 2005
red&blue, 1998
