carla norris-hopkins
Hello, I Remember
© 2005 carla norris
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Exciting, raw, scat-filled, bebopish standards with Carla's trademark improvisations inspired by a smokin' swingin' ensemble of master musicians continuing the Jazz tradition of call and response while rendering a wide vocal range of warm ballads.
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Jazz Vocalist Carla Norris grew up banging out blues riffs on the piano when she could hardly walk. Her mother's love of all musical genres was her early childhood education. Later the sensitivity, spirituality and wonderfulness of John Coltrane's music sparked a desire in Jazz's direction.
Funk, RnB, Top 40 and various Pop bands later she settled into the music of the Jazz masters. Invited to open for Bobby Blue Bland in Chicago and another invitation to sing in Paris sealed the deal, but only after having quit the music scene for over 13 years.
Now, making up for time away, each note is precious, each emotion genuine, each song, personal. From Bop to Pop, "Jazz with training wheels", Standards or the Funky, jazzy stuff, Carla does it.
This debut CD, HELLO, I REMEMBER, is dedicated to her deceased husband amazing drummer Tommy Hopkins, Jr. The spoken lyric tagging Willow Weep For Me, entitled "My Prayer Is Already Answered", was written especially for him.
Also featured are some of Dallas, Texas' outstanding, strong, master Jazz artists who make it a pleasure to work with in and out of the studio.
********** Outside Reviews/Performance Feedback *********
"Carla,
Congratulations... I think this recording is going to do big things for your career. People will at last get the message about your talent, intelligence, and dedication to your friends and loved ones. BEST WISHES.
Roger." (Roger Boykin, Jazz Radio Host at KKDA in Dallas, TX, Producer, Multi-talented musician, and educator.
"You did an excellent job. Your hubby wuld be proud! Thanks. CD is great. Right now #4 is my favorite"...Tammy (The Potter's House Mass Choir member)
"On Behalf of the Sammons Center for the Arts and the Sammons Jazz program, please accept our thanks for appearing on our jazz concert series. We were thrilled to have you on our series and your performance was exceptional. Please extend our thanks to your band members and express our admiration for their superb musicianship and exciting performance. You have helped us achieve our goals in presenting the Sammons Jazz Series: To present to our patrons the most talented local and national jazz artists in a comfortable listening environment. Again, it was a pleasure to have you as part of the series and we look forward to working with you again in the future. James Gilyard, Artistic Director"
"Norris is a skilled improviser and never backs down from some interplay with a instrumentalists." The Denton (Texas) Record Chronicle.
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Real Classy and Just In Time
author: Sandra KayeI appreciate this CD very much, because Carla is a true jazz messenger. From the beginning to the end she represents jazz with much class. Also she takes pride in including Tommy Hopkins who is her late husband and was one of the worlds GREAT! drummers. Tommy is very well missed in our community. I give her five stars because it means to me that she is doing great work on this CD and can do it again on her next CD. I'm looking forward to it. SANDRA KAYE
Great collection of classic songs with a classic jazz voice
author: Serenity SandraThis is a fantastic collection of classic jazz sounds puntuated by a classic jazz/blues voice, the kind of voice we don't hear very often. Carla's scat is worth the whole CD. The tribute to master drummer Tommy Hopkins is especially haunting. If you are a real jazz aficionado, this is a must have. Fair warning, this is for your collection. Enough said.