Born: March 10 Primary Instrument: Vocal
A major jazz singer and educator based in Toronto, Brenda Carol has built an important career that has touched the ears and hearts of a countless number of listeners and young singers. Her open-minded approach has found her often interpreting songs drawn from the rock, pop and folk music worlds, transforming them through improvisations and arrangements into jazz without losing their essence, while also performing her own highly personal versions of jazz standards.
Born in Sudbury (a small town in Ontario), she grew up in nearby Brantford, which is in a very rural area. “I had a lot of time to listen,” she remembers. “ Toronto was the big city that I would visit to go see concerts.” Brenda sang often as a child, took piano lessons from age nine, and played saxophone in school. She switched her focus from tenor sax to voice when one of her high school music teachers began to offer singing ensemble lessons. “The teacher regularly introduced jazz songs to me. I did not appreciate them that much then but I learned them and later on it really helped me because I knew so many songs.”
Brenda at the time was much more into progressive rock, including the music of Genesis and Yes. At 17 she began singing with a rock band and was soon performing all across Ontario, often singing backup in rock and folk groups. At York University she earned a degree in psychology (working with the handicapped) while minoring in music. She sang with the Moors, which she describes as a bit like “Peter, Paul and Mary meets the Stranglers.” She also had a progressive folk trio, CinderBloc Garden, that had unusual instrumentation including bassoon and Moog. An important turning point in her career occurred when she met Max Roach. She took a long bus trip with friends to Chicago to attend a blues festival only to find it rained out. At Joe Segal’s jazz club, she caught Roach’s quartet for two nights and met the great drummer. “After asking me to sing for him, he suggested that I sing jazz, saying that he thought I could be a jazz singer.”
Eventually Brenda took Roach’s advice. She had always been drawn to jazz a bit due to its spontaneity, improvising and openness. In the mid- 1990s she co-organized ClaireVoyance, a progressive jazz ensemble that, in addition to standards, sometimes takes its material from unlikely sources (such as the songbooks of Joni Mitchell and Stephen Stills) and turns the songs into jazz. ClaireVoyance has featured many top Canadian players through the years including Brenda’s husband pianist Stephen Gardner and, for the past decade, flutist Bill McBirnie. In 2005, Brenda performed a few special concerts with ClaireVoyance that featured the group performing the music of Yes. “We gave the Yes songs jazz solos, altering some of the pieces to become jazzier, and jamming them out pretty far.” She also performs duets with Stephen Gardner as Oui. The duo has gained attention for its ability to perform very difficult compositions.
In 1998 Brenda Carol released her self-titled debut, a memorable studio album that includes her fresh renditions of such songs as “Nefertiti” (which had rarely been recorded previously as a vocal), “You Must Believe in Spring,” “Bye Bye Blackbird,” “The Man I Love” and other fresh renditions of standards. Among the key soloists are Stephen Gardner, guitarists Ted Quinlan and Lorne Lofsky, trumpeter Steve Crowe and violinist Igor Romanyk.
Brenda and ClaireVoyance have played a yearly engagement at Toronto’s HotHouse Cafe for 16 years as part of the TD Canada Trust Jazz Festival. 2000’s Live At HotHouse Cafe documents some of that year’s music in exciting fashion. In addition to inventive revivals of some jazz standards, the group performs Stephen Still’s “Everydays,” Chris Squire’s “Lucky Seven,” Chick Corea’s “You’re Everything” and Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower” which has Brenda’s lyrics. Both of her CDs are available on the Darwyn label.
In addition to her performances, Brenda Carol has been an influential educator since 1994 who teaches privately and gives master classes. “I love to learn from my students,” she says enthusiastically. “Learning their repertoire helps one hone their own skills and I am very proud of my students.”
Currently Brenda Carol is working on her third jazz album which includes some original songs, and a solo folk jazz CD in which she plays guitar in addition to singing. She looks forward to further collaborations with stimulating musicians, to exploring songs from a variety of sources, and to future performances. With her beautiful voice, creative explorations, and joyful desire to continue stretching the boundaries of jazz, Brenda Carol promises to be a major force in modern music for many years to come.
“Jazz musicians who also have roots in progressive rock, especially the music of Yes, seem a very unlikely prospect, but with vocalist Brenda Carol, pianist Stephen Gardner, and their group ClaireVoyance, this is what we have, and it works beautifully. Make no mistake, this is a “real” jazz group, using acoustic instruments,... and not playing fusion or any of that watered-down “cool” stuff.” - Bill Martin, associate professor of philosophy, DePaul University, Chicago author of Music of Yes and Listening to the future
“This bright new singer is a welcome addition to the Canadian jazz scene and carries on the tradition of such luminaries as Chris Connor and June Christy. The young lady is a pure jazz singer in every sense of the word.” - Richard Bourcier, JazzReview.com
“Carol has a well-rounded set of pipes.... [her] feathery croon wraps the lyrics in a warm caress. Carol's contributions on [”Lucky Seven”] respectfully recall shades of Joni Mitchell.” - Derek Taylor, Cadence Magazine
“[Brenda Carol'] refreshingly makes the lyrics of a tune become like seeds flowering into a new life, vision, vitality and dimension. Whether wistful or joyous, she relays the many moods of each song directly, powerfully, yet beautifully.” - Joanne Brackeen, jazz pianist/educator
“With her beautiful voice, creative explorations, and joyful desire to continue stretching the boundaries of jazz, Brenda Carol promises to be a major force in modern music for many years to come.” - Scott Yanow, jazz writer/critic
Brenda Carol
Darwyn Records
1998
Tracks: Everything I've Got; God Bless The Child; You Must Believe In Spring; I'm Hip; Summertime; Old Devil Moon; Nefertiti; Bye Bye Blackbird; Lush Life; The Man I Love.
Personnel: Brenda Carol : vocal; Stephen Gardner : piano; Ted Quinlan : guitar; Lorne Lofsky : guitar; Stephen Crowe : trumpet; Igor Romanyk : violin; Steve Wallace : bass; Daniel Barnes : drums; Art Avalos : percussion.
Brenda Carol & ClaireVoyance
Live At HotHouse Cafe
Brenda Carol & ClaireVoyance
Darwyn Records
2000
Tracks: What Is This Thing Called Love; Everydays; Willow Weep For Me; Lucky Seven; You're Everything; A Sleepin' Bee; Little Sunflower; Hot House; What Is This Thing Called Love.
Personnel: Brenda Carol: vocals; Stephen Gardner : piano; Steve Wallace: bass; Daniel Barnes: drums; Bill McBirnie: flute; Paul Mifsud: saxophone; William Sperandei: trumpet.
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Primary Instrument:
Vocal
Location:
Toronto, ON
Willing to teach:
Beginners
Credentials/Background:
* Bachelor of Arts, Psychology York University, Toronto, ON Canada
* 21 years of formal and private study: vocal, guitar, theory and piano.
* Instruments: voice, guitar, clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone, piano, and percussion.
Professional Experience:
* Producer and professional recording artist - Independent Releases: "brenda carol" 1998 and "Live At HotHouse Cafe" 2000 (see discography)
* Songwriter, music composer, artistic director, musician, event organizer.
* Over 17 years of professional singing experience in established and private venues, internationally.
* Over 17 years of experience teaching music within the Board of Education and Early Childhood Education settings.
* 15 years of professional vocal instruction and teaching experience - all ages, all levels.
* Co-owner and operator of the independent record label, DARWYN RECORDS.
* Member of the Toronto Musicians Association (T.M.A.) and Local 149 of the American Federation of Musicians (A.F. of M.).
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday (9am - 5pm)
Call: 416-467-7959 to book your lesson time or email:
vocals@brendacarol.com!
Teaching Schedule:
Days of the Week: M T W Th F Sat Sun
Teaching Times: 9 am - 10 pm (Summer times may vary)
Accepting: Cash or Checks only please.
Rates Subject to change. For more rate details, please visit:
brendacarol.com
Clinic/Workshop Information:
Brenda Carol Master Class Series
Brenda Carol Master Class: Singing For Your Supper
Saturday, February 6, 2010 (1:00 pm - 2:30 pm)
For Immediate Release: September 10, 2009
A JAZZ/PROG MASTER CLASS
PRESENTED BY ACCLAIMED VOCALIST BRENDA CAROL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 , 2010 (1 pm - 2:30 pm)
Toronto - Jon Long of Long & McQuade and Brenda Carol Vocal Lessons
are pleased to present a FREE Jazz/Prog Master Class with internationally
acclaimed singer Brenda Carol.
Ms. Carol will be highlighting jazz and progressive music repertoire as it
applies to performance and recording. She will be accompanied by a
pianist to be announced closer to the date. Please bring along
appropriate charts for piano/voice for your chance to sing.
This jazz master class lecture coincides with The Fourth Annual Brenda
Carol Renaissance Jazz Fair held Saturday, February, 6th, 2010 at 8:00
pm.
Brenda Carol is one of the finest jazz singers of recent times. Her master
class will give young singers, students, jazz fans, Rock/jazz artists,
progressive singers and music lovers a rare opportunity to gain valuable
information from an important vocalist. This informative, educational and
entertaining master class will be held at Long & McQuade, 925 Bloor
Street in Toronto on Saturday, February 6, 2009 from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Admission is free and All Ages. Limited General Admission seating.
For more information call (416) 588-7886 or E-mail info@long-
mcquade.com or Call: Brenda Carol: 416-467-7959 and email me at:
darwynrecordsatyahoo.com for more details.
Email: BRENDA CAROL MASTER CLASS SERIES
