An important force in the advanced New York jazz vocal scene, Nora McCarthy is a highly original singer, lyricist, composer, poet and educator. She and her various groups work at the top jazz venues in New York and elsewhere in the world. "McCarthy's musical roots are vast and varied, crossing cultures and genres - from the Great American song book to contemporary modern jazz and bebop, early rhythm and blues, funk music, Hawaiian and Brazilian music and in recent years she's embraced - and been embraced by ‘the avant garde’." Florence Wetzel, All About Jazz - NY
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POETRY:
Over the years, her ever increasing need to expand her own musical consciousness and convey a spiritual awareness through the music has been the main focus of her creative projects and poetry. Nora has penned lyrics to several jazz standards as well as for other musicians on the local scene and she is becoming known not only as a wonderful lyricist but also as an outstanding poet. Nora is a featured poet and the assistant to Master Conductor, Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris' A Chorus of Poets. (Hear the Chorus on the Music Page - performing at the Living Theater, NYC, Oct. 2007).
In April, 2008, Nora was delighted to be asked to perform at Flushing Town Hall’s first Jazz & Poetry Marathon, “Other Worlds, Other Words” alongside several outstanding artists from the world of jazz and literature, i.e. Julio Marzan, Michael Mossman Quartet, The Nat Jones Quartet, Ray Ramirez, The Asian Poets Collaborative, and the Poets Circle from New York’s five boroughs, which included Mireya Perez, Madeline Artenberg, Berty Barranco, Mark Blickley and Iris Schwarz.
HIGHLIGHTS:
In the Spring of 2007 Nora, performed a series of workshops and concerts in Podgorica, Montenegro together with Jorge Sylvester to an enthusiastic audience filled-to-capacity concert hall as well as an appearance on the television show Good Morning Montenegro. This unique duo is said to be the only one of its kind in the world and McCarthy has been acclaimed by her fellow musicians and some critics as the greatest atonal singer in the world with her ability to maneuver with ease throughout all the keys, never losing sight of the tonal center in perfect pitch and with an impeccable sense of timing!
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
…"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/Jazz.com
“...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 is a wonderfully focused musician, singer composer. Her original compositions are splendid examples of modern and traditional jazz song. I highly recommend her as a fellow artist.” Dom DuVal, musician / composer / bassist.“ April 9, 2009
"…You can hear this woman's life in her voice…" Walter Kolosky, Jazz.com/2009
" The ballad "Too Late Now" (Lerner/Lane) from her CD, Circle Completing, is a charmer. Reminding me very much of the late lamented Irene Kral, Nora provocatively sings this melancholy ballad in full throttle." Dan Singer, In-Tune International Magazine-UK, 3/2009
“…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.” Julianne Carney/International Society For Improvised Music, 2007
"…McCarthy’s vocals are rich and subtle and laced with varying degrees of earthy blues and soulful phrasings." Sounds of Timeless Jazz.com, 2/2009
"…Nora is a musical flurry of passion, soul, emotion, soothsaying, truth telling and jazz poetry that takes you on flights of improvisational abandon with grace and wit. She is a force to be experienced!" Sarah James, Musician, Poet, Vocalist, 2009
"…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 )
“...It’s delightful to hear music that plays so freely with the known and the unknown elements of jazz." Florence Wetzel/All About Jazz Magazine, NY, 2006
“...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