Home » Member Page

Nora McCarthy

Modern Jazz Voice, Composer, Poet, Lyricist, Writer, Actor

About Me

JAZZ & AVANT-GARDE VOCAL ARTIST, IMPROVISER, COMPOSER, POET, LYRICIST, WRITER, ACTOR AND EDUCATOR

A prominent member of the New York jazz scene, vocal artist, Nora McCarthy has enjoyed a very productive and significant musical career since 1996 when she recorded red&blue, her first of thus far nine CD’s. Her eighth CD, blesSINGS, released in 2016 won the 38th Annual Jazz Station Awards in two categories: Best Jazz Singer and Best Jazz Vocal CD as well as the cover of Jazz Inside Magazine.

McCarthy, a devotee of classic jazz, global rhythms, and the fine arts, is a musical colorist, and interpreter of the lyric—a beautiful balladeer in the tradition of the great Jimmy Scott. Her burnished alto voice is steeped in tradition and rich with a distinctive style that cuts a broad swath from trad jazz, Great American Songbook, modern jazz, bebop, post-bop, soul, rhythm & blues, and beyond. An impressive improviser, her sound is reminiscent of the great voices and horns in jazz.

McCarthy currently leads the following groups: The People of Peace Quintet; The Nora McCarthy Trio; Nora McCarthy Qu’ART’et; A Small Dream In Red Innovative Voice and Saxophone Duo and, is co-founder with alto- saxophonist Jorge Sylvester of ConceptualMotion Orchestra, a 20-piece large ensemble. In addition, Nora is an original member of Sylvester’s ACE (Afro-Caribbean-Experimental) Collective and the Extended Edition with String, Imagining Dolphy Project, Quartet Imagination, and an improvising octet, Spontaneous Expressions that is releasing a CD in 2021 – a live performance captured at the Baha’i Center in March, 2020.

In January 2020, Nora was the featured guest on Mitch Goldman’s DEEP FOCUS program on WKCR Columbia University Radio, NYC that talked about the legendary jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott. In December 2019, Nora was the featured artist on drummer William Hooker’s podcast, “The Lost Generation Outside the Mainstream”.

• McCarthy' has written over 40 compositions and graphic compositions, soundscapes and numerous poetic architectures that she has been designing since 2001 for her advanced music groups and has penned lyrics to dozens of jazz standards, other compositions as well as her own original music.

• Early 2019 McCarthy made her off Broadway acting debut in the play Moral Support, a drama written by Bill Considine, directed by Félix E. Gardón at Medicine Show Theatre, NYC.

• Nora is a regular guest artist in pianist David Haney’s and legendary drummer Bernard Purdie’s ongoing production Jazz Stories at The Public Theater/Joe’s Pub, NYC.

• Nora presents a jazz radio show podcast for Cadence Jazz World (http://www.cadencejazzworld.com) called, “Nora’s Jazz Show” featuring jazz and avant-garde musicians, singers, poets as well as eclectic and world jazz by established and emerging artists.

• EDUCATOR/ TEACHING ARTIST/PRODUCER: Through her vast experience in the jazz and creative music field, Nora has developed a comprehensive approach to teaching voice, improvisation and self- development and has designed many interdisciplinary programs for afterschool and summer programs. In addition, she provides individual instruction and conducts performance workshops. McCarthy most recently produced an avant-garde music series at the Medicine Show Theatre, NYC called Take It OUT Tuesday.

• LYRICIST/POET: McCarthy's has been writing prose, poetry and word art for several decades. Her living poem, ”Today In America” is one such work that began in 2001 is a time lapsed look at ongoing events written in a collage format protest poetic style with a broad and far reaching scope: government, politics, societal, racial, and cultural issues, civil and human rights, and environmental issues, with prophetic and philosophical overtones, anger, and outrage. Written for the composition of the same title composed by her husband, alto-saxophonist, Jorge Sylvester.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Manna For Thought - 2018 blesSINGS - 2016 w/The People of Peace Quintet A Time For Love – Release Date Fall, 2013 Spirit Driven – 2013 In The Language Of Dreams – 2012 Toward A Hill of Joy, w/George Brandon's Blue Unity Ensemble - 2011 Circle Completing, 2009 A Small Dream In Red, 2005 red&blue, 1996 (re-release 1998)

My Jazz Story

My Favorite Local Jazz Venues & Festivals

Use your mousepointer (or zoom in) to move the map.
Click a pin drop to identify a venue.