Carla Ruth White (September 15, 1951 – May 9, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist.
Biography White was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Bellport, New York."Carla White Biography." 1992. White, Carla. The Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ. Her father, Dwain, was also born in Oakland and worked as an airline pilot. Her mother, Rosa, was born in Indiana and served on several artistic foundation boards later in her life. Her parents divorced early in White's life, though when they divorced is unclear; her mother was married to physicist Frederick Ayer from 1966 until his death. White's siblings, Penny and Miles, predeceased her.
Though she began dancing at an early age, White decided to pursue jazz dance after a friend introduced her to jazz as a teenager. She began dancing and acting at the Northwestern University dance and drama camp over the course of two summers. She spent her final year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where she studied theater. She moved to London in 1969 to attend Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She dropped out before finishing her degree to pursue singing; she then spent a short time traveling and busking through Europe and North Africa.
She returned to New York City and took music lessons intermittently during the 1970s with Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh. In 1979 she met trumpeter Manny Duran, who became her mentor. They formed the White-Duran Band and recorded the album "Andruline" for Stash. White died from cancer on May 9, 2007, in New York.
Personal life White was the niece of Broadway costume designer Miles White.
Discography
As leader/co-leader Dates recordedTitleLabel year releasedNotesMarch 21–22, 1983AndrulineStash1984Co-leader with Manny Duran (trumpet). Recorded with Ed Howard (bass), Peter Madsen (piano), and Taro Okamoto (drums). December 20, 1985 April 25–27, 1986Orient ExpressMilestone1987Recorded with Peter Barshay (bass), Manny Duran (trumpet, "The Man with the Trumpet"), Ed Howard (bass), Tim Horner (drums), Jeremy Kahn (piano), and Peter Madsen (piano). Recorded "Orient Express" and "I'll Remember April" with Kahn and Barshay on December 20, 1985. White wrote the tracks "Orient Express" and "Snowbound."April 4–6, 1988 Mood Swings Milestone1988Recorded with Peter Madsen (piano), Phil Bowler (bass), Tim Horner (drums), Lew Tabackin (tenor saxophone, flute), and Joshua Breakstone (guitar).September 4–5, 1991 Listen HereEvidence1995Recorded with Lew Tabackin (tenor saxophone, alto flute), Peter Madsen (piano), Dean Johnson (Bass), Lewis Nash (drums). Madsen composed "Dream" using Langston Hughes's poetry. October 29, 1994 In MexicoJazz Cat2000Recorded with Roberto Aymes (contrabass, musical direction), Fernando Toussaint (drums), and Luis Zepeda (piano). April 21–22, 1995 " Live at Vartan Jazz".Vartan Jazz1998Recorded with Jerry Hahn (guitar), Joe LaBarbera (drums), Mark Soskin (piano), and Harvie Swartz (bass). Liner notes mistakenly state that this album was recorded in 1996. July 26–27, 1996 " The Sweetest Sounds."DIW2000Recorded with Steve Berrios (percussion), Dean Johnson (bass), Peter Madsen (piano), Tom Rainey (drums), and Lew Tabackin (tenor saxophone). White wrote the track "But I Was Wrong." September 8–9, 2001 " A Voice in the Night."Bright Moon Records2005Recorded with John Hart (guitar), Dean Johnson (bass), Claudio Roditi (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Matt Wilson (drums). White wrote the track "Peace of Mind."
Other recordings album yearNotesMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Original Soundtrack2001White featured the other credits track "Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday," composed by Rika Muranaka. Recorded with Onaje Allan Gumbs (piano), Don Braden (saxophone), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Kenny Davis (bass), Eugene Jackson (drums), and the Felix Farrar Orchestra.
References
External links All About Jazz Carla White Biography