Carla White
Encyclopedia
Carla Ruth White was an American jazz
vocalist.
White was born in Oakland, California
but raised in New York
, where she studied jazz dance
. While in high school
she took up acting and singing, then studied at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London
from 1969 to 1971. She traveled for some time, then studied under Lennie Tristano
and Warne Marsh
. Late in the 1970s she began working with trumpeter Manny Duran, and the two together co-led a band which recorded for Stash Records. She also provided the vocals to the ending theme, "Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday", for the video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
.
She was noted for her scat singing
abilities.
On the May 9, 2007, Carla died peacefully at her home in New York after a long battle with cancer.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vocalist.
White was born in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
but raised in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she studied jazz dance
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
. While in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
she took up acting and singing, then studied at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1969 to 1971. She traveled for some time, then studied under Lennie Tristano
Lennie Tristano
Leonard Joseph Tristano was a jazz pianist, composer and teacher of jazz improvisation. He performed in the cool jazz, bebop, post bop and avant-garde jazz genres. He remains a somewhat overlooked figure in jazz history, but his enormous originality and dazzling work as an improviser have long...
and Warne Marsh
Warne Marsh
Warne Marion Marsh was an American tenor saxophonist born in Los Angeles.-Biography:Marsh came from an affluent background: his father was the cinematographer Oliver T. Marsh , and his mother Elizabeth was a violinist...
. Late in the 1970s she began working with trumpeter Manny Duran, and the two together co-led a band which recorded for Stash Records. She also provided the vocals to the ending theme, "Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday", for the video game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001....
.
She was noted for her scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
abilities.
On the May 9, 2007, Carla died peacefully at her home in New York after a long battle with cancer.
Discography
- Andruline (Stash Records, 1983)
- Orient Express (Milestone RecordsMilestone RecordsMilestone Records is a United States based jazz record label, founded in 1966 by Orrin Keepnews and Dick Katz in New York City. The company was incorporated into Fantasy Records in 1972, since then it has been used for reissues as well as for new recordings....
, 1986) - Listen Here (Evidence Records, 1991)
- Mood Swings (Milestone, 1992)
- Live at the Vartan Jazz (Vartan Records, 1996)
- In Mexico (Jazzcat Records, 1999)
- The Sweetest Sounds (DIW RecordsDIW RecordsDIW Records is a Japanese record label. It is a subsidiary label of Disc Union and specializes in jazz and avant garde music. Kazunori Sugiyama was an executive producer for the label before starting Tzadik Records with John Zorn.-Discography:...
, 2000) - A Voice in the Night (Bright Moon Records, 2006)