Drummer, Norman Connors is a native Philadelphian and a true Jazz improviser who was formally trained at Juilliard. He is a pioneer in the emergence of the progressive fusion R&B and Jazz. Connors created a fusion that appealed to romantics and intellectuals alike. He was trained and playing drums at age five. And, he was already writing his own music as a young man. During his early career he was a sideman for Billy Paul, Jackie McLean and Charles Earland. Archie Sheep used Connors for his 1967 Impulse! session "Magic of Julu". In the 1970s Connors found success as a producer and arranger, forming and guiding the Starship Orchestra. He is created for nurturing and discovering a long list of influential musicians including: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill, Norman Brown, Marion Meadows, Michael Henderson and Michael Brown.
Grammy nominated "You are My Starship" in 1977 was highly influential and extended his influence on another generation of musicians and vocalists.
Norman Connors will be performing at the Henry County Performing Arts Center, November 1, 2015 at 6:00 PM for a benefit for Michael "Jazzy" Brown and to raise money for Alzheimer's Disease research. I will be interviewing Norman Connors at 4:00 PM, Saturday, October on Jazz Tones on Jazz 91.9 WCLK.
For more information about Sunday's Jazzy Brown/Alzheimer's Association benefit performance, click here.