Barbara Carroll

Barbara Carroll, born Barbara Carole Coppersmith, ( born January 25, 1925 in Worcester / Massachusetts) is an American jazz pianist and singer.

Life and work

Carroll began five years playing the piano and took from the age of eight classical piano lessons. Even in high school, she began to jazz, specifically geared to the then current Bebop, and played alongside their studies at the New England Conservatory of Music at night in a band in the Boston area. With her All Girls Trio she also played on a tour in the camps of the U.S. Army in New England. In 1947 she went to New York City, where she was sponsored by Leonard Feather. With own Trio, she performed in clubs of 52nd Street in New York City, partly under male names ( Bobbie Carroll ) to avoid prejudice by club owners. In 1949 she appeared regularly on the " Tin Pan Alley " club. To her trio were Chuck Wayne (guitar) and Clyde Lombardi (bass ), 1949 replaced by Charlie Byrd (guitar) and Joe Shulman ( bass). In 1948 she took up with Benny Goodman, Stan Hasselgård and Wardell Gray.

After she appeared in a bop session with her sponsor Bud Powell at a concert at the Royal Roost, she was accepted in bebop circles. In 1949 she was involved in recordings by Serge Chaloff and Eddie Shu; in 1950 was followed by recordings under his own name. In 1952 she took up with Sylvia Sims and began an engagement in " Embers ", first as an opening act for Art Tatum. There she was discovered by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, which they occupied as a pianist for the musical " Me and Juliet " ( with her then - trio accompaniment Shulman and Herb Wasserman, recording at RCA ). She also had her own radio show and was often in the " Today Show " at NBC, where she also accompany Billie Holiday ( with it already in their time in the clubs of the 52nd Street played in the late 1940s ) shortly before her death should. In 1957 she recorded for Verve. In the late 1950s the engagements in clubs took off, many of whom joined as modified by the triumphal march of rock n 'roll atmosphere. Although it took two more albums in 1964, then retired but for the moment of the scene back in order to look after her daughter. It was not until 1972, she appeared again, accompanied in the 1970s, the country singer Rita Coolidge and made ​​recordings for United Artists (1977 with Ron Carter and Steve Gadd ) and Blue Note Records. In 1979, she appeared as a soloist at the Newport Jazz Festival. Since 1974 she has been working as a duo with Jay Leonhart. 1978 to 2003 she played regularly and mostly solo in the Hotel Carlyle in New York, which she added in the 1980s by cabaret singing performances. For this they received from the " Manhattan Association of Cabaret " in 1998 and 2003 a price. In 2003 she was awarded the " Mary Lou Williams Jazz Award". On 30 June 2009, it was presented for the second time in Marian McPartlands radio show Piano Jazz (where it was in 1979 as the second guest loaded at all). 2012, it occurs as before;

In 1954, she married Joe Shulman, but in 1957 died of a heart attack while vacationing. In 1960 she married the music agent Bert Block, with whom she has a daughter.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Complete 1951-1956 Trio Recordings