Carolynn Black
Madison, Wisconsin, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Brash and boisterous, Black's buxom vocals will remind blues-hounds of Chicago's “Bombshell” Bonnie Lee. A frequent guest performer with Clyde Stubblefield at the King Club, Black is originally from New York City. The song, "Bloomberg Blues,” cites her frustration with New York's mayor, in a piano-duet setting typical of the Big Apple's seedy lounges. Driven by funk and rock tunes, “Ride” incorporates the former on intricate bass-work while “Ooh Baby” is very characteristic of the latter 80's feather-hair generation. Her sophomore effort, “Livin' In a Ball Factory” has the vocal power and drive to push her soulful alto-tenor range to broader planes of existence. A newlywed, she duets with husband Tom on a few tracks for R&B support on duets, and adapts chameleon-like to the supporting band. - Maximum Ink - Sept 2005
4/1/05
" Livin’ in a Ball Factory "
Genre: folk
With a ferocious opener of a spitfire, in your face, rockin’ start, it immediately grasps your attention and causes your feet to start tapping! Carolynn Black is ripping up the music scene with edgy lyrics and a voice that can only be described as an in between of Janis Joplin and Joss Stone. Her sultry voice rests comfortably in a jazzy inspired blues tone while showing a gentle side of a tough girl with her songwriting. “Yeah, she’s the girl, I always wanted to be,” she sings in the song “That Girl” about the inner goddess any woman wants to be, one that lives carefree, doing everything right and is admired by everyone. Listeners will be able to relate with her lyrics, they are fun, fast, furious and completely fearless. Carolynn Black is the ripe olive in a martini, to be enjoyed alone or with friends, this CD is sure to stay in your CD player for a long time!
Hit Picks: "That Girl" and "Get it while you can"
- GoGirlsMusic.com
Carolynn Black & The Blues is a band that creates a bluesy folk rock style that bleeds with an intense energy and soulful aura. Carolynn's vocal style is sexy and sultry with a lot of passion and feeling. Just the way I like. Carolynn makes the music stand up and take notice with her powerful presentation of the groove that she represents. The music has a smart dose of pop sensibility that is much like a Bonnie Raitt style of blues. In fact, if there is one popular artist that Carolynn reminds me of, it's Bonnie Raitt. The lyrics seem to have the same power that the music and vocals do. This is a deep, honest, and emotional portrayal of not only Carolynn, but just about everyone else. This is music that can be felt by just about anyone who is alive. I really did enjoy this album for the most part. It's good music with a broad range of appeal. It's one of those albums that just makes sense. What else do you need? - Music Dish Online - March 2002
• The Carolynn Black Band rocks the Tiki Hut stage at The World's Largest Music Festival, SUMMERFEST 06, Milwaukee, WI - 07/04/06
• "Ooh Baby" and "To my future husband" receive honorable mentions in the 13th Billboard World Song Contest.
• "One brother" receives honor award in the 7th Annual Great American Song Contest - 03/14/06
• Carolynn receives MAMA nomination for Best Female Vocalist - 02/20/06
• The new Carolynn Black Band debuts at The High Noon Saloon for a MAMA's (Madison Area Music Awards) Best New Artist Showcase. - 02/15/06
• Carolynn is asked to join the Black n' Blues All-Stars - she gleefully accepts. - 1/30/06
• Carolynn joins both The Clyde Stubblefield Band and Vibe Syndicate, Madison, WI - October, 2005
• "One Brother" becomes a finalist in the folk category in the January 2005 Song of the Year contest.
• "Get it while you can," and "Ooh baby," air on WORT's Rolling with Scissors, Madison, WI - 2/22/05
• "Amsterdam," and "The Bloomberg Blues" air on WORT's The Whatever Show, Madison, WI - 1/19/05
• livin' in a ball factory release party at The Bitter End, NYC - 12/04/04
• C. Black performs at the Rally at the Railyards benefit for Develop, Don't Destroy, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY – 3/28/04
• C. Black peforms “Big Yellow Taxi” in protest at Borough Hall, Brooklyn, NY and on the steps of City Hall, NYC. Coverage by CBS 2 news, and NY1 – March 04
• Carolynn Black & The Blues host EMINIENT DOM-AID benefit for Develop, Don't Destroy at Freddy’s Bar & Backroom, Brooklyn, NY - 2/22/04
• In-studio interview & performance on WAPJ’s Simply Devine, 89.9FM Torrington, CT - 5/24/02
• C. Black performs “Empty Skyline” with Pete Margolis at BWECC Tribute to Local Heroes, Brooklyn, NY - 4/26/02
• C. Black guest DJs with Michael Bourne on WBGO Jazz88.3FM Newark, NJ - 7/20/01
• “Go Home” debuts on WBGO Jazz88 - 7/20/01
• Carolynn Black & The Blues performs at Bikers 4 Kids 1st Annual National Ride for Missing Children, Cunningham Park, Queens, NY - 6/30/01
• In-studio interview & performance on EYADA.com’s The Lionel Show - 5/17/01
• “Think of You” debuts on Q104.3’s Ground Zero with Jonathan Clarke (104.3FM New York, NY) - 4/08/01
• C. Black guest DJs with Michael Bourne on WBGO Jazz88 - 7/25/00
- Carolynn Black History
Discography
Albums:
dontchawannaknow -Vibe Syndicate- due Fall 2006
livin' in a ball factory -Carolynn Black- released Dec. 2004
Let it go -Carolynn Black & The Blues- released Mar. 2001
Both cds are available for purchase at cdbaby.com
All tracks from both cds are available for digital download at a number of sites including itunes.com, audiolunchbox.com, and mymusic.com
Photos
Bio
Carolynn Black: n., NY orig. 1. singer-songwriter, known to encourage happiness and good vibes through music. Currently, she can be found on the stages of Madison, WI with The Carolynn Black Band, The Clyde Stubblefield Band, Vibe Syndicate, and The Black 'n' Blues All-Stars searching for people in need of a Cheshire-cat smile of a song.
Accused of sounding like the freaky-lesbo-love-child of Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, Carolynn describes herself as a bluesy, country-funkified soul singer. She is all those things, and then some.
Here's the short version: After playing in and around NYC for eight years with her band, Carolynn Black & The Blues, she released her second album, "livin' in a ball factory" on December 4th 2004 at The Bitter End. Carolynn performed regularly at the famous Greenwich Village folk club, with both her band, and The Healers, a rock & soul cover band. The smashing cd release party was a culmination of the hundreds of shows leading up to it. Since its release, "livin in a ball factory" has received glowing reviews, and the celtic-sounding track "One brother," has garnered honors in the 2005 Song of the Year and 2006 Great American Song contests.
Due to interesting circumstances, (real estate markets, impulsive yet smart-as-hell decision making, etc.) a week later, she was driving her little hatchback, worldy possessions and cat in tow, to Madison, WI for a little breathing room and a new life with her then fiance, Tom. Little did she know, moving to the midwest would turn out to be the best move for her career.
It didn't take long for Carolynn to find her way through Madison's burgeoning live music scene; a blues jam here, jazz jam there, and then she sat in with the man, "The Original Funky Drummer," Clyde Stubblefield. Mr. Stubblefield, known primarily for laying down the funky grooves for James Brown, has lived and played in Madison for 30 years. A local luminary, he has mentored most of the drummers in south central Wisconsin, and at 63, is still the grooviest of them all. In October 2005, Clyde called up Carolynn and said "You're in the band!" As his "goddess of soul" Carolynn gets to wrap her sultry voice around all the classic r&b, funk, blues, and soul he can dish out every Monday at The King Club. In return for her intoxicating performances, she was nominated for a 2006 MAMA (Madison Area Music Award) for Best Female Vocalist, and had the honor of performing the award show finale with Clyde and another of Madison's local legends, jazz keyboardist, Ben Sidran.
The same week she was asked to join The Clyde Stubblefield Band, Carolynn was also invited into the original r&b/neo-soul outfit Vibe Syndicate whose debut album is due out this fall. As the new vocalist and lyricist, she was given the opportunity to step out of her box and expand her writing and song styling. Always up for a challenge, she has added that extra spark to a seriously talented group of musicians. Carolynn is also a member of The Black 'n' Blues All-Stars, a veritable who's who of midwestern soul.
All of this attention lead her to form a new band for her down-home, countrified, funky, singer/songwriter sound. The Carolynn Black Band recently unleashed its chicken-fried-folk at this years Summerfest in Milwaukee to rousing crowds. Carolynn and her husband Tom flew to Cincinnati this September to showcase The Carolynn Black Duo at the 2006 MidPoint Music Festival. While only their first trip to MPMF, they made a splash at one of the city's most cherished jazz venues, The Blue Wisp, and at the classic dive bar, Rhino's. With Tom by her side on electric guitar, John Mesoloras on bass guitar, and Joey B. Banks on drums, Carolynn hopes to spread her philosophy as far as she can: Music is life, so keep on rockin!
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