“… a powerful singer at ease in any setting.”
Ross Gentile, “Standards in Jazz,” WSIE-FM

"Karla Harris engages the audience and makes us
happy to be sharing the evening with her."
-Clubscene

Welcome to vocalist Karla Harris’ home on the Web!
Thanks for stopping by.

News, Updates, and Performances...

February/March 2012

Dear Friends,

I've fallen in love with Portland, my home for the past seven years, and have been privileged to work with some of the best musicians in the business who also call this place home. How fortunate I have been! However, this spring will bring a change of cities for me as I leave Portland and move to the southeast.

My time here has been tremendously broadening to me as an artist. I wish to thank every musician who has shared his or her talent and expertise in working with me or who simply said "Nice to meet you!"-- There are many, because this town is brimming with excellent players and music lovers who are also very kind and supportive to one another. They welcomed me, a newcomer, and made me feel over the years a part of their community, a very wonderful community, by the way. Thank you!

I also want to express sincere gratitude and love for the great people I have had the pleasure of singing for, who have come out, who have brought friends to the shows, who have introduced me to their own audiences .... Your response has warmed and encouraged me over and over. It has been a privilege and a lot of fun getting to know you during break-time chats. Thank you for embracing what we offer!

Also, thank you to the venue managers and agents -- many of whom have become friends -- who have supported live music and entrusted me with entertaining their clientele. Thank you in particular to those venues who continue to offer courtesy, hospitality and mutual respect for the music professionals who work to bring their best. We love you!

Whether musician on the bandstand or music lover listening, you have helped escort many magical moments straight to me ... These are memories and friendships I will carry with me always.

I'll be singing out through mid-March ... please see the calendar link for all the dates. It's hard to say "final shows," so I'll just say "last in Portland, for now."

I plan on enjoying every moment of music-making in the weeks prior to my move to Atlanta. Hope to see you out so we will enjoy them together!

All Good Wishes~
Karla


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In the News... A nice Christmas gift arrived in the form of a December Musician of the Month feature for Karla in Clubscene, the jazz magazine of Oregon published by the Jazz Society of Oregon. Thanks to writer Rita Rega and editor Lynn Daroch for the feature!

Read the article online at
JSO December 2011 Musician of the Month

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My good friend and frequent accompanist Mark Simon is fighting liver disease and needs Help. Please visit this link to find out how you could assist -- and please pass it along. Thank you!

Jazz Pianist Needs Liver Transplant

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Visit the calendar link above to see all the details on scheduled performances and more. Please drop an email at the Contact Link above if you'd like to be on Karla's mailing list.

As always, thank you for your warm support of live music, wherever it's made.

Music is what feelings sound like.


* * * * * * * *

"My Own Little Corner" ... a place for the love of words
(New entry posted Feb. 1, 2012)

A poem, like a great lyric, can say so much in just a few lines. Below, a few to share...

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real,
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.

I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.


— Mary Oliver
from “When Death Comes”



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Dream Dust

Gather out of
stardust,
earth-dust,
cloud-dust,
storm-dust,
and splinters of hail,

One handful of
dream-dust

not for sale.

- by Langston Hughes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Art Sanctuary

I would always choose to be the person running
rather than the mob chasing
I would prefer to be the person laughed at
rather than the teenagers laughing
I always admired the men and women who sat down
for their rights
And held in disdain the men and women who spat
on them
Everyone deserves Sanctuary a place to go where you are
safe
Art offers Sanctuary to everyone willing
to open their hearts as well as their eyes

-by Nikki Giovanni

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patience

Patience is wider
than one once envisioned,

with ribbons of rivers
and distant ranges
and
 tasks
undertaken and finished
with modest 
relish
by natives
in their native dress.


Who would have guessed it possible

that waiting is sustainable—
a place with its own harvests.
Or that
in 
time's fullness
the diamonds of patience
couldn't be distinguished
from the genuine
in brilliance
or hardness.

-by Kay Ryan


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Past News of Note:

2011

December: Karla will be performing in two special holiday concerts with the Big Horn Brass Band (www.bighornbrass.org). Thirteen brass instruments and two percussionists make for one incredible sound to ring in the holidays with spirit. Please see the calendar link above for details on these concerts, happening Dec. 11 and Dec. 17.


November: The Wine, Woman & Song show at Willamette Valley Vineyards Nov. 19.
Karla's special show that pairs music and wine enjoyed two sold-out nights in Newport last July and now makes its winery debut at Oregon's premier vintner, Willamette Valley Vineyards, known for its award-winning wines. Evening features a wine, music and food pairing and is a fun, unique experience for all wine lovers AND the wine curious!

October: Pick up a copy of the October Positively Entertainment newspaper or check it out online -- Karla is featured on the cover.
http://www.positivelyentertainment.com/paper/content/jazz-singer-builds-vocal-career-engages-spellbound-audiences-her-arrival

August, I'm happy to be guest vocalist with Oregon Jazz Hall of Fame group Tall Jazz at the annual Jazz & Oysters Festival in Oysterville, Washington. Looking forward to joining this well-loved, highly esteemed group at this event. More details can be found on the August calendar.

July: Wine, Woman & Song show sells out two nights at Ch'Boogie Jazz Club in Newport, OR.


2010

Oct., Many thanks to jazz vocalist and new radio host Rebecca Kilgore and radio host Val Adell for playing from the Karla Harris-Tom Kennedy CD, "Twice As Nice," on their shows on KMHD, 89.1. Val hosts The Bridge on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Rebecca's new show, The Singer's Voice, showcases jazz vocalists from all eras every Saturday, 1-3 p.m. Great hosts, great shows to enjoy ... I have such respect for Rebecca's talent and achievements as a singer -- am so appreciative of her airplay!


Aug. 8, The Bite of Oregon Festival, Portland, with Mike Horsfall, Todd Strait, Dave Captein
July 17, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival in Portland with the Bobby Torres Latin Jazz ensemble and special guest, Grammy-Winning percussionist Luis Conte
May 28, SRO for Harris, Horsfall, Strait, Captein at Arrivederci's Wine Bar
May 8, Silverton Wine and Jazz Festival with Bobby Torres Ensemble
April 9, interview and live performance on Lynn Darroch's radio show celebrating Betty Carter
Feb. 13, concert with Bobby Torres Ensemble featuring Grammy-winning percussionist Luis Conte


2009

We've brushed up the site and have added a new page ... see the "SHOWS" link above.

Plus, a new mp3 on the "LISTEN" link. So many people commented that they loved this song from Karla's recent live performance on KMHD ... We've posted it. Thank you for letting us know you liked what you heard. Go to the Listen page and click on "You Better Go Now."


June 6: Karla at the new "'Round Midnight" series created by David Ornette Cherry. Performing with the Bobby Torres Ensemble, 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. at the Curious Comedy Theatre in Portland. For the night owl in you ... www.roundmidnightpdx.xom

May 30: Tune into KMHD 89.1 for Homegrown Live with host Mary Burlingame at 2 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time. Karla is the featured performer and will be making music with the JumpTown Quartet, including bassist Tim Gilson, guitarist Eli Reisman, pianist Mark Simon and drummer Larry Bard, for the full hour.

"Wine, Woman and Song," debuting May 19 at Tony Starlight's Supper Club and Lounge. ..... Karla, with the help of Tony's supreme Chef and Sommelier Tom J. Fields, has created a unique wine-food-music 'tasting' with songs specifically chosen to enhance the flavor of each wine variety you'll taste. This show is based on research done by major vintners Karla read about after wondering if music could be paired with wine in the same way food is -- to bring out the full "flavors" in each.

Karla is accompanied this night by the JumpTown Quartet, featuring musicians as fine as the wine -- guitarist Eli Reisman, pianist Mark Simon, bassist Tim Gilson and drummer Randy Rollofson, who are going to play everything from Monk to Mozart to test these theories.

Saturday, April 25 -- SIREN NATION'S annual BILLIE HOLIDAY TRIBUTE, at the new Mississippi Studios. Karla joins a fine group of singers, each presenting three of their favorite songs from Lady Day. sirennationcom. Check out the calendar for more info to come.

2008:

What a special July, and more in August and September...

We had an excellent time performing at the 28th annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival in Portland July 20. It was great to share the stage with my Twice As Nice recording partner and extraordinary bassist Tom Kennedy, plus outstanding drummer Todd Strait and the endlessly inventive pianist Randy Porter who played their hearts out for our show. Thanks to everyone who let us know they enjoyed the Music at the park or via the KMHD 89.1 simulcast, and to all who purchased Twice As Nice CDs. Hats off and thanks also to event director Joe Beeler and all of the organizers and volunteers. It was a great day!

Tom Kennedy and I are taking the show to the East Coast over Labor Day Weekend. We'll be opening the Nantucket Island Arts Festival, joined by great musicians out of NYC. Looking forward to meeting everyone there!

SEPTEMBER 6 -- I'll be on the beautiful Portland South Waterfront with the Bobby Torres ensemble at the Portland RiverFest. Latin jazz at its best and a great family event. Please check the calendar link above for details.

SEPTEMBER 7 -- I'm traveling to the coast for the Newport Jazz Festival. I'll be singing some tunes at the festival's Finale event -- the local All-Star Jam Performance, 1-2 p.m. This group features players from Newport joined by headliners who are in for town to perform at the festival. Looking forward to being a part of the party!