Norman Connors
JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
Norman Connors
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Like Roy Ayers, George Benson, and Patrice Rushen, Norman Connors is best known for his major R&B hits but started out as a jazz improviser. The drummer/composer was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he lived in the same neighborhood as Bill Cosby and became interested in jazz when he was only a child. As a kid in elementary school, Connors was exposed to jazz extensively thanks to such schoolmates as drummer Lex Humphries and the younger brother of bassist and Jazz Messenger-to-be Spanky De Brest. Connors was in junior high when he began sneaking into jazz clubs and sat in for Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane gig. At 13, he first got to meet his idol, Miles Davis, and started expressing his admiration for the famous trumpeter by dressing like him. Connors went on to study music at Philly's Temple University and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Gigs with Jackie McLean, Jack McDuff, and Sam Rivers followed, and he was first recorded as a sideman when Archie Shepp employed him on his 1967 Impulse! session Magic of Ju-Ju.
After touring with Pharoah Sanders and playing on several of his albums, Connors signed with Buddah's Cobblestone label in 1972 and recorded his first album as a leader, Dance of Magic and its follow-up, Dark of Light. A few more jazz-oriented Cobblestone and Buddah dates followed, and it was in 1975 that Connors made R&B his main priority with Saturday Night Special (which included the number ten soul hit "Valentine Love"). The rest of the 1970s found Connors featuring R&B singers prominently (including Michael Henderson, Jean Carn, and the late Phyllis Hyman) and scoring such R&B hits as "We Both Need Each Other," "Once I've Been There," and the lovely "You Are My Starship." Connors, who signed with Arista in 1977, wasn't as popular or as visible in the 1980s, although he would make a comeback in the 1990s by signing with Motown's MoJazz label and focusing on both urban contemporary and crossover. The 21st century found him moving along similar lines, releasing Eternity on Starship Records in 2000 and Star Power in 2009 on Shanachie Records. -- Alex Hendersonm, All Music Guide
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01. Dark Of Light 02. Butterfly Dreams 03. Laughter |
04. Black Lightnin’ 05. Twilight Zone 06. Song For Rosa |
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01. Dance Of Magic 02. Morning Change 03. Blue 04. Give The Drummer Some |
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01. Revelation 02. Carlos II 03. Drums Around The World |
04. Love From The Sun 05. Kumakucha (The Sun Has Risen) 06. Holy Waters |
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01. Mother Of The Future 02. Back On The Street 03. Welcome 04. Slew Foot |
05. Dreams 06. Chuka 07. Jump Street |
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01. Saturday Night Special 02. Dindi 03. Maiden Voyage 04. Valentine Love |
05. Akia 06. Skin Diver 07. Kwasi |
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01. You Are Everything 02. Once I’ve Been There 03. Destination Moon 04. Romantic Journey |
05. Last Tango In Paris 06. For You Everything 07. Thembi |
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01. We Both Need Each Other 02. Betcha By Golly, Wow 03. Bubbles 04. You Are My Starship |
05. Just Imagine 06. So Much Love 07. The Creator Has A Master Plan |
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01. Stella 02. This Is Your Life 03. Wouldn’t You Like To See? 04. Listen 05. Say You Love Me |
06. Captain Connors 07. You Make Me Feel Brand New 08. Butterfly 09. The Creator Has A Master Plan 10. Captain Connors (12” version) |
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01. Your Love 02. Handle Me Gently 03. Be There In The Morning 04. Invitation 05. Together |
06. Discoland 07. I Have A Dream 08. Beijo Partido 09. Kingston |
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01. Take It To The Limit 02. Melancholy Fire 03. You’ve Been On My Mind 04. I Don’t Need Nobody Else |
05. Justify 06. Black Cow 07. You Bring Me Joy 08. Everywhere Inside Of Me |
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01. She’s Gone 02. Party Town 03. Keep Doin’ It 04. Stay With Me |
05. Anyway You Want 06. Sing A Love Song 07. Love’s In Your Corner 08. Mr. C |
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01. I Am Your Melody 02. You’re My One And Only Love 03. Heaven In Your Eyes 04. Private Stock 05. Passion 06. Lovin’ You |
07. Shabba 08. That’s The Way Of The World 09. Welcome To My Life 10. Obsession 11. Samba For Maria |
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01. Remember Who You Are 02. I Can’t Wait Till I See You Again 03. Only When She Cries 04. You And I 05. Tell Me A Bedtime Story 06. A Song For You |
07. Naima 08. Lush Life 09. Just Like This 10. Kellie’s Theme 11. Remember Who You Are (reprise) |
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01. One For Mr. C 02. Easy Living 03. Saturday Afternoon 04. River Nile 05. Precious Love 06. The Day We Said I Do 07. You Go To My Head |
08. The Captain’s Choice 09. Every Time I Fall In Love 10. Do I Dare 11. Two Thumbs Up 12. Remember When 13. Star Flower |
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01. So Hard To Say Goodbye 02. Didn’t I (blow your mind this time) 03. Cobra 04. You Are My Starship 05. Eternity 06. Conditions Of The Heart 07. River Of Love |
08. You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore 09. Feel The Heart 10. We’re Still Friends 11. You’re Making Me High 12. KC 13. Not Just Another Love Song 14. Can’t Say No |
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01. I Used To Be 02. Where Do We Go From Here 03. The Sweetest Taboo 04. Walk On By 05. Rock With You 06. You Take My Breath Away 07. Stormin’ Norman |
08. You Are My Starship 09. Shades Of Brown 10. I Waited All My Life For You 11. Star Power 12. Reach For The Sky 13. Thinkin’ 14. Adore (I love you) |
