Mega-hit maker Norman Connors is bringing his star power to Raleigh.
The drummer/vocalist, who produced such notable love ballads as “You Are My Starship” and “Valentine Love,” will be at The Prime Smokehouse on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5-6, performing two shows each night, 8 and 10 p.m. Advance tickets, $23, are now on sale at http://www.primesmokehouse.com. Admission at the door is $28.
Norman Connors’ recordings of the 1970s made him a soul/R&B icon, when he joined forces with other up-and-coming hit makers like Phyllis Hyman, Norman Brown, Jean Carne, Al Johnson and saxophonist Marion Meadows. However, with his 2009 release, “Star Power,” Connors has continued to create attention-getting music, proving that he is equally comfortable in the world of smooth jazz and that he has what it takes to lock down a solid chunk of the urban-crossover audience. On his latest project, he collaborates with other soul-music legends, Howard Hewett, Bobby Lyle, Ray Parker Jr., Peabo Bryson, Michael Henderson and Antoinette, to name a few.
Connors’ straight-ahead jazz chops also run deep. As an eighth-grader, he sat in for drummer Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane concert, and he was hooked for good. He went on to study music at Temple University in his hometown of Philadelphia and at the renowned Julliard School in New York. His earliest recordings were with legendary jazz artists like saxophonists Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders. He also collaborated on several other top-flight recordings with Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gary Bartz and a host of others.
Norman Connors is the third artist to perform in The Prime Smokehouse All-star Dinner Jazz Series. Saxophonist Ronnie Laws and vocalist Jean Carne have also appeared in the series. The Prime Smokehouse is located at 2800 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh, just minutes from downtown.
Prime Smokehouse
2800 Rock Quarry Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
