Karrin Allyson has been singing professionally since the late 1980s. She has recorded more than 15 albums and has been nominated for a Grammy five times. Her new album, A Kiss for Brazil, is a breezy swing through bossa nova and samba with a sterling group of musicians.
In addition to singing songs in English and Portuguese, Karrin plays piano along with Vitor Gonçalves, who also plays the Fender Rhodes electric piano and accordion, Harvie S is on bass, Yotam Silbersein is on guitar and Rafael Barata plays drums. The album was recorded in March 2023 at Teaneck Sound in Teaneck, N.J.
Karrin's voice is tender and in the pocket, beautifully framed by her musicians. Just don't call her "Karen." Her name is pronounced Car-IN. Curious about Karrin's background? Me, too. So we did an e-interview.
But first, here's a track from her new album...
Here's our e-chat:
JazzWax: Karrin, you were born in Great Bend, Kan. How old were you when your family moved to Omaha, Neb., and what was the reason for the relocation?
Karrin Allyson: My family moved from Great Bend when I was about a year old to Minneapolis for five years before moving to Omaha, where we settled in. My dad was a Lutheran pastor and his relocations were related to the church. So was my Mom’s father and grandfather, as well as her brother.
JW: How did you wind up with two r’s in your first name?
KA: It’s a Scandinavian name. My mom thought it would be easier to pronounce correctly, but most people still get it wrong. My mom was a wonderful classical pianist and my first piano teacher. She also was a psychotherapist and very active in women’s issues. My dad was involved in social justice and race matters. [Photo above of Karrin Allyson]
JW: They came to a crossroads, though, yes?
KA: Yes, they divorced after 15 years of marriage, and my dad re-married a lovely woman. My mom moved on to Oakland, Calif., and I joined her there for my senior year of high school. That’s where I first became involved in theater—playing the lead roles in South Pacific, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Our Town and Paint Your Wagon.
JW: When did you start singing in church?
KA: I sang some in church, but mostly my folks encouraged me to play classical piano for the congregation at times. I loved classical piano but not the practicing part so much. Classical piano was eventually my major in college, with a minor in French. Growing up, I listened mostly to classical records, along with records by Simon & Garfunkel, Odetta, Peter Paul & Mary, Broadway musicals and some country. I also listened to the radio a lot as a kid, discovering Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Roberta Flack, Janis Ian, Carole King and Cat Stevens, among others. I bought sheet music of my favorite pop tunes and started to experiment with singing and playing them.
JW: When did you start listening to jazz and jazz vocalists?
KA: In college at the University of Nebraska at Omaha through classmates and a boyfriend who played the saxophone. As for vocals, I gravitated toward Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Oscar Brown Jr, Nina Simone, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Al Jarreau. I was in two choirs—the big University choir and a college swing choir where we got to go to Japan and the Philippines. I never joined our church choir.
JW: Did you like living in Omaha?
KA: Yes, very much. I had mixed feelings about moving to California. I missed our dog, family and friends. Returning to Omaha for college, I had many great experiences there and still do. I was awarded an honorary doctorate from UNO last year.
JW: Did you meet any of your jazz heroes?
KA: While living in Kansas City I worked a bit with talented trumpeter Mike Metheny, the brother of guitarist Pat Metheny. They grew up in the Kansas City area, and their parents used to have wonderful parties that included jam sessions. Early on, I was lucky enough to be invited to several and got to sit in and meet Pat. It was a thrill. Among the jazz albums that most inspired me were LPs by Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderley, Clifford Brown and Dizzy Gillespie. I also loved singers Nancy King and Jon Hendricks, both of whom appeared on my album Footprints. I even got to meet Oscar Brown Jr., who sat in with us in a show in San Francisco. [Photo above of Karrin Allyson]
JW: You formed a band?
KA: Yes, I was the lead singer in Tomboy, an all-girls rock ‘n’ roll band. That was a great experience. We recorded a 45 of two original songs on either side. I’m still friends with band members today. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and encouraged me to do whatever I felt passionate about.
JW: Who in college saw something special in you?
KA: While at UNO. aside from my scholarship for classical piano, professors who taught trombone and big band both encouraged me. They urged me to sing with the big band and join the swing choir so I could go on a college trip to Japan and the Philippines with them.
JW: What languages do you speak?
KA: In addition to English, I’m proficient in French and I love singing in both French and Portuguese. I never studied Portuguese formally, but when I started to add Brazilian songs to my repertoire, I sought out mentors to help me along. I’m grateful to Brazilian journalist Lucia Guimaraes for helping me with that.
JW: When was your first trip to Brazil?
KA: I performed in Brazil for the first time in 2014, when I was sent there under a grant arranged by the Midwest Arts Council. I took my Kansas City band, which included Kansas City pianist Paul Smith, guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman, bassist Bob Bowman and drummer Todd Strait. It was so interesting and exciting. We went to Rio, São Paulo, Fortaleza and Bahia. We were even featured on The Joe Suarez TV show in São Paulo. Our only disappointment came on our off-nights when we couldn’t find live bossa nova and samba being performed.
JW: What made you decide to record A Kiss for Brazil?
KW: A Kiss for Brazil began with my desire to record two songs with the great singer-guitarist Rosa Passos. It ended up feeling so good we kept going. Besides some of Rosa’s records, I love Brazilian albums by Nara Leao, Elis Regina, her duets with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud and João Gilberto, Joyce, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins and Djavan. Many Brazilian artists are wonderfully passionate about music, nature and food.
JW: Tell me about the musicians.
KA: All, are all stellar players on their instruments. Years earlier, Rafael and I were the featured artists at Rio’s Mistura Fina club. He has a great groove and was very encouraging and knowledgeable. Vitor G —what a talent on piano, Fender Rhodes and accordion. Harvie S is on bass and has a deep sound and feel, and really cares about the music. Yotam is very keen to do what’s best for the music, a beautiful guitarist. [Photo above of Karrin Allyson]
JW: Who wrote the English words for the Brazilian songs you recorded?
KA: For Month of March in Salvador (Dunas), Rosa’s song, Rafael—our drummer whom I met in Rio a long time ago—and I wrote the English lyric. I’m proud of that. The words stick closely to the exact translation of the Brazilian lyrics and focus on the love of nature. Chris Caswell, my very talented co-writer on our CD Some of That Sunshine, wrote the English lyrics for O Grande Amor. I pulled the band together with the help of drummer Rafael Barata. I funded it, arranged it, and Harvie S turned me on to Teaneck Studio—a great place. The album's sound is fantastic.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Karrin Allyson's A Kiss for Brazil here or at major streaming platforms such as YouTube here.
To reach Karrin, visit her website here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Month of March in Salvador (Dunas) with Rosa Passos...
And here's Wave...
Bonus: Here's Karrin in 2014 singing My Little Boat...
