Karla Harris

    "Vocalist Karla Harris tends to take the stage by storm and doesn’t let go till it’s all over.”  – Clubscene

    “Always respectful of her American Songbook choices, Harris has superb intonation and a contemporary, appealing approach to the songs.”   – Jazz Scene Magazine

    “…Give her a microphone and you’ll understand the meaning of jazz. One minute, her clean, beautiful vocals on a timeless standard wash over you, and then she cold-cocks you with a blues number that’ll stick to your ribs.”   – John Baum, Atlanta Journal Constitution

    Jazz vocalist Karla Harris has captivated audiences at events such as the Sarasota Jazz Festival, Greenville Jazz Festival, Portland Jazz Festival, Oregon Coast Jazz Party, Nantucket Arts Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, and a TED Talk. She has performed for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Arts Across America live performance series, and in 2022 was awarded a distinguished Jazz Road grant through the South Arts foundation. In addition to performing, she is a songwriter and educator. In 2024 she was named a recipient of Atlanta Magazine’s “Women Making a Mark” award in recognition of her jazz outreach and education programs. Harris is a member of the Kennesaw State University Jazz Studies faculty, teaching applied vocal jazz to aspiring young singers passionate about this uniquely American art form. 

    Karla was selected by the South Fulton Arts Institute to be one of their 2024 subjects to complete a short-film documentary covering her musical career. It is scheduled to be premiered in February 2025.  
     
    Harris’s music, a nuanced blend of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz, is heard worldwide. Critics acclaimed her 2015 album, “Karla Harris Sings the Dave and Iola Brubeck Songbook,” calling it “a work of sheer elegance.” Greenlighted by the Brubeck estate, the project stands as the first studio recording dedicated to vocal versions of several Brubeck compositions with lyrics by his wife, Iola. Harris’ 2019 release, “Certain Elements,” reached #44 on the prestigious Jazz Week chart.

    Karla Harris - vocals
    Tyrone Jackson - piano
    Bernard Terry - bass
    Kevin Giannino - drums