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Her creative originality emerges from a very crafty style that encompasses an unexpected vivacious swing tempo, splashes of emotional cadence,  perfect understanding and interpretation of melody, and above all,  that magnificent lyrical elegance. This year, Diva Carol was honored and recognized as the Winner, 2006 BACKSTAGE BISTRO AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING JAZZ PERFORMANCE

Her biography tell us that diva Carol Sloane " Carol continued to sing in small bars and clubs until she met the road manager of the Les and Larry Elgart Orchestra, which was touring the amusement park ballrooms in the southern New England area. She auditioned for Larry Elgart, who then asked her to come to New York with his band. The brothers had recently split the organization, Les taking the territory west of Chicago, Larry to handle everything east of Chicago. Larry Elgart suggested she change her name to Carol Sloane. The "road years" with the Larry Elgart band continued until 1960, when the road simply became too boring and too difficult for her. After two years on the road, she was still unknown, and there were no singing engagements to be had. She took various secretarial jobs booked through Manhattan temp agencies. She continued her working relationship with the former road manager of the Elgart band, who had become an agent in the office of the legendary Willard Alexander. This man, Bob Bonis, arranged for Carol to sing at a jazz festival in Pittsburgh in 1960, at which time she met Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Jon Hendricks asked Carol if she could learn the LH&R book in order to be prepared to take Annie Ross' place if that ever became necessary. Carol agreed to study the group's exacting material, and continued her secretarial gigs. Then, one night in early 1961, when attending a performance of LH&R at the Village Vanguard, Jon asked Carol to sing a couple of tunes on her own, after which the legendary proprietor Max Gordon asked her if she'd like to sing at the club the following August as opening act for Oscar Peterson. In her own words, "I stammered an acceptance, and walked five feet off the ground on the way home". Another auspicious move was quietly being made for Carol in 1961, without her knowledge: Jon Hendricks made a very persuasive argument to the producers that Carol should be included in that year's Newport Jazz Festival as part of the "New Stars" program. On the afternoon of that presentation, Carol had the use of the Ike Isaacs Trio which backed LH&R.

 story

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In 1969, Carol accepted an offer to sing in a club in Raleigh, North Carolina, found the atmosphere in that city very much less hectic than New York, with an audience eager to hear and support jazz artists. She relocated to the south at the beginning of 1970. Carol worked both as a singer and a legal secretary for the next several years, eventually returning to New York to begin a turbulent relationship with a legendary jazz pianist, Jimmy Rowles. Jimmy's reputation as a master accompanist and soloist was solid and undisputed, but his alcoholism made their situation often stormy. He did, however, pull himself together long enough to play for Ella Fitzgerald when Tommy Flanagan left after almost twenty years of accompanying the great singer. Jimmy's tenure was much shorter: only two years at the outside. He then decided to return to Los Angeles, and did so at the end of 1980. Carol also left New York, this time returning to her beloved New England. She arrived in Boston in January, 1981, accepted a job in a prestigious law firm, and promptly threw away the idea of an "ordinary" life when a friend asked her to return to N.C. to help him in his new supper club recently opened in Chapel Hill. The venue was beautiful, comfortable and truly a perfect setting for any artist, and Carol booked her friends into the club: Shirley Horn, Joe Williams, George Shearing, Marian McPartland, Anita O'Day, Jackie & Roy, and of course, the great Carmen McRae. This club managed to last all of two years, a remarkable accomplishment. Carol also hosted a radio show at the NPR affiliate in Chapel Hill. In 1984, while singing in a Boston club, she met the man whom she would eventually marry. Her marriage to Buck Spurr took place in November, 1986, and Carol has lived in the Boston area since that time. She recorded two albums for Contemporary in 1988 and 1989, then signed with Concord Jazz in 1991, recording six solo albums and touring Japan many times as part of the Concord-Fujitsu Festival. Carol stayed busy making her debut with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall, Boston in 1998, then with the New York Pops Orchestra in 1999, and recorded a tribute album to Duke Ellington on the DRG label that same year.

In March 2000, she began a second career in radio, hosting The Jazz Matinee, a four-hour jazz program, five days a week on WICN-FM, the NPR affiliate in Worcester, Mass. This jazz show took a full year's time to produce, until, in the spring of 2001, a heavy performance schedule made it necessary for Carol to leave WICN to resume touring and also record a new CD. In 2001, Carol signed a contract with the famous HighNote Jazz label which issued the first CD titled I Never Went Away. This has been followed by Whisper Sweet, the latest recording in a long line of artistic triumphs. Ms. Sloane's favorite flower is the white rose. "

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Carol Sloane: I come to the stage without theatrics, just as any of the jazz singers of past generations did. 

Q-What do you fear most in life?                                Carol Sloane: Like most people, I'm not looking forward to dying but I don't ponder my demise on a daily basis.  I'd hate to suddenly be told I can no longer remember lyrics though.

Q-What do you cherish most?                                    Carol Sloane:  Family, home, friends, music, books and the Boston Red Sox.

Q-If you had to write your memoirs or biography, what title would you give to your book?                                Carol Sloane:  As I've been laboring over exactly this project for more years than I care to admit, I can't imagine a title until I'm able to confidently approach the ending.

Q-What goes in your mind, right before you appear on stage and facing your audience?                                    Carol Sloane:  I always used to wonder why on earth I was putting myself through such stress (stomach pain, dry mouth, once hyper-ventilating on stage at Carnegie Hall), but I don't do any of that anymore.  Ah, the wonders of chemistry.

Q-And upon leaving the stage?                                         Carol Sloane: At the end of the night, I like to find a dry towel, a few well-wishers perhaps, and one Johnny Walker Black and soda.  Then I'm gone.

Q-What do you notice first about a person you meet for the first time?                                                                      Carol Sloane:  Posture, confidence, bright eyes.  I don't appreciate the person who shakes my hand with Rambo-like strength.  Even when I am visibly wincing in pain, some seem not to notice.  Whatever happened to the genteel kiss on the hand?

Q-And what people notice first about Carol Sloane?                                                                            Carol Sloane:  Probably my size, both height and weight.  But my posture is erect and my eyes are bright!

Q-Stage is an elixir of illusion. Do you bring your life to stage, meaning Carol Sloane the human being, or the Diva in you?                                                                   Carol Sloane: I come to the stage without theatrics, just as any of the jazz singers of past generations did. 

I sing a set of songs that I really like, and I hope that my enthusiasm for them is accepted by my audience.  If I've had a bad day, that negative experience does not accompany me to the microphone.

Q-What are the virtues of a real singer?                   Carol Sloane:  Clarity of pitch and an impeccable sense of time (ability to swing even if singing a capella), best possible song selections, a sense of humor, and an eagerness to sing with the fine musicians sharing the stage.  Also, at this point in my life, it is nice to have something to sit on while instrumental choruses are being played.

Q-Do you tolerate vicious artistic ambitions?        Carol Sloane:  I don't know of any, and that's the truth.  My colleagues are all friends or acquaintances.  I wish each of them long-lasting good health, pleasure in their work and thousands of loyal fans who will buy their records and make the effort to witness a live performance.  All the things I've always wanted for myself, of course.

Q-What does success mean to you?                        Carol Sloane:  It really is the respect I feel I've earned over the years.  I'm not in the Top Ten on the charts, and possibly might never be.  But, those who know my work also know I'm unpretentious and I'm worth the price of admission.

Q-To YOU, what is more important success/fame or talent.                                                                             Carol Sloane:  Having any of those would be wonderful for any artist, but I think I answered that one for you directly above.

Q-Any price an artist must pay to reach for stardom?                                                                        Carol Sloane:   Just believe in yourself and don't be persuaded to change course, no matter what.

Q-Did you pay that price?                                          Carol Sloane:  No.  Very early on, Columbia Records seemed to think I was a pop singer, and handed me some appropriate material.  Fortunately, only a handful of 45's were the result, and they are now scarcer than hen's teeth.

Q-What's next on your agenda? Performance, concerts,.deals?                                                           Carol Sloane:  A few fund-raiser performances in the local area, and an appearance at Litchfield, CT Jazz Festival Aug. 5.  And recording a new CD before the end of the year.