CARLA HELMBRECHT

Grammy-nominated vocalist and song-writer, Carla Helmbrecht, began her love affair with music at the age of eight. A native of Wisconsin, Carla was raised in a large music-loving family and had an inherent desire for music. It was her father who introduced her to jazz, and it was not uncommon for the entire family to spend endless evenings making music. By age 13, she was singing professionally. Carla continued her musical studies through high school and college. Her earliest influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, Count Basie, and Dave Brubeck. Later influences included Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, and Miles Davis. While studying Speech-Language Pathology at Texas Tech University, Carla sang with the TTU Jazz Ensemble I under direction of Alan Shinn. There, she had the opportunity to perform with and open for jazz notables, such as Tuck and Patti, the Yellowjackets, Louie Bellson, and Tony Campizi. In 1993 she read more...