Carol Robbins

Biography

Carol Robbins is a pioneering American jazz harpist, born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, whose early exposure to piano and jazz improvisation set the foundation for her unique musical path. By the age of eight, Robbins began studying harp and soon became one of the select few students of Dorothy Ashby, the legendary jazz harpist who revolutionized the instrument’s role in jazz. Robbins’s career has been dedicated to advancing the jazz harp, both as a solo and ensemble instrument, and she is recognized as one of the world’s few jazz harpists to have built a formidable catalog of recordings and performances.

Throughout her career, Robbins has collaborated with an eclectic array of artists, including Billy Childs, Manhattan Transfer, Brian Wilson, Björk, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. She has been a member of Billy Childs’ Jazz Chamber Ensemble since 1999, contributing to Grammy-nominated albums such as 'Lyric' and 'Autumn in Moving Pictures.' Robbins’s discography as a leader includes five albums, notably 'Chords in Blue,' 'Jazz Play,' 'Three and Four,' 'Moraga,' and 'Taylor Street,' the latter of which reflects her compositional voice and the versatility of the jazz harp. Her work as a clinician and educator has further established her legacy, inspiring new generations of harpists and jazz musicians.

Fun Facts

• Carol Robbins was one of the very few students ever accepted by Dorothy Ashby, a pioneering figure in jazz harp.
• She has performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.
• Robbins’s television credits include playing for shows such as Cheers, Frasier, and The Tonight Show.
• Her album 'Taylor Street' is dedicated to her mother, who grew up on Taylor Street in Chicago’s Little Italy.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dorothy Ashby - Primary harp teacher and major stylistic influence; Ashby is considered the godmother of jazz harp. (Private study, influence evident throughout Robbins’s career) [Childhood and early career (1960s–1970s)]
• Bill Evans - Influenced Robbins’s harmonic approach and improvisational style. (Stylistic influence, not direct collaboration) [Ongoing influence]

Key Collaborators

• Billy Childs - Longtime collaborator and leader of the Jazz Chamber Ensemble; Robbins is a core member. (Albums: 'Lyric,' 'Autumn in Moving Pictures,' 'Taylor Street') [1999–present]
• Larry Koonse - Guitarist in Robbins’s ensembles and recording projects. ('Taylor Street,' live performances) [2010s–present]
• Bob Sheppard - Saxophonist/clarinetist in Robbins’s groups and recordings. ('Taylor Street,' live performances) [2010s–present]
• Darek Oles - Acoustic bassist in Robbins’s ensembles. ('Taylor Street,' live performances) [2010s–present]
• Curtis Taylor - Trumpeter on Robbins’s album 'Taylor Street.' ('Taylor Street') [2010s]
• Manhattan Transfer, Brian Wilson, Björk, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra - Recorded and/or performed with these major artists. (Various performances and recordings) [1980s–2000s]

Artists Influenced

• Jazz harp students and clinicians - Robbins has taught and mentored harpists through university lectures, international harp conferences, and the Jazz Harp Academy. (Clinics at UCLA, Berklee, University of Utah, University of Oregon; Jazz Harp Academy) [1990s–present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Still Light (Jazz Play)
2. The Meaning Of The Blues (Jazz Play)
3. Caminhos Cruzados (feat. Larry Koonse) (Moraga)
4. O Grande Amor (Jazz Play)
5. Skating In Central Park (Jazz Play)
6. Sollevare (Jazz Play)
7. Moraga (feat. Billy Childs) (Moraga)
8. Three Rings (feat. Larry Koonse) (Moraga)
9. Every Time We Say Goodbye (feat. Darek Oles) (Moraga)
10. Buddy's Bite (Jazz Play)

External Links

• Spotify