Local jazz musician Carmen Bruner will perform live in concert on Thursday, February 3rd, at the Freeland Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with the release of her first album: “Carmen Bruner – EP”.
Her burgeoning vocal career began during childhood with her family in Bristow. Trained by her mother, Carmen and her three brothers sang as a group. They travelled to other states, singing in churches and igniting a lifelong passion for music in Carmen. As a young adult, Carmen recorded some of her music to a tape, but as life often requires, her dreams of bringing her music to others was put on hold, at least, temporarily.
For thirty years, Carmen stored her tape. One day, her manager, Excell La Fayette Jr., who moved to Bristow from Arkansas, introduced her to Reggie James of Fayetteville. After listening to her tape, he told her, “You’ve got to record this.” With that, she got to work, travelling back and forth to Arkansas over several months to record her first album and fulfilling a lifelong dream at last.
Her album consists of six songs: three covers and three originals. She and her band, Crusade Jazz Quartet, will perform two of those songs with several others during the concert. Band members include Reggie James on piano, Anthony Ball on drums, Garrett Jones on bass, and Carmen. Music selections will include swing, smooth, and traditional jazz variations. Carmen offers the concert not only in conjunction with her album’s release but also in celebration of something special.
Recently, Carmen received notification from the Grammy Awards that she was being considered for formal nomination for both her cover of Sting’s “Fragile” and best new artist. Consideration is an early phase of the awards program. All those named for consideration receive votes to achieve formal nomination.
Although Carmen did not receive enough votes for formal nomination this year, she noted that the Grammy consideration was “the icing on the cake” for the wonderful reception she and her music are experiencing, having waited so many years with her music in storage. In fact, she also noted that her music has been well-received internationally, stating “Shows across the globe have interviewed me about my music. Shows in Spain, France, Italy, Africa, and Japan have all conducted interviews with me. It’s been so wonderful to be received and welcomed.”
As for why she patiently waited and ultimately shared her music, she said “The biggest reason I perform my music publicly is because music has a healing element. Music reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and improves overall wellbeing, all things we struggle with in our lives today.” Although she sells her music on CDs and digital platforms and takes heart knowing her music uplifts others, she most enjoys performing it live, saying “Performing it live allows the audience to get to know you, as an artist. Experiencing the music in person, you witness the raw quality and emotion of the artist, which you can miss when listening to a recording.”
She continued, explaining why she chose Bristow to celebrate her milestones: “I’m sharing this concert and album release in Bristow because it’s my hometown and will give the community a moment of fun, relaxation, and maybe even for some, a new discovery in jazz. … Really, there will be something for everyone.”
On Feb. 3, doors open at 6:15 p.m. with the concert set to begin at 7:00. In addition to Carmen’s music, the concert will include the entertainment stylings of multitalented host Jay Lamont, the Bristow High School (BHS) jazz band, select BHS choir students as backup singers for Carmen, and Carmen’s brother Lewis Bruner Jr. The concert will run about 90 minutes. Due to the ongoing pandemic, masks are recommended. Admission is $10 at the door with children ages 12 and under gaining entry for $5. Album CDs will be available for $10, and light hors d’oeuvres will be served in the lobby, following the concert. For more information, check out her website: www.carmenbruner.com.