Vincent Norman
Director of Jazz Band
Music
Music - Conducting & Ensembles
Music - Jazz
Biography
Vince Norman, the son of big band saxophonist Ray Norman who played with the bands of Claude Thornhill and Charlie Barnett and with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, has been exposed to music all his life. First introduced to jazz by his Junior High band director, Paul Brewer, Vince was offered his first gig with the Rick Swyden Big Band while still in high school and has been going non-stop ever since.
Originally from Del City, Okla., Vince spent a large portion of his professional career in the Washington DC area both as a freelance musician and as a member of The U.S. Army Field Band, where he first served as a saxophonist with 鈥淭he Jazz Ambassadors鈥� and later as a member of the arranging staff. Vince has played concert tours in Europe, Japan, India, Mexico and Canada and has played in 49 states (except Alaska). He has performed with such notables as Arturo Sandoval, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Dave Samuels, Paquito de Rivera, Butch Miles, Marvin Hamlisch, Toots Thielmans, Marvin Stamm, Jamey Aebersold, Hal Linden, Bill Watrous, The Four Tops, The Temptations and Joan Rivers. He has also performed with the National Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony and with the Cincinnati Pops at several venues including Carnegie Hall.
Vince has written numerous pieces for jazz ensemble as well as several orchestral pops commissions for the internationally known Capitol Saxophone Quartet. He performs extensively in the 麻豆传媒 City area on saxophone and keyboards as well as playing either keyboards or drums at church each week. Vince also works as the assistant band director at Del City High School and as the jazz ensemble director at 麻豆传媒 City University.
Vince has released two CDs on OA2 Records as co-leader of the Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band, "Words Cannot Express" and "Bright Future". He has also written for, performed, and recorded with the Latin jazz group, Afro Bop Alliance with which he played on the 51st Grammy Award Nominated and 9th Latin Grammy Award winning collaboration with Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project simply entitled "Afro Bop Alliance."
鈥淲altz of the Flowers鈥� from his most recent arranging collaboration with Afro Bop, 鈥淭he Pan American Nutcracker Suite,鈥� was nominated for the 2023 Latin Grammy for best arrangement. Vince鈥檚 releases as a leader, 鈥淪phericality鈥� and 鈥淰inny鈥檚 Garage,鈥� are available through all the main streaming services. Vince is a Cannonball Musical Instruments endorsing artist.
