Carla White distinguished herself among jazz vocalists during the 1980s and 1990s despite a sparse recording career marked by extended intervals between projects. Born and raised in New York, she first aspired to a career as an improvising jazz dancer. In high school, however, she began performing vocally and participating in theater. After completing two years at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London from 1969 to 1971 and traveling abroad for a period, White trained for four years under Lennie Tristano and subsequently studied with Warne Marsh. During the late 1970s she formed a creative alliance with trumpeter Manny Duran, jointly leading a group and releasing material on Stash. Although recognized as an expert scat singer, White placed increasing emphasis on lyrical interpretation by the time she completed two albums for Milestone, and her 1991 Evidence collection ranks among her strongest efforts. In 2000 the Japanese label DIW issued another notable recording, The Sweetest Sounds Carla White.
