Track Listing

1. I Used to Be - Norman Connors, Bobby Lyle, , Christopher Williams
2. Where Do We Go from Here - Antoinette, Norman Connors, Howard Hewett
3. Sweetest Taboo - Antoinette, Norman Connors, Bobby Lyle
4. Walk on By - Antoinette, Norman Connors
5. Rock with You - Norman Connors, Ray Parker, Jr., Kirk Wilson
6. You Take My Breath Away - Norman Connors, Danny Boy, Danny Lerman
7. Stormin' Norman - Norman Connors, Herman Jackson
8. You Are My Starship - Peabo Bryson, Norman Connors, , Michael Henderson, Marion Meadows
9. Shades of Brown - Michael Brown, , Norman Brown, Norman Connors
10. I Waited All My Life for You - Norman Connors, Juanita Dailey,
11. Star Power - Norman Connors, Kirk Wilson
12. Reach for the Sky - Terrell Carter, Norman Connors
13. Thinkin' - Chanj, Norman Connors
14. Adore (I Love You) - Norman Connors, , Paul Jackson, Jr., , Lisa Numobuto

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66146 in Music
• Released on: 2009-02-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

Album Description
On "Star Power" Norman focuses on his R&B roots with guest collaborations from some of R&B's most respected performers: Howard Hewett, Bobby Lyle, Christopher Williams, Ray Parker Jr., Peabo Bryson, Mario Wynans, Norman Brown and Paul Jackson Jr.

About the Artist
Like Roy Ayers, George Benson, and Patrice Rushen, Norman Connors is best known for his major R&B hits but started out as a jazz improviser. The drummer/composer was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he lived in the same neighborhood as Bill Cosby and became interested in jazz when he was only a child. As a kid in elementary school, Connors was exposed to jazz extensively thanks to such schoolmates as drummer Lex Humphries and the younger brother of bassist and Jazz Messenger-to-be Spanky De Brest. Connors was in junior high when he began sneaking into jazz clubs and sat in for Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane gig. At 13, he first got to meet his idol, Miles Davis, and started expressing his admiration for the famous trumpeter by dressing like him. Connors went on to study music at Philadelphia's Temple University and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Gigs with Jackie McLean, Jack McDuff, and Sam Rivers followed, and he was first recorded as a sideman when Archie Shepp employed him on his 1967 Impulse! session Magic of Ju-Ju. * After touring with Pharoah Sanders and playing on several of his albums, Connors signed with Buddah's Cobblestone label in 1972 and recorded his first album as a leader, Dance of Magic and its follow-up, Dark of Light. A few more jazz-oriented Cobblestone and Buddah dates followed, and it was in 1975 that Connors made R&B his main priority with Saturday Night Special (which included the number ten soul hit `Valentine Love`). The rest of the 1970s found Connors featuring R&B singers prominently (including Michael Henderson, Jean Carn, and the late Phyllis Hyman) and scoring such R&B hits as `We Both Need Each Other,` `Once I've Been There,` and the lovely `You Are My Starship.` Connors, who signed with Arista in 1977, wasn't as popular or as visible in the 1980s, although he would make a comeback in the 1990s by signing with Motown's MoJazz label and focusing on both urban contemporary and crossover.

Customer Reviews

Back to his R & B roots.
The legendary producer/ drummer Norman Connors returns with a nice selection of mainly covers.

Highlights include a wonderful take of Sade's "Sweetest Taboo" and the lovely ballad "Where Do We Go From Here", both featuring Antoinette Manganas, the latter in duet with Howard Hewett.
Antoinette is a very talented lady whose voice we should hear much more from...

Pleasing versions of "Rock With You" and Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By" are good covers too.

Peabo Bryson takes the lead vocal duties on a fine update of Norman's own "You Are My Starship".
You may like the emotional performance of "I Waited All My Life For You", by Quiet Storm diva Juanita Daley.
"Stormin' Norman" is a relaxed Smooth Jazz tune.

The musicianship is top notch: artists like Bobby Lyle, Christopher Williams, Ray Parker Jr., Peabo Bryson, Marion Meadows, Norman Brown and Juanita Dailey join Norman Connors on this very enjoyable album.

"This record feels so good" says Norman. "All of these guys who join me on the album are my boys. We have experienced a lot together both personally and musically. It's like one big fraternity".

The album debuts at # 7 of Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz albums.
Issue date: 2009-03-28

Welcome Back
Norman Connors, The name bought back memories of an artist who's skill was famous not for singing playing or writing but for his eye or should I say ear for other's talent. Does Micheal Henderson or Phyllis Hyman ring a bell. He is back and done it again with a smooth mix of established favorites and new talent. In a music scene so dominated by the hiphop element of mind numbing repetition and lyrics of self admiration, this is a welcome refreshing listening pleasure. If you liked him before, he is back

Where is LOVE FROM THE SUN ????????????? Huh?
This isn't about "Star Power" Haven't heard it. It's just hunky-dory that Mr C. has a fine new release. Congrats, man. Who does the slow jam better? Great production history. I got several releases, including the EXCEPTIONAL "Love From The Sun" on vinyl.
Now that the man has a new release maybe someone will see the value in releasing one of the BEST all time exploritory jazz/pop cross over albums EVER on CD. Huh?
WHERE'S 'NORMAN CONNORS' "LOVE FROM THE SUN" ??? I mean, just look at the cast. Dee Dee Bridgewater even !! I'm JONESIN' for Love from The Sun!
CD NOW!!! GIVE IT TO ME!!! RELEASE IT ALREADY!! IT'S G R E A T ! ! !