Norman Connors -

Norman Connors (born March 1, 1948) is an American drummer, composer, producer, and arranger from Philadelphia.

Connors was born on March 1, 1948, in Philadelphia, where he grew up on the same block as comedian Bill Cosby. Inspired by jazz at an early age, he took up drums in elementary school. His formative influence was drummer Lex Humphries, a prolific backing player for Donald Byrd, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, Duke Pearson, Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery, Sun Ra, and McCoy Tyner.

In one of his earliest performances, a teenage Connors sat in for drummer Elvin Jones at a Coltrane gig. His first recording credit is on the 1967 Impulse! release Magic of JuJu by saxophonist Archie Shepp. In 1971, he appeared on the Warner release What Was, What Is, What Will Be by pianist Kenny Gill. That same year, he began an on-off association with tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, playing on the 1971/72 Impulse! titles Live At The East and Black Unity.

In 1972, Connors signed as a bandleader to Cobblestone Records, a jazz division of Buddah Records.

Discography:

Dance of Magic (1972)
Dark of Light (1973)
Love From the Sun (1974)
Slewfoot (1975)
Dance of Magic (Live at Nemu Jazz Inn -1) (live, 1975 • Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson & Norman Connors )
Saturday Night Special (1975)
You Are My Starship (1976)
Romantic Journey (1977)
This Is Your Life (1978)
Invitation (1979)
Take It to the Limit (1980)
Mr. C (1981)
Beyond a Dream (1981 • Pharoah Sanders & Norman Connors)
Passion (1988)