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| Tierney Sutton and Loston Harris at Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center presents the final concert "Singers Over Manhattan" showcasing the great jazz singers of today, this time around with Tierney Sutton and Loston Harris With the breathtaking Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, sit comfortably and enjoy the sensational singing of Ms. Sutton and Mr. Harris. It's the perfect finale to Jazz Appreciation Month. The New York Times says Ms. Sutton is "a serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level." Her latest CD, I'm With The Band, was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the recent Grammy Awards and will be highlighted at her performance. Ms. Sutton's band consists of Christian Jacob (piano), Kevin Axt (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums). Mr. Harris is another rising star on the jazz scene, who will sing and lead the rhythm section from the piano. Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times says Mr. Harris is "a talent on the verge of happening." Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis praises Mr. Harris's ability as a singer, as well as a pianist; "Loston plays with a lot of fire and intelligence." The band is Mr. Harris (vocals/piano), Chris Berger (bassist) and Marcus Parsley (trumpet). Tierney SuttonIn a world of overnight sensations, jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton's success has come from the road less traveled. A decision in the mid '90s to move to Southern California from her New England home resulted in a decade-long collaboration with her current band mates. A Wisconsin-born choir girl, unexposed to jazz until college, Tierney eventually found the best of the best - collaborators with their own impressive jazz pedigrees, from Natalie Cole to Diana Krall, from Ray Charles to Randy Brecker - pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt, and drummer Ray Brinker. Ten years and six critically acclaimed CDs later, Tierney and her band demonstrate what collective consultation and dedicated teamwork can achieve. Reviewers repeatedly say that audiences experience a rare and powerful harmony, achieved by humble performers at the top of their game. Educated at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Tierney became a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition in 1998. Her first solo CD, Introducing Tierney Sutton (1999), was released to rave reviews and nominated for a 1999 Indie Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Later that year, Tierney signed with the Telarc Jazz label. On Unsung Heroes, released in March 2000, she took popular jazz standards that are usually performed instrumentally (Joe Henderson's "Recordame, " Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring, " Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil, " Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" and others) and recorded them with vocals. Soon she became one of the critics' most talked about jazz musicians. In March 2005, Tierney and her band performed in front of a select audience of friends and fans at Birdland in New York City. Produced by Elaine Martone, I'm with the Band is Tierney's first live recording and her fifth Telarc release. In June 2005, Tierney won JazzWeek's Vocalist of the Year Award. In December 2005, I'm with the Band was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album. An active educator, Tierney has served in the Jazz Studies Department at the University of Southern California, as well as giving workshops and clinics throughout the world. Loston HarrisPianist and vocalist Loston Harris is quickly rising to his place in the music world as a noted artist of both soft romance and hard jazz swing. With his debut album, Comes Love, hitting the top of the charts in its first week of release, the young Virginia artist was thrust into the company of legends such as Lena Horne and George Benson as a nominee for best jazz vocalist of the year. He was hired to host the national television show, BET, introducing new talent as well as established artists on the jazz scene. In a cover story in the Washington Post Sunday Magazine, Mr. Harris was crowned the "hip of suburban cool" for his blending of traditional jazz riffs with his own original songs and sultry voice. Mr. Harris has appeared live on worldwide PBS in the Portraits in Blue tour, which won a Grammy nomination for Jacksonville native and fellow pianist Marcus Roberts. Mr. Harris then embarked on an international touring schedule with his own trio. The band has performed at various high-profile events including Academy Award VIP events and the GQ Man of the Year Awards in New York City. He's also the voice you heard in the Michael Jordan/Hanes commercials, alongside such famous legends Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, and Tony Bennett. He was also named one of America's ten sexiest men in Town and Country Magazine. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |