Tierney Sutton Band at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Tierney Sutton’s reputation as a singular vocal talent with a flair for imaginative arrangements is in full force on her latest recording Paris Sessions, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2015. Recorded in France, the album’s mix of standards and original songs are a stunning follow up to After Blue, her tribute to Joni Mitchell (also nominated for a Grammy in 2013). Tierney’s subtle, ethereal sound is a natural match for her remarkable accompanists: bassist Kevin Axt and French guitarist Serge Merlaud. Although born in Omaha, Nebraska, Sutton grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...

read more

Tierney Sutton’s reputation as a singular vocal talent with a flair for imaginative arrangements is in full force on her latest recording Paris Sessions, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2015. Recorded in France, the album’s mix of standards and original songs are a stunning follow up to After Blue, her tribute to Joni Mitchell (also nominated for a Grammy in 2013). Tierney’s subtle, ethereal sound is a natural match for her remarkable accompanists: bassist Kevin Axt and French guitarist Serge Merlaud. Although born in Omaha, Nebraska, Sutton grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She attended college at Connecticut’s Wesleyan University, and went on to study music at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. For the past two decades Tierney has fronted her own band. Although she is the bandleader, the group is run as a cooperative unit and features Christian Jacob, on keyboards, Trey Henry and Kevin Axt sharing bass duties, and Ray Brinker on drums. In 2011, the band received a Grammy nomination for its collaborative arrangements on their album American Road, which focused on Americana themed material. In fact, many of Sutton’s albums are based around a central theme or musical legacy. In addition to the Joni Mitchell tribute, she has delved into the music of pianist Bill Evans, with Blue In Green, and Frank Sinatra, with Dancing in the Dark. Six of her nine albums have received Grammy nominations.

show less