TIERNEY SUTTON
A three-time Grammy nominee for “Best Jazz Vocal Album”, Tierney Sutton is often described as “a singer’s singer”, but just as often, she is described as a “musician’s singer”, who uses her voice like an instrument. She has fronted the Tierney Sutton Band, which includes stellar partners, pianist Christian Jacob, drummer Ray Brinker and bassists Kevin Axt and Trey Henry, for over 20 years. Both the band’s music and it’s business style make it stand out in the crowd: the band’s members are incorporated partners and make all musical and business decisions as such. Their CDs have consistently topped the US jazz radio charts and their 9th release as a unit, “American Road” was released in Sept 2011. Tierney has been Jazzweek’s Vocalist of the Year, has received the LA Jazz Society’s Vocalist award, and has been at the top of critics and listener’s polls.
In addition to her work with the Tierney Sutton Band, Tierney currently performs in an intimate trio format with jazz flute legend Hubert Laws and guitar virtuoso Larry Koonse and a recording is in the works. She has also begun a collaboration with the award-winning Turtle Island Quartet and will be touring and recording with them in the next several years.
In addition to these collaborations, Tierney has appeared in recent years as a guest vocalist on CDs by composer Johnny Mandel , trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, pianist Shelly Berg, The Frank Macchia Bigband, and The Chris Walden Bigband.Tierney tours extensively in the US and throughout the world and has headlined in recent years at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center and Jazz At Lincoln Center. She is currently serving as “Jazz Artist in Residence” at The Historic Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA., where she will be doing a variety of performances and educational community outreach.
An active educator, Tierney taught for over a decade at USC’s Thornton School of Music and is currently the Vocal Department Head at The Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena,CA where she has created a new curriculum for vocalists. Tierney’s former students include vocalists Sara Gazarek, Kathleen Grace and Gretchen Parlato.
Tierney’s voice can often be heard on film and television soundtracks including The Academy Award nominated film “The Cooler” as well as on television commercials (BMW, Green Giant, Yoplait Yogurt, Coke).
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