For those who don’t appreciate that the human voice is a musical instrument, they need only listen to Tierney Sutton.  After three Grammy nominations, nine CDs, and seventeen years in the business, there’s no doubt that Sutton and her band are among the best.

With Christian Jacob on piano, Ray Brinker on drums, and Kevin Axt and Trey Henry, double bass, Sutton heads up a true collaboration.  Before each show, they meet and decide the program from among 150 arrangements.  The result is inspired and has plenty of spontaneity to satisfy their audience, old and new.

Sutton dedicated the first number – “Without a Song” – to the late Margaret Whiting who was a fan.  It was written by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu (lyrics) and Vincent Youmans (music) for the 1929 musical Great Day, which had the distinction of having Harold Arlen in the company as a vocalist and rehearsal pianist.  Along with “Then I’ll Be Tired of You” and “The Very Thought of You,” Sutton performed the song with crystal-clear diction, every note and lyric audible.

Several fast-paced songs gave her the opportunity to demonstrate her remarkable scatting ability, especially with Mercer/Arlen’s “Out of This World.” A My Fair Lady medley included a haunting introduction to “I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face” and “Show Me,” interspersed with melodic fragments of the jazz standard “Better Than Anything.”  Longtime listeners of jazz may notice a trace of the legendary Nancy Wilson in the voice of Tierney Sutton.

Jerry Osterberg
Cabaret Scenes
Janaury 15, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org