Home » Jazz Musicians » Tierney Sutton

Tierney Sutton

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Her 12 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism (“Desire” 2009), the pursuit of happiness (“On The Other Side” 2007), as well as paying tribute to the music of Bill Evans (“Blue In Green” 2002), Frank Sinatra (“Dancing In The Dark” 2004), and pop icon Sting (“The Sting Variations” 2016). Her 2013 Joni Mitchell tribute, “After Blue” featured keyboardist Larry Goldings, drummer Peter Erskine, jazz vocal legend Al Jarreau, and NEA Jazz Master flautist Hubert Laws.

In May 2016 Tierney was approached by legendary Director Clint Eastwood. The original score to his box-office smash, “Sully”, was created by Tierney Sutton Band pianist, Christian Jacob, The Tierney Sutton Band and Clint Eastwood. The end-title song “Flying Home” features music by Eastwood and lyrics by Tierney Sutton and JB Eckl. It is performed by Tierney Sutton and The Tierney Sutton Band.

When she is not performing, Tierney is in demand as both a studio vocal producer and vocal educator. In 2016 she worked with famed lyric soprano Natalie Dessay for Sony Classics’ “Pictures of America” and the soon to be released “Between Yesterday and Tomorrow”.

Tierney taught for over a decade at USC’s Thornton School of Music and spent 6 years as the Vocal Department Head at The Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena, CA. She has also taught and mentored some of the finest new generation of singers including Gretchen Parlato and Sara Gazarek.

Tags

3
Album Review

Bevan Manson featuring Tierney Sutton with The Hollywood Studio Orchestra: Talking to Trees

Read "Talking to Trees" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


Bevan Manson is an artist who has a creative duality. As a pianist, composer/arranger and educator, he's been successful in classical and jazz environments. With Talking to Trees, Manson provides an array of both originals and jazz standards, most with an arboreal tint, as the title indicates. The work is a validation that his pen, guiding the talents of vocalist Tierney Sutton and L.A.'s premium players, can make the familiar fascinating and the novel intriguing. Miles Davis' ...

8
Live Review

Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman at the Jazz Forum

Read "Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman at the Jazz Forum" reviewed by Scott Lichtman


Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman Jazz Forum Tarrytown, NY March 15, 2024 Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman brought an expressive evening of voice and piano to the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown NY, March 15th, 2024. The overarching theme of the performance was “songs about Spring." There's a variety of reasons that every recording Sutton has made in the last decade has been nominated for a “Best Jazz Vocal Album" Grammy. Among these are ...

1
Profile

Tierney Sutton: An Instrumentalist’s Singer

Read "Tierney Sutton: An Instrumentalist’s Singer" reviewed by Mathew Bahl


"Jazz demands something of you," says Tierney Sutton. The Los Angeles based singer is discussing the challenge of selling complicated, improvised music in a culture addicted to simple, pre-packaged formulas. “Being barraged in the media teaches people not to engage, not to seek great art, not to listen with their own ears, not to see with their own eyes," observes Sutton. “Jazz is this theme and variations work, and if the person who's listening is not interested in ...

1
Liner Notes

Lorraine Feather's Language Turns A Witty Phrase

Read "Lorraine Feather's Language Turns A Witty Phrase" reviewed by Ken Dryden


I got to know Lorraine Feather through reviewing several of her CDs, amazed by her gifts as a lyricist and singer, who was equally at home with witty songs and tender ballads. I first met Lorraine when she was performing at the late lamented Manhattan club Danny's Skylight Room with pianist Shelly Berg. We would chat during IAJE conferences and I was delighted when she invited me to write the liner notes for this CD. This release stands the test ...

35
Album Review

Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass

Read "Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass" reviewed by Jack Bowers


First things first: there is no doubt that Chris Walden's reverential Missa Iubileum Aureum ("Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass") is beautifully written and wonderfully performed by the LMR Jazz Orchestra, St. Dominick's Schola Cantorum and cantors Kurt Elling and Tierney Sutton. Is it jazz? That is another question, one not so easily answered. While there are elements of jazz, they are incidental and generally overshadowed by the more doctrinal aspects of what is essentially an homage to devotion and piety. And ...

3
Album Review

Tierney Sutton: Paris Sessions 2

Read "Paris Sessions 2" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Back at the tail end of 2012, Tierney Sutton found herself in a studio in Epinay Sur Orge, France, working comfortably alongside guitarist Serge Merlaud and bassist Kevin Axt (on acoustic bass guitar). The music they captured, released two years later as the Paris Sessions (BFM, 2014), instantly stood out as the most intimate jewel in the celebrated vocalist's sparkling discography. So it's with joy and a touch of surprise that now, almost a decade after that studio stay defined ...

1
In Pictures

Tierney Sutton with the Jae Sinnett Trio at Good Vibes

Read "Tierney Sutton with the Jae Sinnett Trio at Good Vibes" reviewed by Mark Robbins


No list of great female jazz vocalists would be complete without Tierney Sutton being on it. Whether she is interpreting the great American songbook, singing the beautiful songs of Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, or paying homage to Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, and Sting, Sutton pulls the listener into her world of fast swing and tender ballads. She can bring a smile to your face or a lump in your throat, depending on the song but either way you'll thank ...

Read more articles

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Her 12 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism (“Desire” ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Her 12 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism (“Desire” ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Her 12 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism (“Desire” ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Her 12 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism (“Desire” ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

8-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” Grammy nod for every project she has released in the last decade. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website ...

3

Performance / Tour

Eight-Time Grammy Nominee Tierney Sutton Debuts At Cafe Carlyle With Bergman, Legrand And Beyond, March 19-23

Eight-Time Grammy Nominee Tierney Sutton Debuts At Cafe Carlyle With Bergman, Legrand And Beyond, March 19-23

Source: Mouthpiece Music

Bergman, Legrand And Beyond— Tierney Sutton at the Cafe Carlyle, New York City Tierney Sutton, one of the premier vocalists in jazz today, will be making her debut appearance at Café Carlyle March 19-23. An eight-time Grammy nominee, Tierney Sutton has received a “Best Jazz Vocal Album” nomination for every album she’s released in the past decade. The New York Times describes her as having “a voice as pure and sparkling as mountain spring water,” and she has also been ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

In 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... Read more.

Place ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

In 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... Read more. ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today!

In 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... Read more.

Place ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tierney Sutton

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tierney Sutton's birthday today! In 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... Read more. Place ...

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Talking to Trees

Tiger Turn Records
2024

buy

Missa Iubileum...

Origin Records
2022

buy

In a Big City

Self Produced
2020

buy

Screenplay

BFM Jazz
2019

buy

The Jazz Chamber

Dash Hoffman Records
2018

buy

Offertory - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (feat. Tierney Sutton & Kurt Elling)

From: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden...
By Tierney Sutton

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.