Tierney Sutton’s Paris Sessions Trio

On 2014’s Grammy-nominated Paris Sessions, called »a bare-bones journey into the depths of musical intimacy« by AllMusic.com, vocalist Tierney Sutton forged an indelible chemistry with classically-trained Parisian guitarist-arranger Serge Merlaud. Now husband and wife, the two take their musical connection to even deeper levels on Paris Sessions 2, which was released on May 6, 2022. On their European tour they will be joined by pianist Benoit Sourisse.

Tierney’s 15th album as a leader, which she has dedicated to the late Marilyn Bergman, who passed in January of 2022, represents yet another high-water mark in her esteemed career. The nine-time Grammy nominee has been heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Whether it was on her 2002 tribute to Bill Evans (Blue In Green), her 2004 Frank Sinatra tribute (Dancing in the Dark), her 2013 Joni Mitchell tribute (After Blue) or her 2016 salute to pop icon Sting (The Sting Variations), Sutton has continued to weave her spell with a combination of pure, pristine vocals, emotional honesty and striking reinventions of familiar tunes. That spell is very much intact on Paris Sessions 2.

Press

»… Every jazz classic is anew when Sutton takes it into her heart and soul and voices it back after in"tiern"alizing it. […] Merlaud's captivating guitar entry opens into a wondrous embrace with Sutton. Merlaud alternately duos with Sutton's voice and scat. Their exchanges on ›Pure Imagination‹ are stunning. Sutton often uses her voice as an Instrument. Here, Sutton penetrated with such emotion on the second verse that one feels as if the magic land of pure imagination is right there at one's fingertips. She is not a singer with a band behind her. She is part of the band. […] Once again, Sutton has reshaped and reinvented the past into a modern outlook. Precious memories remain intact, but are also viewed and heard with a fresh perspective. C'est magnifiique.« – All About Jazz, May 2022

»… Sutton has always focused on creating interesting arrangements of the jazz repertoire, and in addition, her scatting is instrument-like and adds to the ensemble’s sound and energy.« – Jazz Sensibilities, May 2022

»… Her voice is pristinely clear and she distills the melodic nuance of the composition. A certain highlight is the unique medley, ›April In Paris/Free Man In Paris‹. After Merlaud’s wistful guitar intro, Sutton infuses melancholy into the first song, and transitions seamlessly to Mitchell’s jazzy opus. Jazz vocalists endeavor to use their voices as an instrument of expression. This is a strength for this singer. She articulates a lilting resonance that captures the romanticism of these tunes. […] Paris Sessions 2 is a great jazz album. Tierney’s supple voice is backed up by equally talented instrumentalists for an enjoyable, creative musical statement.« – Audiophile Audition, May 2022