Tierney Sutton is a genuine jazz singer, a clear-voiced soprano with sure pitch and diction who concentrates on musical substance. Her approach can suggest Sheila Jordan or Norma Winstone, and she's equally effective at quick bop, medium-swing tempos, and moody ballads. The "unsung heroes" she invokes are the great instrumentalists who have inspired her and whose compositions are seldom sung, like Joe Henderson ("Remember Me" is his "Recordame"), Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, and Wayne Shorter. Her phrasing is often trumpet-like on the improvised solos, and she gets terrific support from a trio led by pianist Christian Jacob and guest soloists who include Stan Kenton veteran Buddy Childers on flügelhorn. There's an almost unearthly purity of vocals in her subtle version of "Spring Is Here," but the absolute highlight is the Jimmy Rowles tune "A Timeless Place (The Peacocks)," with lyrics by Winstone. It's a demanding line with difficult harmony that Sutton weaves perfectly with Jacob and Gary Foster on alto flute. --Stuart Broomer
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