Tierney Sutton Band

A thrilling night at Birdland introducing my castmate Keala to longtime faves of mine, the Tierney Sutton Band. Ms. Sutton sits on a stool centre stage, her long legs elegantly crossed and her expressive hands illustrating the music in the air, sometimes just pounding out a driving rhythm on her thigh. The piano, bass and drum combo that accompany her have been together 19 years and have earned four Grammy nominations. They all devise their unique arrangements together and they all sign off on the evening's song selection which changes at each performance. Highlights for me were a jaw-dropping combination of "Something's Coming" and "Cool" and an excruciatingly intense "Cry Me a River". We were a small but enthusiastic audience at the 11pm show and Ms. Sutton and her band responded with delight, witty banter and a few spontaneous changes to the song list. Seek them out and become a disciple. Check out the Youtube clip above.