American Road

Tierney Sutton, The Tierney Sutton Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 6, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: BFM Jazz
• ASIN: B005D1IFY4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,668 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sublime Search for America October 1, 2011

By Rick Cornell VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I have waxed rhapsodically about the Tierney Sutton Band before. How can you not? This group of true musicians (Tierney Sutton, vocals; Christian Jacob, piano; Ray Brinker, percussion; Trey Henry, bass; and Kevin Axt, (also) bass) consistently challenge themselves to take the familiar, find the essence of the song, and interpret it in a way that has not been heard before. And they consistently succeed. When a new album of theirs hits the market, you not only know it's going to be stunning, you ask "How can they top the last one?"

I won't say they have topped "Desire," or "On the Other Side." I will say that they have added a very worthy complement to those superb albums, with another superb one.

In this c.d., the T.S. Band's theme is America. They have gone off to look for America. But they have done considerably more than take a four-day hitchhike from Saginaw.

Finding America means finding its roots. And that means finding its folk source (e.g., "Wayfaring Strangers" and "Shenandoah"), but also its spirituality (e.g., "The Water is Wide" and "Amazing Grace," that most spiritual of all hymns). And to emphasize the source, it means hearing the similarities between "The Water Is Wide" and "Shenandoah," and combining them into one.

Finding America means exploring the golden ages of American music, meaning the '30's and the '60's. So, the T.S. Band gives us a swingin' jazz version of the neglected Arlen classic, "The Eagle and Me." Even more, the Band gives us a set of Gershwin, but puts a rock back beat to "It Ain't Necessarily So." But the '60's was also a golden era of jazz (along with the late '50's), and for all the many ways "Summertime" has been interpreted, this is the first modal jazz re-visit of the classic I've ever heard.

Finding America means celebrating Broadway. The T.S. Band tributes Bernstein (though, ironically, not with "I Like to Be in America"), with a beautiful read of one of the master's most beautiful songs, "Somewhere," and a mix of "Something's Coming" and "Cool." And, to bring the strands together, the Band re-creates the Brill Building's "On Broadway," with a rock backbeat and odd four-chord crash that echoes and expands the George Benson reinterpretation of this classic.

And finding America means contemplation of the vast country. So we have the country classic, "Tenderly," done exquisitely. This is my favorite cut on the c.d. It doesn't make me forget Sarah Vaughan or Nat King Cole's versions, but it certainly reminds me of them.

And as the perfect ending to this stunning album, the Band gives us a Tierney Sutton-Christian Jacob duet of the most beautiful of all patriotic hymns, "America The Beautiful." This is a wowser. Listen to it once; then on the next play, sing along with it. If you are in tears, as I was, then you just might be an American.

I have no doubt that this will be nominated for a Grammy. "Desire" should have won. It's the Tierney Sutton Band's time. RC

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Jazz Album of 2011 November 9, 2011

By International Ron

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Tierney Sutton Band CD "American Road" is brilliant in every way, and is easily one of the finest jazz albums of 2011! Once again, everyone in the band contributes their own musical genius, and having worked together for over 18 years, they are so amazingly intertwined and natural that it stagers the mind, imagination and ears. "American Road" (like several releases by the band) plays on a theme - this time a tribute to the music of Americana that is just that - avoiding any political correctness or bashing - 'allowing the listener to be a proud American once again, even if just for the music. The rendition of "America the Beautiful" is stunning, as are most every other cut on the CD. "Tenderly" is wonderfully earthy and minimalist with just Tierney singing accompanied by the brilliant Christian Jacob on piano. The mash-up of "Oh Shenandoah/The Water is Wide" is nothing short of musical magic with Jacob's masterful arranging and counterpoint. Tierney's scat and beautiful articulation are so skillful - few seem to master both. This album is as well thought-out as it is performed. You won't be disappointed!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Band's Best in a Long Series of Outstanding Recordings September 7, 2011

By Thomas M. Croft

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have every single album Tierney has released under her (or the band's) name, and this new project, American Road, is one longtime Tierney Sutton fans and newcomers alike will not want to miss. As for mood, it reminds me most of the previous album, Desire, which was a thrill for me because I like Desire perhaps the most of all of their albums except possibly Blue in Green, the marvelous tribute to Bill Evans. With respect to Desire, though, this album is not just "more of the same."

On American Road, the band has maintained the exceedingly high level of Desire and other previous releases with excellent song choices (all with an Americana theme or some other connection, direct or indirect, to America); fresh, intriguing, sometimes haunting arrangements; beautiful, hip singing by Tierney; and outstanding support from the band (Christian Jacob is, hands down, one of the best jazz pianists on the scene today).

Highly recommended.