On the Other Side

Tierney Sutton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 6, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000LV6RB4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,576 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What I've been waiting for Tierney to record..., February 9, 2007

By 

David Hoffend (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the Other Side (Audio CD)

I'm a bit of a Tierney Sutton fanatic. That said, I've seen her many times in concert from New York to Los Angeles; and of course I own every one of her recordings. There is a common thread that strings together her live performances, her studio and live recordings, and even just sitting and chatting with her in person. Tierny posses a brilliant, sparkling wit, magnetic personality, and a sense of grace, true friendliness, and joy that is lost on many other performers who get a taste of fame. Yet even with all of these traits, there is always a tinge of seriousness; a bit of melancholy; a sense that not all is right in the emotional whirlpool of life. Tierney touches that part of all of us that is melancholy and perhaps a bit sad and heartbroken- but listening to her music, you feel like it's truly OK to be sad- in fact, it might be just the therapy you need to let go and just allow yourself to drop the facade of constant happiness. This new CD is exactly what I have been waiting for Tierney (and "the boys") to record. It is not a depressing CD, rather is it a thought provoking ode to love and the sadness that love can bring. The overall message seems to be that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Tierney's vocals are as fluid and gorgeous as ever; she can drop to the sweetest of whispers and then jump up and really "belt it out" when appropriate.

A particular favorite on this CD is "Glad to Be Unhappy," one of my favorite songs that Billie Holiday recorded. Rather than focus on on the sadness of unrequited love, as Billie did, Tierney uses the song to point out that there is sweetness and joy in love- even if your love is not returned.

It always amazes me how performers can record the same classic songs and make them completely their own. This is one of Tierney's most successful and beautiful recordings. Every single tune has such great expression, and like Billie Holiday's later recordings, you can't help but feel that you are getting a true piece of Tierney's innermost emotions. She uses and shares these emotions with no holds barred; something that takes amazing strength and bravery. Of course, Tierney's amazing talent of delivering each song so that you FEEL the underlying emotion is an incredible feat all by itself!

Will this album make you feel sad? No, I can't say that it will- but it will make you feel like you are not alone in your pursuit of happiness, and it will leave you with a sense of hope that happiness just might find you. Thank you Tierney for sharing "the other side" of your beautiful personality and talent with us!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary journey into an emotional landscape, February 27, 2007

By 

Call Me Ludwig (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Other Side (Audio CD)

Unlike many of the reviewers here, I am not particularly expert in jazz, though well-versed enough to appreciate many of the finest artists in the medium; my orientation is far more toward classical and even the more artistic expressions of rock I grew up with in the 60s and 70s.

That much said, this album is a revelation. To call it emotionally moving would be both accurate and inadequate; there is a depth of feeling and expression at work here that transcends genre; indeed, at a recent concert of the Tierney Sutton Band, there were moments when it seemed I was listening to a symphony orchestra, such was the not merely the range and shade of sound, but the almost perfect location and choice of sounds; it was as if the universe of expression was complete and fully-fleshed.

There are many treats on this album, but among my favorites are the band's dark and haunting rendition of "You Are My Sunshine." It would be wrong to refer to this as a cover; what it is, is a song completely reconceived, one whose general theme we may have heard before, but one that is otherwise unrecognizable, emotionally tinged, and deeply moving.

Other reviewers have referred to this album in terms of breakthrough, elevating Tierney and her band from great to iconic. I suspect this is true. If you are a lover of music, of any genre, do yourself a favor and spend some time getting to know this album.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pursuit of Happiness, February 26, 2007

By 

Jim Newsom (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: On the Other Side (Audio CD)

With her seventh album, Tierney Sutton has entered that rarefied atmosphere where her music transcends genre. She is truly in a class by herself.

But she is not alone musically--this time around, she shares co-billing with her longtime sidemen. And a genuine band they are. When they appeared here two years ago for the Virginia Arts Festival's Port Folio Weekly Music Series, she asked that my onstage introduction be not of her alone, but of "The Tierney Sutton Band." Her last recording was called I'm with the Band. She's had the same guys with her now for fourteen years, and the intricate musical settings they come up with really are band arrangements. The rapport, personal and musical, is remarkable.

A look at the song titles reveals this CD to be, if not a full-blown concept album, at least one that is built around a coherent theme. Eight of the tracks have the word "Happy" in their names, one is "Glad to be Unhappy," and the other four allude to happiness or a close cousin. In the liner notes, Sutton says her topic is the "search for happiness," not necessarily the attainment thereof. It makes me wonder what's been going on in her life since last she recorded.

Lest you think this is gonna be some smiley-faced "Up with People" love-in, the opening "Get Happy" makes it clear Tierney and her boys plan to dig much deeper into the emotional landscape. The dirge-like setting is closer to Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor Pour la Fin du Temps than to Judy Garland or Ella Fitzgerald. But the tone quickly changes as the very next track joyously jazzifies "Happy Days are Here Again" and gives pianist extraordinaire Christian Jacob just enough room to stretch. Later, on the back end of the record, the two songs are repeated and reversed, with "Happy Days" presented as a beautifully drawn out ballad and "Get Happy" juiced up as a modified boogie-woogie.

Sutton uses her voice like an instrument and her band uses open spaces orchestrally, as evidenced on their mesmerizing version of "You Are My Sunshine." Her phrasing is impeccable and unexpected, drawing syllables out one minute, compressing them the next, turning words into pure music and back again. Her voice and piano duet with Jacob on "Happy Talk" is a master class in jazz singing.

Sutton found three of her four bandmates--Jacob, bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker--playing with trumpeter Jack Sheldon's big band in the early `90s. Sheldon drops by for a couple of tunes here, including an entertaining vocal tradeoff on "I Want to be Happy." Tierney herself makes you believe in the potential for genuine happiness with her gorgeous vocal on the haunting "Make Someone Happy."

She and her pianist close the show with Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," a highlight of her live performance here and a fitting finale for Tierney Sutton's finest recording to date.

copyright © 2007 Port Folio Weekly/Jim Newsom. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Published 2/20/07 in Port Folio Weekly.