Tierney Sutton

Tierney Sutton (vocalist) was born on June 28, 1963, in Omaha, Nebraska, but moved to Milwaukee with her family when she was two. As a child, she took piano lessons and sang in school productions. After graduating from Nicolet High School, she attended Boston University for a year before transferring to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. While there, Tierney began singing jazz after hearing Betty Carter perform. During a summer break at home in Milwaukee, she heard pianist Lynne Arriale perform and got to know her bassist at the time, Al Anderson. He introduced her to an early recording by Al Jarreau—a record that made a big impression on her.

After graduating from Wesleyan with a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies, Tierney studied with Jerry Bergonzi at Berklee College of Music in Boston. A call to join a vocal group prompted her to move to the West Coast. She has since become a nine-time Grammy Award-nominated jazz vocalist. For over 20 years, she has led the Tierney Sutton Band with pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt, and drummer Ray Brinker. They tour worldwide and have headlined at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Listen to Tierney Sutton sing a duet with vocalist Al Jarreau, “Be Cool,” recorded in 2013. Check out the Milwaukee references toward the end!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJW8Oc9hRqY

More information can be found at: https://tierneysutton.com/