Tierney Sutton's 'desire' Proves Talent For Passionate Love Songs

Jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton admits it was the music of Cole Porterthat inspired her to make her latest album, Desire. Sutton updates twoPorter standards and several other classics from the Great AmericanSongbook, including a popular tune that made its debut on Broadway morethan 80 years ago.  

"Love Me Or Leave Me, by Walter Donaldsonand Gus Kahn, first appeared in the 1928 musical "Whoopee!" Vaudevillestar Ruth Etting sang the original version, but it's been recordednumerous times since, including versions by Billie Holiday, SarahVaughan, and even a 1929 piano instrumental by "Fats" Waller. Here,Tierney Sutton proves her talent for torch (passionate love) songs withan interpretation that's part whimsy, part nostalgia.

Tierney SuttonTierneydiscovered jazz later than most. She graduated college with a degreein Russian language and literature, but it wasn't until her training atthe Berklee College of Music that she took a serious interest insinging jazz. Before long, Tierney had her first recording contract,leading the New York Times to call her, "A serious jazz artist whotakes the whole enterprise to another level."

Singing ColePorter is familiar territory for Tierney Sutton. She says when herband arranged an evening of Porter's music for a recent jazz festival,it was time to revisit the Cole Porter Songbook. On Desire, Tierneysings Porter's "It's All Right With Me" and "My Heart Belongs ToDaddy."

Tierney Sutton and her bandHelping out on the album are pianist Christian Jacob,drummer Ray Brinker, and bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt, who alongwith Tierney Sutton, turn up the heat on "Fever."