Composer, arranger, and bandleader Tia Fuller wears a total of six hats in her career in traditional jazz, because she's also an alto saxophonist, a soprano saxophonist, and a flautist. Fuller is surely one of the hottest young lionesses to come along in traditional jazz in the last decade. Based in Jersey City, NJ, she has two albums out under her own name, both for the Mack Avenue Jazz label. Aside from being a major talent who's on the bill at prestigious jazz festivals, she's as academically gifted as she is a talented musician. Fuller's jazz-based outlook on life is the result of her arts-filled childhood. She was raised by two teachers from the Denver public school district. She credits her parents, Fred, a bassist, and Elthopia, a singer, with giving her a thorough grounding in jazz from a young age. While growing up, she listened to music by Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane, and began her music studies by taking classical piano lessons at age three. She studied piano for ten years but began playing flute as a nine-year-old, and the saxophone shortly thereafter, while still in middle school. By 1998, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spelman College in Atlanta, where she studied with saxophonist Joe Jennings, earning her B.A. in Music. She later graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Master's in Music, Jazz Pedagogy, and Performance in 2000. Like all good jazz musicians who insist on continually challenging themselves, she moved to Jersey City, five miles from the jazz capital of the world, Manhattan. Her timing was not the most fortuitous; she arrived in Jersey City on September 9, 2001, two days before Lower Manhattan's World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists. She made the best of those bleak, depressing weeks, however, and as jazz clubs slowly began to fill up again by early November of that year, she found herself sitting in at various nightclubs around Manhattan. Fuller played and recorded with some of jazz's well-known fixtures, including the Duke Ellington Big Band, T.S. Monk, Don Byron, Wycliffe Gordon, Mickey Roker, Ralph Peterson, Jon Faddis, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Heath, Gerald Wilson, Charlie Persip, Don Braden, and Nancy Wilson. After several years of playing clubs like Birdland in Manhattan with her own bands, in mid-June, 2006 she was hired by the singer Beyoncé to join her touring band. Since then, Fuller has accompanied Beyoncé on several U.S. and European tours. Being on the road has taught Fuller to more completely appreciate the artistry and freedom jazz musicians have. She's also learned to appreciate her audiences, whether an arena of 16,000 with Beyoncé or an intimate audience of 60 in one of northern New Jersey's smaller jazz clubs. When not on the road or leading her own group, Fuller conducts clinics and master classes at middle schools, high schools, and colleges. She's conducted these classes at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey, Aurora, Colorado Public Schools, the Mile High Jazz Camp, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Drexel University, Montclair State University, and New Mexico State University. Pillar of Strength
In 2005, Fuller released her first album ever with Pillar of Strength. Her indie release caught the attention of executives at Mack Avenue Records, who then signed her. Her debut for Mack Avenue Records, Healing Space, was released in 2007. Decisive Steps, released in the spring of 2010, is Fuller's sophomore release for Mack Avenue Records. She's accompanied by drummer Kim Thompson, bassist Miriam Sullivan, her sister, Shamie Royston on piano and keyboards, and special guests, bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Sean Jones, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut. She celebrated with a series of record release parties in West Orange, Newark, and Trenton, NJ, as well as back home in Denver and at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. On Decisive Steps, Fuller and company breathe new life into two standards, "I Can't Get Started," and "My Shining Hour," and bassist Christian McBride adds a new dimension to "I Can't Get Started."
Jazz Artist Tia Fuller by Pete Dulin | Apr 13, 2008 | Blog, Interviews and Profiles
Tia Fuller shares insight into her career as an accomplished jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator.
Tia Fuller, who also toured with Beyoncé as a member of the R&B superstar’s backing band, offered insight into her career as a female working in the music industry at an artist talk in KC in March 2008. While in town, Fuller and her all-female touring band––pianist Shamie Royston, bassist Miriam Sullivan and drummer Kim Thompson––performed at the Blue Room.
Raised in a musical household, Fuller began learning classical piano and flute from the age of three through age 13. Her father played bass and her mother sang. “From my earliest age, I remember hearing them rehearse in the basement of our house. I grew up hearing John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, and Charlie Parker. I didn’t understand it and didn’t really like it until I started playing saxophone and experiencing the music for myself,” she says.
She continued her jazz studies in high school, where she switched to saxophone, and into college, where Fuller earned a Masters Degree (M.M.) in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Fuller moved to Jersey City, incidentally just two days before the September 11 terrorists’ attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. “I thought it was an omen that I shouldn’t move out here,” she recalls. “Actually, the event forced me to hustle, because the word on the streets, in the jazz community, was that there was very little work. My first gig was playing in a big band at a fish fry in South Jersey.”
Fuller did hustle and began to rise in the New York jazz community. She met musicians such as saxophonist Brad Leali, who at that time played in the Count Basie Orchestra. He circulated Fuller’s name as a skillful saxophonist capable of doubling on the flute in the jazz community, Since then, Fuller has progressed as a musician and released two albums, the impressive debut Pillar of Strength (listen to a sample) and her sophomore release Healing Space.
As a composer, Fuller is well-versed in bop, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and Latin influences. She is also a dedicated educator. Fuller continues to be involved with music education by currently serving as the director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem’s “Harmony Ensemble.” She also conducts clinics, residencies, lectures and master classes.
In this PresentMagazine.com interview, Fuller shares advice about developing as a musician.
Present: Kansas City is blessed with a rich legacy and active community of jazz musicians including talented jazz vocalists, but there are few women jazz artists. What advice would you give to young women studying music in school or considering music education?
Tia Fuller: The advice I would give to women is to focus on being a great musician. Don’t allow negative experiences and the outside world dictate your purpose. Utilize all opportunities and experiences as stepping stones, toward your musicianship and character.
Present: You grew up in a musical family, studied jazz in high school and college, and learned from performing gigs in the New York scene. How did these various experiences reinforce your interest and improve your skill level as a maturing artist?
Fuller: These experiences have reinforced my interest and improved my skill level by constantly being in an environment of inspiration. In order to inspire you have to be inspired. My experiences have also taught me that music…life is full of infinite possibilities. You just have to have to move forward in faith and not fear.
Present: What are some common challenges for young jazz students in terms of technique, knowledge, or other areas?
Fuller: The most common challenge that I see in younger musicians is not having a clear concept of “sound,” and the “language” of the instrument. Listen to the greats and immerse yourself in the music, to the point that you can hear the sound you are trying to create in your head…before producing it through your instrument.
Present: Outside of learning how to play an instrument well, what other skills does a working musician need to learn and achieve in the music business?
Fuller: Other skills that students must achieve as a working musician is being a businessman or woman. Sending press kits, CDs, follow through with calls, networking and building healthy working relationships that create a win-win situation. Also, being a band leader, you have to communicate effectively and facilitate the things that you want done or put people in place to do those things. Ultimately, have a clear vision of where you want to go and aggressively pursue how you are going to get there, while maintaining a pleasant, yet business savvy attitude.
Present: Who were/are your role models in music or other fields? Why?
Fuller: Maya Angelou, Denzel Washington, Branford Marsalis, Serena Williams. All of these individuals push the envelope and walk in a clear and decisive vision path in their life. They are constantly in a state of evolution…no matter how old, no matter how hard, they turn their trials and visions into a tangible reality.
Present: Why is your latest album called “Healing Space?”
Fuller: In the midst of of brokenness and life’s challenges, “Healing Space” is a place that is created within oneself…a place that is your ultimate peace, restoration, enlightenment, and renewal.
Present: You began learning to play the piano at the age of three, and have studied and performed throughout your life. What excites you about music today? What experiences in life inspire you to create music?
Fuller: The ability to give back positive and uplifting energy and the ability to seek and discover through your instrument daily! The infinite possibilities that life brings continue to inspire me.
Originally published in Present Magazine, April 2008.
Multi-faceted American saxophonist Tia Fuller has
serenaded pop stars like Beyonce but she's making her debut as a
bandleader here with her trio at the Yardbird Suite Friday. 1 of 3
Photograph by: Supplied
Edmonton Journal
It’s good to be versatile, but few musicians would attempt the kind of balancing act that multi-instrumentalist Tia Fuller has taken on since she made her way to New York in 2001.
She’s
toured and recorded with pop star Beyonce, played musical director for
pop-jazz artist Esperanza Spalding, composes for and plays fearless,
expressive alto and soprano sax and occasional flute in her own
projects, and teaches several days a week at one of America’s most
revered music schools.
“I think
they all work hand in hand,” Fuller offered on the phone from her
office at Boston’s Berklee College recently. “It’s all a matter of
knowing the role that I’m playing, the musical environment, and being
ready to wear a different hat.”
As a team player and
featured soloist in Beyonce’s band several years ago, the reed player
would get a 32-bar solo every now and then before stepping back into the
horn section, no small responsibility when you’re backing a star of
such stature. Years on tour with the singer packed added lessons for
Fuller, who is now preparing to record her fifth solo album at 39.
“To
me, being a side-person, seeing other people lead, no matter what genre
of music, is equally important to being a bandleader. It’s all feeding
back into the same pot of experience. I’m taking notes, thinking ‘I like
how they do this,’ and the different genre is just about becoming
proficient in a different dialect so I can be more of a well-rounded
musician. I’m wearing all these different hats but I’m still Tia, so
it’s all good.”
With others or on her own, Fuller has
played R& B, pop and hip-hop angles even as she nails classic jazz
styles. Since appearing with Spalding at Edmonton’s jazz fest in 2013,
she’s back with her own band — a trio, including regular bassist of 12
years Mimi Jones and drummer Rodney Rocques, who was one of her students
when they met two years ago — to play jazz originals and standards at
the Yardbird Friday.
Her last record, Angelic Warrior
(Mack Avenue, 2012), is infused with echoes of the influences she grew
up with. You might be reminded of John Coltrane off the top, but there
are traces of Charlie Parker, too, in her rousing re-invention of the
dusty old bop warhorse Cherokee, featuring two drummers and extra rhythm
loops.
Colorado native Fuller was born to music as the
child of two jazz musicians/music teachers. She started piano at age
three and took up flute at nine, before switching to sax as her main axe
in high school. After a couple of music degrees she wound up in
Beyonce’s all-female band, joining the singer at the Grammys and the
White House, working with Janelle Monet, Aretha Franklin and jazz
leaders such as Dianne Reeves (who appears on Angelic Warrior to sing
Body And Soul).
Only 20 years ago it was almost unknown
for a female instrumentalist to win such attention in jazz. She has led
all-female groups and admits she’s “looking out for my little sisters”
as a role model of sorts to future generations. Fuller is the real deal,
a solid jazz artist.
“I’m just trying to be the best artist that I can be.”
Tia
Fuller plays 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at the Yardbird Suite (86th Avenue
on Gateway Boulevard). $26 for members, $30 for guests, in advance from Tix on the Square (780-420-1757) or at the door.
Fuller believes that 'female energy' is evident in her playing.
Two days before 9/11, a young jazz saxophonist named Tia Fuller moved
from her native Colorado to Jersey City, N.J., a few miles from
Manhattan, ready to make her mark. Then the local economy collapsed
along with the Twin Towers. But she pressed on, landing a gig at a fish
fry that very weekend. Soon she was in the funk band at a poetry slam,
and before long, she was touring the world with R&B superstar
Beyoncé.
Before returning to Europe with Grammy-winning bassist
Esperanza Spalding, Fuller will visit Madison for a residency Oct.
10-13. While here, she'll kick off the Isthmus Jazz Series with a free
concert on Oct. 12 and lead a series of school and community events
presented by the Madison Music Collective. The 36-year-old musician knows she's come a long way, and she doesn't plan on stopping.
"I just feel really blessed and fortunate to have the experiences I've
had," she says. "If I die tomorrow, I think I will be completely content
with what I have done with my life up to this point, with the exception
of having children. That's not to say that I'm not going to grow from
this point on, but from a professional standpoint, I'm definitely very
pleased with the direction of my career." She should be. Right
after her Madison trip, Fuller will celebrate Angelic Warrior, a new
album of original material, at a party in New York City.
Fuller's parents - father Fred, a bassist, and mother Elthopia, a
vocalist - filled her childhood with music. Both were
educator-administrators for Denver's public school system. Fuller has
dedicated Angelic Warrior to them. "Having had two
educators in my family placed focus and value on education and the
beauty of teaching," she says. "That passion has definitely transferred
to me and my sisters." This passion propelled Fuller toward
higher education. She earned a bachelor's degree in music from Spelman
College in 1998 and a master's degree from the University of Colorado at
Boulder in 2000. Some say she's the hottest former teaching assistant
in the music biz. Formal music training also shaped her career path.
Fuller's parents started her on classical piano at age 3. She took up
flute at age 9 and added saxophone to her instrumental arsenal so she
could join her middle school jazz band. She still remembers the first
note she played on sax: a lower B flat. "I just remember the resonance and the power that it had, and I knew that was the instrument of my choice," she says. But the first song she attempted wasn't by Stan Getz or John Coltrane. It was by the Beastie Boys.
After soloing on the jazz standard "I Hear a Rhapsody" with her high
school band, Fuller realized she could have a career as a saxophonist.
Soon she was gigging with her family band, Fuller Sound. During
her first year at Spelman, she transcribed her first solo: Cannonball
Adderley's run in "Stars Fell on Alabama." Then she tackled Coltrane's
"Giant Steps," one of the songs her father played around the house when
she was a girl. Fuller encourages young players to learn by transcribing.
"I tell a lot of my students that learning transcription is equivalent
to going to a different country and being among the people who speak
that language," she says. "Learning that language in its entirety,
learning about phrasing, different aspects of soloing, learning about
sound and harmony, learning about punctuating everything, and
articulation." And the benefits are more than intellectual, she
explains: "It gives you muscle memory, so that when you're learning a
new song, you have a certain command of the language under your belt."
Adderley and Coltrane are two of her biggest influences. "Then, once I
could really understand what was being played, Charlie Parker," she
adds. "But it took me until my early- to mid-20s to decipher what he was
doing." Music is still a family affair as well. Big sister
Shamie Royston, also a musician and educator, will join Fuller on piano
in Madison. "There's nothing like being on the bandstand and on
the road with family," says Fuller. "We've played together for so long
in so many different environments. To see how we've all grown
individually and collectively, it's really, really amazing, very
beautiful. I feel really blessed." Fuller says recording as a
duo with Royston is on her bucket list. She already has a focus in mind:
new arrangements of gospel tunes. Despite Coltrane's role in her artistic development, there's no relation between his great work and the title of her 2010 album, Decisive Steps.
Its name comes from "Life Brings," a bonus digital track that features a
tap dancer and the inspirational chorus "Live your life in faith, not
fear/Abundant life in this new year/Pursuit of dreams, decisive
steps/Will bring you to your victory yet." It's the song of her life.
"I was on tour with Beyoncé, sitting in the back of the tour bus trying
to balance her gig and booking my own gigs, and I remember feeling like
I had to stay in the Beyoncé gig in order to just survive," she says.
"But I was compelled to take decisive steps forward and continue to
develop my own career. That's where that thought and concept came from -
moving on and facing that fear with decisive steps. It's really an
affirmation for me to move on and take another step for my career." The rest of Fuller's catalog - Pillar of Strength (2005) and Healing Space (2007) - shows the same relentlessly positive outlook.
"There has to be a certain element of spirituality that comes through
the music for us to do this thing we call jazz," she says. "Our
challenge is to maintain the balance of the technical and the spiritual,
and have the technical serve as the vehicle for the spiritual to come
through." In late 2006, Beyoncé auditioned
about 5,000 young women across the country for Sugar Mama, her 10-piece,
all-female band. After two callbacks, Fuller won the alto sax slot. The
Beyoncé Experience toured the world for eight months in 2007, then I
Am... did the same two years later. Beyoncé and Fuller also hit the
White House in 2009, to trade riffs on Anita Baker's "Sweet Love." Fuller says touring with Beyoncé was a career highlight, but one she had to move beyond.
"A lot of the time people, inclusive of myself, with such a
high-profile gig feel they have to keep on doing it because of the
stability and visibility. But...something had to give. I felt I had
sacrificed five years of my individual career, I had a whole 'nother
side of my playing and career I wanted to continue to develop that had
started before the Beyoncé tour. " Beyoncé's heavily
orchestrated presentation left little room for improvisation, but Fuller
did her best to push the boundaries. On that first tour, she soloed on
the slow ballad "Me, Myself and I." She played her part a little
differently every night. Then the production crew told her to
standardize. Her solution? Open and close the solo the same way each
time, but keep 16 bars of improvisation in the middle. "They became adjusted to it," she says. Fuller may never be the mononymous superstar that Beyoncé has become, but she has applied the lessons learned on those tours.
"Beyoncé has a very clear vision, and I really learned a lot about
communicating with the audience, bringing them in. And she showed me a
lot about presentation, how to present yourself, how to hold your body
so you show strength and the elements that you want to convey," says
Fuller. Fuller got so used to performing in three-inch heels that she's adopted the style in her own smaller-scale jazz gigs. "[If] I don't have them on, it doesn't feel like a performance. It feels like a rehearsal," she says. She has not, however, adopted another key element of the Beyoncé stage show: choreography. "I'm not doing any," she says with a laugh. "At least not yet." Being in Sugar Mama also showed Fuller
the appeal of an all-female lineup, an approach she frequently adopts
for her own performances. It comes down to biology, she says.
"To me, there is a definite internal connection that happens with women,
whereas with men, the source of it is the same, but sometimes I feel it
comes from a different place. [I'm] not saying [it's] better or worse,
just different. It's just a different internal connection that happens,
and I strongly believe it has something to do with our biological makeup
and the whole process of reproduction and creating and nurturing." Can audiences hear the difference when a band is all female?
"I know they can feel it," she says. "They feel that connection, that
sensitivity. You feel that element of nurturing, that female energy as
opposed to the male energy." Madison won't get to feel this
connection during the residency. The band Fuller's bringing is
mixed-gender, with Mimi Jones on bass and Otis Brown III on drums. Still, expect the events to be important, exciting and filled with great music - with the promise of more to come.
"As long as you stay true to yourself, all the work and all of the
investments that you make eventually are going to come to fruition in
the way that you wanted to in your caree An angelic warrior would believe no less. Sax education Fuller will speak and perform at several public events during her Madison residency. Here are some highlights. Boys and Girls Club's Allied Family Center, Oct. 10, 4 pm
Fuller will give a lecture on jazz and jam with local musicians Joey
Banks (drums), Laurie Lang (bass) and Becca Grant (piano). Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Oct. 11, 7 pm Fuller will perform during an all-ages presentation entitled "Mind, Body and Spirit of the Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation." UW Union South Sett, Oct. 12, 8 & 10 pm Fuller will play two free concerts with her quartet. Sheraton Hotel, Oct. 13, 10 am Fuller will discuss women in jazz at a brunch featuring live music and videos. Visit madisonmusiccollective.org for details.
- See more at:
http://www.isthmus.com/music/jazz-musician-tia-fuller-comes-into-her-own-after-touring-with-beyonc%C3%A9/#sthash.jEF9o1gt.dpuf
Jazz musicians are blessed with the desire and ability to play a genre that has a history as rich as its sound. All the greats, past and present know that it’s not enough to simply play the notes, one has to live the music and feel it with every breath. When Mack Avenue recording artist, Tia Fuller picks up her sax to play, the two become one and something amazing happens as the notes and reverberations of her musical elixir fill the room. Suddenly, everything in the universe feels right and it’s easy to see and hear why this artist and teacher, who has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, (Magna Cum Laude) and Master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder (Summa Cum Laude), was selected to be a member of the all-female band touring with R&B star, Beyoncé. As part of the I AM..Sasha Fierce and Beyoncé Experience World Tour promoting the superstar’s CD’s, Tia has played in various venues throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. She is a featured soloist on the Beyoncé Experience DVD(Me, Myself and I) and also appeared on number of major television shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, BET Awards, American Music Awards and Total Request Live.
An accomplished performer in her own right, Tia has recorded three CDs with her quartet. The first, Pillar of Strength (2005/Wambui), received praise as being "an exhilarating work that introduced her as a leader who strives for perfection" (Terrell Holmes, All About Jazz Magazine). Her sophomore release, Healing Space (2007/Mack Avenue), is an offering of “melodic medicine” that the wide-eyed optimist sincerely hopes will serve as a healing agent for those who indulge in it. Tia will be releasing her third CD “Decisive Steps”, Jan. 2010, which will be her second offering under the Mack Avenue label. Her quartet was recently featured at Oris Watches/ Time Tourneau building for WBGO’s jazz festival. Tia can also be seen performing regularly with a number of bands, including the Ralph Peterson Septet, the T.S. Monk Septet, the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra, the Rufus Reid Septet, the Sean Jones Quintet, the Nancy Wilson Jazz Orchestra, and Wycliff Gordan Septet.
The dynamic saxophonist has been featured in Jazz Improv Magazine, Rocky Mountain News, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Star Ledger, Downbeat Magazine and many other print and online publications. In addition to receiving numerous awards and marks of distinction, Tia was honored to be the keynote speaker at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey’s 2003 graduation ceremony, where she presented her “Journey to Success” speech. She also be featured solist playing “The National Anthem” for Detroit Tiger Stadium in Sept. 2009. Also, in January 2008, she had the privilege of participating in a press conference with pianist and composer, Danilo Perez and the Governor of the Republic of Panama, Carlos A. Villarino.
Tia believes her passion for teaching and inspiring students is in her genes because her parents were educators/administrators in the Denver Public School District. As a devoted educator, she presents lectures and teaches ensembles and masterclasses at some of the most respected institutions in the country, including Stanford University’s “Jazz Workshop,” the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, New Mexico State University, the IAJE Jazz Convention, Purchase College, WBGO’s “Children in Jazz” Series, Duquesne University and Panama Jazz Festival.
Tia moved to Jersey City, NJ two days before the events of September 11, 2001. Despite the fact that the jazz community believed there was not much work in the area during that period, she wasn’t discouraged and used the tragic event as a reason to succeed. She got her first gig playing in a big band at a fish fry in South Jersey. Brad Leali, who was playing in the Count Basie Orchestra at the time, spread the word that Tia was a skillful saxophonist who also played the flute. This brought her to the attention of others in the jazz community, including Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Don Braden and Don Byron, which led to her performing with a number of luminaries in the world of jazz.
With music in her blood and a song in her heart, Tia was born in Aurora, Colorado to jazz musicians, Fred and Elthopia Fuller. Her father, Fred plays bass and her mother, Elthopia sings. She grew up listening to her parents rehearse in the basement of their home, as well as the music of jazz greats, such as John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn and Charlie Parker. I
Inspired by her older sister, Shamie, Tia began playing classical piano when she was just three years old and continued until she was thirteen. She also began studying the flute when she was nine. Her interest in jazz came into fruition in high school. It was during this time that she began playing the saxophone.
The Colorado native, who now resides in Essex County, New Jersey, says playing music makes her feel as if she is a vessel for the Spirit to flow through. While listening to her songs, she wants people to be uplifted and experience a sense of restoration, compelling them to move forward not in fear, but in love and faith. TIA FULLER: http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/tiafuller Primary Instrument: Saxophone Swing is the musical manifestation of forward motion. To achieve one’s goals, one must take giant steps. Today’s modern musicians at the change of the 21st century are moving miles ahead, advancing the jazz continuum, while remaining open and engaged in other musical inventions and dimensions. The astonishingly gifted, Colorado-born, alto / soprano saxophonist / flautist Tia Fuller is such an artist. She is at home at all points of the musicverse--from her show-stopping solos as a member of superstar Beyoncé’s all-female band, to her scintillatingly swinging jazz dates and recordings. Her newest Mack Avenue release Decisive Steps, is the long-awaited follow-up to her 2007 label debut Healing Space. It features her Beyoncé bandmate, drummer Kim Thompson; bassist Miriam Sullivan; Fuller’s sister, Shamie Royston on piano and Fender Rhodes; with special guests, trumpeter Sean Jones and bassist Christian McBride (both Mack Avenue label mates); vibraphonist Warren Wolf; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut.
“It’s a continuation of Healing Space, evolving from a stationary place of healing to steps of action,” Fuller says. “I’ve been in the mindset of really moving forward to the next level in my life, constantly being in the mindset of greatness, relentless in my pursuit and progressing with purpose by embracing my talents, recognizing my strengths and improving upon my weaknesses…but also in not being afraid of change; stepping forward in faith and not in fear.”
Indeed, the ten tracks on this sumptuous CD aurally illustrate Fuller’s artistic fearlessness fulfilled by her agile, buoyant and elegant full-bodied sax lines effortlessly improvising a number of moods and grooves, as evidenced by the take-no-prisoners tempo of the title track. “The first track, ‘Decisive Steps,’ was one of the last songs that I wrote for the album,” Fuller says. “This particular song is very intricate--it has a lot of hits and time changes, so, compositionally, I wanted to portray a sonic representation of momentum; in moving forward, and really feature everybody in the quartet.” Royston’s Icarusian “Windsoar” highlights she and her sister’s telepathic compositional bond. “We have a way of writing, where our songs are almost seamless,” Fuller says. “It’s funny; when Shamie started writing ‘Windsoar,’ it begins with a melody surrounded by a concert B-flat, and I was like, ‘Shamie…I just started writing ‘Clear Mind’ with the same concept of the harmonies surrounding the melody of the B-flat.’ We were writing in the same light of each other. We didn’t talk about it; it was intuitive.”
That intuitive simpatico comes through loud and clear on the funky “Ebb & Flow,” which features McBride and Sullivan. “The concept of the song was inspired by one of my Spelman [College] sisters reunion,” Fuller says. “In preparing for my recording and taking those aggressive steps, you have to be one with the spirit--allowing the ebb and flow of the physical and spiritual to become one.” “Shades of McBride” is Fuller’s finessed take on McBride’s “Shade of the Cedar Tree.” “My melody is an expansion of his melody, over different chord changes. After a week of singing my melody over his tune, I knew it was complete,” Fuller says. “He’s been a mentor of mine and a great friend.”
The interlude “Steppin’,” featuring tap dancer Maurice Chestnut, takes Fuller’s thematic concept to a new level. “Prior to the recording I had the opportunity to meet Maurice Chestnut…we did some gigs together with the T.S. Monk Septet. I was like ‘man, I’d really like to feature him--tying it along with the concept of decisive steps…to audibly represent stepping.’ I was thinking what better way to do that, than with a tap dancer. Musically, it’s an interlude to represent moving forward and serves as a transition within the sequence of the album.”
The Latinesque “Kissed by the Sun” was “inspired by a melody I that was in my head as I awoke, the sun hitting my face...it felt like a kiss.” Likewise, the waltz-like “Night Glow,” penned by Shamie Royston’s husband [Rudy Royston], is equally impressive. The album also contains Fuller’s ingenious reworking of two well-worn standards. “On ‘I Can’t Get Started’ I wanted to feature the amazing artistry of Christian McBride and Warren Wolf,” Fuller shares. “I wanted to experience the purity of the bass, sax and vibe combination, absent of drums. This arrangement expands the timbre of the album and recording with Christian is a dream come true--this trio combination is timeless. On ‘My Shining Hour’ I wanted something we could ‘burn-out’ on, but also something that grabs the listener’s attention. This arrangement gives us the harmonic freedom…simple, yet complex bass-line over the classic melody is the ultimate balance of the familiar meeting the unfamiliar...closing the album with the excitement of the quartet.”
The bonus track, “Life Brings,” a percussive, “syncopated spiritual” featuring Chestnut and vocalist Asaph Womack, will be available digitally. “It’s a blueprint of what I want to do in the future: an orchestral piece, with a full choir, video and tap dancers--a large production.”
On Decisive Steps, Fuller’s sound is soaring, supple and in-the-pocket from years of channeling her horn heroes. “The first solo I transcribed was Cannonball Adderley’s ‘Stars Fell on Alabama’ my freshman year at Spelman,” Fuller says. “I’ve always had a deep love for Cannonball. I always find myself going back to him. He has everything in his playing: soul, technique, his sound is amazing. Also John Coltrane; he’s another person that I checked out early on. I actually heard him before I started playing the saxophone because my parents are musicians. My Dad played Giant Steps throughout the house when I was eight, nine, or ten [laughs]. Recently, I’ve really been checking out Earl Bostic. With the Beyonce gig, I have a solo where I am playing a twelve bar G blues intro [the cadenza before “Work It Out” while Beyonce is talking] and I thought, let me check out Earl Bostic, Trane did. More importantly, he was one of the saxophone legends that mastered the art of playing in the R&B world, the pop world and the jazz world…ultimately speaking the language and dialect of each genre.”
Fuller’s jazz-rooted, genre-crossing artistry is the result of an arts-filled childhood. She was born in Aurora, Colorado to musician parents, bassist Fred and singer Elthopia, who both taught in the Denver Public School District. She grew up listening to Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan and Charlie Parker. She started playing classical piano at the age of three, inspired by her older sister, Shamie, and studied the instrument for ten years. She started playing the flute at the age of nine and began playing the saxophone, deepening her interest in middle school. In 1998, she graduated Magna Cum Laude at Spelman College in Atlanta (where she studied with the great saxophonist/educator Joe Jennings) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music; graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Master of Music degree, Jazz Pedagogy and Performance in 2000.
Fuller made the eventual move to New York, relocating to nearby Jersey City, arriving two days before September 11, 2001. Undaunted by the terrible times of that period, she forged ahead and played and recorded with some of jazz’s brightest stars, including the Duke Ellington Big Band, Nancy Wilson, T.S. Monk, Don Byron, Brad Leali, Wycliff Gordan, Mickey Roker, Ralph Petersen, Jon Faddis, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Heath, Gerald Wilson, Sean Jones, Charlie Persip, and Don Braden. Then, on June 17, 2006 she was hired by Beyoncé and, as they say, the rest is history. “Playing with her is truly amazing,” Fuller says. “I’ve really learned a lot about maintaining your integrity, and also how as an artist, you have to be the facilitator…surrounding yourself with a great team that shares and helps to facilitate your vision. Also, learning to engage and entertain your audience, as well as being consistent. There’s something to it, playing the same show every night, almost verbatim. And every night, that consistency is able to grab and keep sixteen and seventeen thousand people a night; and for them, to have the most amazing experience. So it’s really empowering--not only to be performing with her, and to see how high of a work ethic she has, but to also be in a band of all women that are ALL creative and musical legends, in their own right. The ten of us musically enhance each other. Each of us contribute a different piece of the puzzle, something completely different; yet equally important to Beyonce’s band.”
Along with her high-profile gig with Beyonce, Fuller has also emerged as a solo recording artist. In 2005 she released her first CD as a leader (produced by mother, Elthopia Fuller), Pillar of Strength (Wambui), which was praised by Terrell Holmes of All About Jazz for being “an exhilarating work that introduced her as a leader who strives for perfection,” followed by her Mack Avenue debut, Healing Space in 2007. Her teaching credentials are equally expansive and impressive. She has conducted numerous clinics and master classes at the middle, high school, and college levels, including: Jazz Institute of New Jersey, Aurora Public Schools, Mile High Jazz Camp, University of Colorado at Boulder, Miami-Dade Community College, Jazz Institute of New Jersey, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Drexel University, Montclair State University, Bloomfield College, and New Mexico State University. Which brings us to Decisive Steps: Tia Fuller’s latest sonic testament to her ever upward-and-evolving evolution toward artistic perfection; an evolution that is taking place in an intricately intertwined musical world where an artist combines a myriad of genres. “The Beyonce gig has helped me to really appreciate the artistry and freedom that we have in jazz,” Fuller says. “Playing in jazz settings helps me to appreciate and integrate what we’re doing with Beyonce. They balance each other out. And I’m learning that they’re both the same. Playing in front of sixteen thousand people, or sixty people, it’s the same, because it’s all about people, transferring energy, uplifting and encouraging spirits and sharing the love of music. There’s a common thread between the two, and they enhance each other. I think musicians are taking a step forward on both sides; we’re moving forward with combining all forms, and more people are accepting that concept, because it’s all inter-connected. We, as a people, are taking Decisive Steps!”
Key
Personnel: Tia Fuller (saxes), Shamie Royston (piano, Fender Rhodes),
Mimi Jones (bass), Rudy Royston (drums), Shirazette Tinnin (percussion),
Terri Lynne Carrington (drums), John Patitucci (bass), Dianne Reeves
(vocals).
Saxophonist Tia Fuller is about as musically diverse as one can get. From her stints on the road with pop superstar Beyonce, to leading her own band, and most recently serving as the assistant musical director for Esperanza Spalding‘s
Radio Music Society tour, you could say that Fuller has taken full
advantage of the versatility that comes with being a musician. Those
experiences have also helped shape her musical and personal style. We
got a dose of that evolution on her last album, Decisive Steps, in which she elegantly embraced her feminine appeal and artistic distinction as a contemporary jazz saxophonist and composer.
Now, Fuller’s musical and stylistic progression has come full circle in the form of Angelic Warrior,
her third album for Mack Avenue Records. There is a real heroic spirit
to the album, emphasized in part by Fuller’s highly developed sense of
dexterity and gracefulness on the alto and soprano saxophone. She
stretches her creativity by utilizing the piccolo and electric bass as
one of the main instruments for melodic and harmonic purposes. Bassist John Patitucci and Fuller have great musical chemistry as they both create colorful textures while showcasing their improvisational skills.
Fuller is also in good company with her longtime pianist and sister, Shamie Royston, and drummer Rudy Royston (Fuller’s
brother-in-law), who all take the spotlight on the up-tempo, optimistic
number “Royston Rumble.” The husband and wife team start the track off
and then Fuller takes the lead, engaging in a complex solo spurt before
Patitucci comes in and slows the piece down with mid tempo phrases. That
up-beat tune is followed by the sexy, Latin flavored “Ralphie’s
Groove.”
In addition to her original compositions, Fuller spices up a few
standards such as “Body and Soul” which features the classy
vocal stylings of Dianne Reeves and the rhythmic heavy
tune “So In Love w/ All Of You” a distinctive arrangement of two Cole
Porter songs, “So in love” and “All of You.” She also tackles the bebop
classic “Cherokee” and puts an electronic, jazz fusion twist on the song
with a rapid jungle beat provided by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, who also arranged the tune with Fuller.
Another positive note about the album is its diverse song selections,
and its embracing of the past while celebrating the modernity of jazz.
The edgy, rock ‘n’ roll and R&B groove “Tailor Made” which
features a crafty electric bass line from Patitucci attests to the
album’s eclecticism as well as the Caribbean-esque tune “Descend to
Barbados.”
The title track “Angelic Warrior” has a virtuous tone as reflected
through the high pitched timbre of Fuller on soprano sax and at the same
time, the military style rhythm by Carrington symbolizes the courageous
spirit of her music. The tune fluctuates between a fast and slow tempo
and ends on a fierce note.
Fuller has definitely broken out of her shell as an artist and continues to push her creative limits to the max. Angelic Warrior is proof that she can incorporate popular music into her style while still staying true to her jazz roots.
“… sheer improvisational prowess.” – The Chicago Tribune
When Tia Fuller isn’t leading her own quartet, you
may have heard the gifted alto saxophonist/flutist with a variety of
performers in the jazz and pop world. Her dynamic sound, inspired by
Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, has been featured with Nancy
Wilson, Jon Faddis, Sean Jones, and pop diva Beyonce. Elements of bop,
gospel, Brazilian, and funk are infused throughout her energetic music.
Fuller has three recordings out under her own name, the latest being the
critically praised Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue Recordings).
Most recently, she was named Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding’s
eagerly awaited Radio Music Society tour.
Tia Fuller grew up in Aurora, Colorado. Her parents were
educator/administrators in the Denver public school system and also
musicians. Playing music was a regular part of her early life. At age 3,
she was already trying to imitate her older sister, Shamie, at the
piano. By age 9, she started taking flute lessons. In high school, she
focused on saxophone and her burgeoning interest in playing jazz.
Academically inclined, Fuller has a Bachelor of Arts in music from
Spelman College in Atlanta and a Masters in Jazz Pedagogy and
Performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Fuller relocated
to New Jersey in 2001, plunging into the jazz scene, and going all out
to become established as a working musician. Gigs with big bands led by
Charli Persip, Don Byron, and Jon Faddis helped make Fuller a talent
worth hearing. In 2006, Fuller was selected to be part of pop diva Beyonce’s Experience World Tour.
Fuller’s association with Beyonce gave her high exposure on an
international level, something rarely accorded a jazz artist. Yet,
Fuller continued to nurture her solo career, working with her quartet on
recordings and concert appearances. To date, she has three CDs under
her own name, and received kudos from all corners of the jazz world. She
also maintains a busy schedule as a music clinician, preparing the next
generation of jazz musicians, and spreading the word on the
therapeutic, as well as the artistic, aspects of music. Idealism and
music go together for Fuller. She strongly believes in the ability of
music to uplift and inspire people in their daily life. Her energetic
performances, where she never gives less than 100%, bear this out. When
not leading her own group, Fuller plays regularly in a number of stellar
groups, including the Rufus Reid Septet, Sean Jones Quintet, and T.S.
Monk’s septet. This inventive straight-ahead player has been described
by one critic as “among the top tier of current saxophone players.”
Definitely, one to watch!
CALENDAR INFO Tia Fuller Quartet DATE: Friday, May 18, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRICE: $22/Adv $25/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227 Media contact:
Jordy Freed jordy@dlmediamusic.com
610-667-0501
MEET THE PERFORMERS: VISITING ARTISTS
Tia Fuller
Jazz musicians are blessed with the desire and
ability to play a genre that has a history as rich as its sound. All the
greats, past and present know that it’s not enough to simply play the
notes, one has to live the music and feel it with every breath. When
Mack Avenue recording artist, Tia Fuller picks up her sax to play, the
two become one and something amazing happens as the notes and
reverberations of her musical elixir fill the room. Suddenly, everything
in the universe feels right and it’s easy to see and hear why this
artist and teacher, who has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from
Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, (Magna Cum Laude) and Master’s degree in
Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at
Boulder (Summa Cum Laude), was selected to be a member of the all-female
band touring with R&B star, Beyoncé. As part of the I AM..Sasha Fierce and Beyoncé Experience World Tour
promoting the superstar’s CD’s, Tia has played in various venues
throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. She is a featured
soloist on the Beyoncé Experience DVD(Me, Myself and I) and also appeared on number of major television shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, BET Awards, American Music Awards and Total Request Live.
An accomplished performer in her own right, Tia has recorded three CDs with her quartet. The first, Pillar of Strength
(2005/Wambui), received praise as being "an exhilarating work that
introduced her as a leader who strives for perfection" (Terrell Holmes, All About Jazz Magazine).
Her sophomore release, Healing Space (2007/Mack Avenue), is an offering
of “melodic medicine” that the wide-eyed optimist sincerely hopes will
serve as a healing agent for those who indulge in it. Tia will be
releasing her third CD “Decisive Steps”, Jan. 2010, which will be her
second offering under the Mack Avenue label. Her quartet was recently
featured at Oris Watches/ Time Tourneau building for WBGO’s jazz
festival. Tia can also be seen performing regularly with a number of
bands, including the Ralph Peterson Septet, the T.S. Monk Septet, the
Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra, the Rufus Reid Septet, the Sean Jones
Quintet, the Nancy Wilson Jazz Orchestra, and Wycliff Gordan Septet.
The dynamic saxophonist has been featured in Jazz Improv Magazine, Rocky Mountain News, The Philadelphia Tribune, The Star Ledger, Downbeat Magazine and
many other print and online publications. In addition to receiving
numerous awards and marks of distinction, Tia was honored to be the
keynote speaker at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey’s 2003 graduation
ceremony, where she presented her “Journey to Success” speech. She also
be featured solist playing “The National Anthem” for Detroit Tiger
Stadium in Sept. 2009. Also, in January 2008, she had the privilege of
participating in a press conference with pianist and composer, Danilo
Perez and the Governor of the Republic of Panama, Carlos A. Villarino.
Tia believes her passion for teaching and inspiring students is in
her genes because her parents were educators/administrators in the
Denver Public School District. As a devoted educator, she presents
lectures and teaches ensembles and masterclasses at some of the most
respected institutions in the country, including Stanford University’s
“Jazz Workshop,” the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival,
New Mexico State University, the IAJE Jazz Convention, Purchase
College, WBGO’s “Children in Jazz” Series, Duquesne University and
Panama Jazz Festival.
Tia moved to Jersey City, NJ two days before the events of September
11, 2001. Despite the fact that the jazz community believed there was
not much work in the area during that period, she wasn’t discouraged and
used the tragic event as a reason to succeed. She got her first gig
playing in a big band at a fish fry in South Jersey. Brad Leali, who was
playing in the Count Basie Orchestra at the time, spread the word that
Tia was a skillful saxophonist who also played the flute. This brought
her to the attention of others in the jazz community, including Gerald
Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Don Braden and Don Byron, which led to her
performing with a number of luminaries in the world of jazz.
With music in her blood and a song in her heart, Tia was born in
Aurora, Colorado to jazz musicians, Fred and Elthopia Fuller. Her
father, Fred plays bass and her mother, Elthopia sings. She grew up
listening to her parents rehearse in the basement of their home, as well
as the music of jazz greats, such as John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn and
Charlie Parker. I
Inspired by her older sister, Shamie, Tia began playing classical
piano when she was just three years old and continued until she was
thirteen. She also began studying the flute when she was nine. Her
interest in jazz came into fruition in high school. It was during this
time that she began playing the saxophone.
The Colorado native, who now resides in Essex County, New Jersey,
says playing music makes her feel as if she is a vessel for the Spirit
to flow through. While listening to her songs, she wants people to be
uplifted and experience a sense of restoration, compelling them to move
forward not in fear, but in love and faith.
Please note: Biographies on the CSO website are
based on the information that was most recently provided to the CSO by
the artists or their representatives. More current information may be
available on the artists' own websites or those of their
representatives.
- See more at: http://cso.org/about/performers/visiting-artists/tia-fuller/#sthash.Q37tQtcD.dpuf
By David La Rosa, Editor | Dec 1, 2012, 05:45 PM The Jazz Line We caught up with Tia Fuller ahead of her performance at the Clearwater Jazz Festival. Clearwater Jazz Holiday - Tia Fuller
During the rather in-depth interview (which is split into two parts),
we asked the saxophonist about everything from her experiences on the
road as part of Beyonce’s all-female world-tour band through to the
current state of Jazz, who she’s listening to right now.
Check out Part One of The Jazz Line’s Tia Fuller Interview below:
Fuller’s latest album ‘Angelic Warrior’ was released last year on Mack Avenue Records, and received a 5-star review on The Jazz Line,
so of course we had to to ask her about that project alongside the
highs and lows of leading your own band and the monumental task of
producing your own album.
Check out Part Two of The Jazz Line’s Tia Fuller Interview below:
Be sure to watch to the end to hear a snippet of her performance.
Fuller’s performance was incredibly diverse and well received by an
unfortunately sparse but no doubt highly entertained audience. The
performance was a true family affair, featuring Tia’s sister Shamie on
Keys and brother-in-law Rudy on Drums, with Mimi Jones rounding out the
Quartet on bass; assisted on occasion by guest performer and Grammy
award winner Esperanza Spalding.
THE MUSIC OF TIA FULLER: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH MS. FULLER:
Beyond Category: Tia Fuller
Acclaimed jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller has made her name appearing with such high-profile artists as Beyonce, Esperanza Spalding, and Terri Lyne Carrington. Mixing high-energy bebop with soulful funk, Tia joins Eric with her band at the Strathmore Mansion in Rockville Maryland.
Sessie Tia Fuller:
Mix - Sessie Tia Fuller:
The Tia Fuller Quartet play the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Cabaret at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the UC Davis Campus.
Tia Fuller Quartet Tia Fuller: Alto and Soprano Saxophones Mimi Jones: Bass Rudy Royston: Drum Rachel Eckroth: Piano
Tia Fuller @ Saxquest - November 13, 2014:
Fuller
has made a name for herself over the past 10 years as being one of the
hardest hitting saxophonists on the New York scene and has clearly risen
to the top of her generation of musicians. As a Mack Avenue recording
Artist, Fuller is grounded in a jazz mode of expression that embraces
both the classic and the contemporary sounds surrounding her. It’s no
mistake that artists from Esperanza Spalding to Beyoncé include her
instrumental voice and vision in their work. Fusing traditions, styles,
and unafraid of genre boundaries, Fuller’s music transgresses the
musical frontiers of today!
While having performed in a multitude of
musical idioms, it’s the jazz quartet where Tia has focused her
recordings as a leader. It’s this setting where she really shines, not
only in her ability to play with a spell bounding modern lyricism, but
also her ability to interact with the quartet, where all members of the
ensemble are on an equal footing.
Don’t miss this chance to hear saxophone phenom Tia Fuller. A soloing member of the all-female band touring the world with R&B star Beyonce, she has also carved out an impressive jazz career as a Cannonball- and Coltrane-inspired improviser, composer, and band leader who has played with likes of Jon Faddis, T.S. Monk, and Sean Jones, and released three CDs under her own name. This inventive straight-ahead player has been described by one critic as “among the top tier of current saxophone players.”
“If you have been waiting for a versatile, creative voice on alto saxophone, soprano, and flute, your wait is over.” – Jon Faddis
Tia Fuller talks 'Angelic Warrior' Album & working with Esperanza Spalding:
We caught up with Tia Fuller at the 2012 Clearwater Jazz Holiday for a chat about her latest album on Mack Avenue Records, 'Angelic Warrior'.
Be sure to check out our in-depth review of the 33rd Annual Clearwater Jazz Festival, which took place 18-21 October 2012: http://thejazzline.com/features/2012/...
Download Tia Fuller's new album 'Angelic Warrior' here:
Tia Fuller: Alto and Soprano Saxophones Mimi Jones: Bass Rudy Royston: Drum; Rachel Eckroth: Piano
Tia Fuller - "Decisive Steps"
Popular Tia Fuller Videos
by Tia Fuller - Topic
An Afternoon with Tia Fuller facilitated by Nicole Sweeney
In collaboration with Jazz 91.9 WCLK Atlanta, the Auburn Avenue Research Library hosted the community discussion, An Afternoon with Tia Fuller. Renowned jazz saxophonist and Spelman College Alumni, Tia Fuller, discussed her extraordinary musical career as a jazz musician, composer and educator. An accomplished performer in her own right, Tia was selected to be a member of the all-female band that toured with Beyoncé in 2007, and in 2012 toured with jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding, as the leader of the Radio Music Society horn section. The discussion was facilitated by Nicole Sweeney, host of The Midday Jazz Swing radio show on WCLK. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAZDihFjx_JRFgopDFZC8ksAo2PvPiDtx
Don’t
miss this chance to hear saxophone phenom Tia Fuller. A soloing member
of the all-female band touring the world with R&B star Beyonce, she
has also carved out an impressive jazz career as a Cannonball- and
Coltrane-inspired improviser, composer, and band leader who has played
with likes of Jon Faddis, T.S. Monk, and Sean Jones, and released three
CDs under her own name. This inventive straight-ahead player has been
described by one critic as “among the top tier of current saxophone
players.”
“If you have been waiting for a versatile, creative voice on alto
saxophone, soprano, and flute, your wait is over.” – Jon Faddis
00:00 - Body and Soul (Classic tune with a new dynamic Jazz funk arrangement by Tia Fuller; Ms. Fuller also performs a brilliant improvisation on tenor saxophone 10:40 - Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Fuller was born in Aurora, Colorado
to jazz musicians Fred and Elthopia Fuller. Her father, Fred, plays
bass and her mother, Elthopia, sings. She grew up listening to her
parents rehearse in the basement of their home, as well as to the music
of John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan and Charlie Parker.
Fuller began playing saxophone in high school, after which she continued her musical education at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia under the tutelage of Joseph Jennings. While there she performed with Ray Charles
and in Atlanta's jazz clubs. In 1998, she graduated Magna Cum Laude
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, and later went on to complete
her Master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Fuller has led a quartet which includes Shamie Royston on piano, Kim Thompson on drums, and Miriam Sullivan on bass, and with whom she has recorded the albums Pillar of Strength (2005, Wambui), Healing Space (2007, Mack Avenue), and Decisive Steps (2010, Mack Avenue). In 2006, she was a member of the all-female band touring with Beyoncé.
In 2012 she toured with Esperanza Spalding as leader of the Radio
Music Society horn section, in which she played saxophone in dialogue
with Spalding's scat singing.
Education
In 1998, Fuller graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in music from Spelman College, and went on to obtain a master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Tia Fuller shares insight into her career as an accomplished jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator.
5 Stars 
