World Jazz Vocalist | Educator | Recording Artist | Composer | Linguist | Adventurer & Lover of all things BEAUTIFUL
Born in San Diego, California, multi-lingual jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker began singing before she could speak. Allison was raised by classically trained musical parents, and began performing in front of audiences at age 5. She studied piano, flute, violin, dance and voice from elementary school and holds a BA in Linguistics/Music Vocal Performance and an AA in Italian. Allison's vocal palette has been colored by her experience in a variety of musical genres throughout her life, from punk rock to Elizabethan a cappella. These experiences led her on a natural and steadfast transition to the world of jazz in 2005.
Allison's love for languages and world cultures also began at a young age, and she has studied and sings in 6 languages besides her own. She has lived in Japan and Spain and has traveled to over 15 countries. This “wanderlust” is evident in the music she chooses today. Her music reflects her passion for world cultures with rhythms, melodies, and lyrics of Brazil, Italy, France, Latin America, Japan, and the US.
Allison's debut CD “Come With Me” (Allegato Music, July 2008), co-produced by jazz guitarist Peter Sprague (Dianne Reeves, David Benoit, Chick Corea, Sergio Mendes) and arranged by Kamau Kenyatta (Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Patti Austin), received international acclaim, was nominated for Best Jazz Album 2009 by the San Diego Music Awards, and continues to receive airplay on radio stations in 18 countries.
Allison's sophomore CD “April in Paris”, celebrating songs of Springtime from around the world, was the result of a 12 day performance tour in Italy and France with an international quintet and ending in the recording of the album in Paris on the 1st Annual UNESCO International Jazz Day, April 30, 2012. Arrangers for this album include Kamau Kenyatta, Danny Green, Emmanuel Massarotti, and Jovino Santos Neto, scheduled for release in early 2013.
As a session vocalist, Allison's voice can be heard around the world on video games and CDs, and as an international artist, Allison tours Japan and Europe with performances on national television, radio stations, festivals, and clubs.
Allison has shared festival billing and musical collaborations with jazz greats such as Kenny Burrell, Poncho Sanchez, Ivan Lins, Mindy Abair, Pete Escoveda, Sheila E, Tommy Campbell (Carmen McRea, Ella Fitzgerald, Branford Marsalis, Manhattan Transfer, Dizzy Gillespie), Gene Jackson (Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Christian McBride), Mirko Guerrini (Hermeto Pascoal, Caetano Veloso, Stefano Bollani), Toku (Japan Sony Music) and Ken Ota (Japan Universal Jazz).
