Nashville-based jazz singer brings a fresh new twist to jazz standards
Dara Tucker was born into a musical family. Considering this, it�s no surprise that her love affair with music began at such an early age. The product of a music minister father, and a songstress mother, she began singing in her Tulsa, Oklahoma church at age 5. By age 8 she was playing simple melodies on the piano and soon began accompanying her brothers and sisters at performances. Says Tucker, �We performed as a group in churches and youth events throughout the city. It was a real proving-ground for us. We grew our own musical legs, independent of our parents. That was a very important learning time.�
Throughout her college years, Tucker continued to hone her skills as a vocalist and musician. After obtaining a degree in International Business and German studies, she worked for a time in the corporate language-training field, eventually relocating to Interlaken, Switzerland to study German.
It was there that Tucker began to write the first of her very personal songs. �I discovered my own creative voice during my time abroad,� Tucker says. �That�s when I began to realize that true artistic expression comes from a very personal place. You can�t fake it. My songwriting speaks of some hard-learned lessons, and long-fought battles.� Rather than allow those experiences to breed bitterness and distrust of the world, she channeled them into a unique musical discovery. �I found something within myself that I didn�t realize was there � music�s ability to ensure my spiritual and emotional survival. No one can ever take that away from me,� says Tucker.
Tucker�s original songs speak to her life philosophy. Among the first songs she wrote during her time in Switzerland is an ode to the importance of risk-taking -- I Dare Not Dream. Songs such as Golden Time and It All Works Together were soon to follow. With their R&B edge, songs Beautiful Sun and Loving You highlight her versatility while staying true to a common theme of living life to the fullest.
Dara Tucker�s original songs fuse her gospel roots with jazz� subtlety and free spirit, while paying homage to American Folk music. Her style, while difficult to pigeonhole, can best be described as Urban Singer-Songwriter. With subtly soulful undertones, she seeks to convey her pensive, searching, but always-hopeful outlook on life through her music.
Since moving to Nashville, TN to pursue music fulltime, Tucker has begun to establish herself as a strong presence in Nashville�s burgeoning jazz scene. Displaying a love for standards and swing that belies her years, Tucker�s reverence for the Great American Songbook can be felt in her careful delivery of these timeless songs.
Dara�s music can be heard on local jazz station, WMOT. She performs regularly at the legendary F. Scott�s Restaurant and Jazz Bar in the Green Hills district, as well as the long-standing Jefferson Street Jazz and African Street Festivals. She has also performed at The Basement, Boscos and The 12th South Taproom. Visit Dara online at www.daratucker.com.
