Champian Fulton: Meet Me at Birdland

The young and talented pianist Champian Fulton presents another enchanting album recorded live at New York's Birdland dinner jazz club simply titled Meet Me at Birdland, celebrating twenty years of performing in the Big Apple; playing the piano and lending her sultry vocals to a host of uncommon standards. Since arriving in New York in 2003, playing at Birdland has become a regular feature for the pianist, a musical home away from home. Fulton employs a world-class trio that has been playing together for 18 years. She is joined by New York-based Japanese- born bassist Hide Tanaka and fellow countryman Fukushi Tainaka, a veteran master drummer who happens to be one of the most in-demand drummers on the international jazz scene.

Together the group documents an engaging thirteen-piece session of live music, recorded in a four-night engagement without repeating a single tune, resulting in Fulton's sixteenth outing as a leader. Being so familiar with each other's style and work, the trio produces a special sound that resonates throughout the album. As stated in the notes "This isn't a jam session but rather a testament to a true working band." The proof is in the pudding as they say, and this is quite evident from the beginning, with the Mercer/Whiting standard "Too Marvelous for Words,"

There are plenty of light and mellow sounds from the band. Upbeat and fiery tunes are also part of the repertoire here as the instrumental "Theme for Basie," a composition from Phineas Newborn Jr. and Fulton's own "Happy Camper" fit the bill quite well. The oft-recorded standard "Just Friends" slows the pace down with tender vocals and light key play from the leader on another touching rendition of a time-honored classic. George Gershwin's "I've Got a Crush on You" continues the ballad-like stretch of beautiful light music until the perky "I Don't Care" changes the direction on a terrific post-bop jazz burner.

The album's session begins to come to a close on Fulton's brief traditional set closer, Harry Warren's immortal "I Only Have Eyes for You." However, the album's finale is Fulton's interpretation of the J. Styne standard "It's Been a Long, Long Time," expressed elegantly by the vocalist, capping a wonderful live set of music. A treat of classics and standards presented with unquestioned musicianship by a world-class trio, Champian Fulton's Meet Me at Birdland is a highly regarded musical statement from one of the finest pianist and vocalist on the jazz landscape today.