Biography
Brooklyn-born jazz vocalist and pianist Susan Sutton relocated to California in pursuit of fresh opportunities and has spent many years working primarily in trio settings there. Whereas most singers who double on piano treat the voice as the central focus and the keyboard as secondary support—as with Carmen McRae, Jeri Southern, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone—Sutton reverses that balance: her piano serves as the chief instrument for conveying jazz interpretations, while vocal work arrived later and remains subordinate. This emphasis stems from an education oriented toward instrumental study, which encompassed rigorous cello training sufficient for her to compose and publish a body of modern cello works. Her piano studies were guided by Bryce Rohde of the Australian Jazz Quartet and by George Cables.
Sutton’s engagement with jazz began early; as a preteen she was already sitting in with players in the San Francisco region. Following engagements with various ensembles on both coasts, she established herself in the Bay Area, founding the Susan Sutton Trio in 1981. Apart from one quintet recording, she has continued to perform exclusively in that trio configuration. Early immersion in diverse styles and musicians fostered the eclectic jazz sensibility audible across her seven albums, all released on her own Sutton Sound imprint; Sonoma Jazz later licensed and reissued Beyond. Her affinity for birds and other natural sounds informs her original compositions, which appear regularly on these recordings.
Between the debut Susan Sutton Trio in 1988 and Beyond in 2002, Sutton emerged as a significant figure on the modern jazz piano scene. Deliberately steering clear of repetitive stylistic or compositional patterns, each successive release demonstrates further growth and refinement, yielding fresh musical insights beyond those of its predecessor. Brazilian influences have also become increasingly prominent from one album to the next. Key figures who shaped her artistic path include Bill Evans, Julie London, John Coltrane, and Chick Corea. Festival and concert credits encompass Women and Their Music, the Gravenstein Music Series, and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. She maintains a steady schedule of appearances at West Coast venues. Outside performance and composition, her listening centers on Corea, Cecil Taylor, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Sutton’s engagement with jazz began early; as a preteen she was already sitting in with players in the San Francisco region. Following engagements with various ensembles on both coasts, she established herself in the Bay Area, founding the Susan Sutton Trio in 1981. Apart from one quintet recording, she has continued to perform exclusively in that trio configuration. Early immersion in diverse styles and musicians fostered the eclectic jazz sensibility audible across her seven albums, all released on her own Sutton Sound imprint; Sonoma Jazz later licensed and reissued Beyond. Her affinity for birds and other natural sounds informs her original compositions, which appear regularly on these recordings.
Between the debut Susan Sutton Trio in 1988 and Beyond in 2002, Sutton emerged as a significant figure on the modern jazz piano scene. Deliberately steering clear of repetitive stylistic or compositional patterns, each successive release demonstrates further growth and refinement, yielding fresh musical insights beyond those of its predecessor. Brazilian influences have also become increasingly prominent from one album to the next. Key figures who shaped her artistic path include Bill Evans, Julie London, John Coltrane, and Chick Corea. Festival and concert credits encompass Women and Their Music, the Gravenstein Music Series, and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. She maintains a steady schedule of appearances at West Coast venues. Outside performance and composition, her listening centers on Corea, Cecil Taylor, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Albums
