Tierney Sutton – Desire

Her recent release, Desire, continues to show that Tierney Sutton is a gifted interpreter. She knows how to reinvigorate recognizable songs without losing their authenticity.

The classic “Love Me Or Leave Me” has been covered numerous times by great jazz singers like Lena Horn, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, yet Sutton still isn’t shy away from making it both whimsical and wistful. “Cry Me a River” also gets a sarcastic reinterpretation, which is Sutton’s signature style of singing words while suggesting the contrary. On the slow tempos, “Long Daddy Green” and “Then I’ll Be Tired of You,” Sutton’s phrasings demonstrate her deep appreciation for the passionate lyrics.

In addition to Sutton’s vocal artistry, the key success behind Desire is the backing of the hypnotic rhythm section, which consists of Christian Jacob on piano, Trey Henry/Kevin Axt on bass and particularly Ray Brinker’s pulsating rhythmic on the drums. Check out his double-time chops on “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”