Tuesday, November 12, 2013
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About Me
- Suzanne Pittson
- I am a jazz vocalist and educator, and Assistant Professor of Jazz Vocal Studies at the City College of New York. My recent recording entitled "Out of the Hub: The Music of Freddie Hubbard" features Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Steve Wilson on sax, Jeff Pittson on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Willie Jones III on drums. One of the greatest honors in my life was Freddie’s enthusiastic approval of my lyrics to five of his compositions on 9/15/08, just 3 months before his passing. With this CD, which will be released on October 19, 2010, I wanted to pay tribute to Freddie's legacy, while expressing my own thoughts about life and the world. As an educator, I encourage vocalists to study the jazz language with the same rigor as our instrumental counterparts, while paying careful attention to the phrasing and delivery of the lyric. Of course I stress mastery of basic musical and performance skills in varying scenarios. However, rather than relying merely upon exercises, the assiduous study of the recordings themselves will help the vocalists develop their ear, mind, imagination, and understanding of the tradition, and establish the foundation upon which to build their own style.