Suzanne Pittson - Resolution: A Remembrance of John Coltrane (1999)

Suzanne Pittson lives in New York and is Assistant Professor of Jazz Vocal Studies at The City College of New York, located in Harlem on 138th & Convent. Called a "true jazz singer" by Cadence magazine and a "true musician" by JazzTimes, she is rapidly gaining the respect of the jazz world because of her scatting and technical accuracy, her creativity and musicianship, and her broad improvisational vocabulary. Suzanne’s approach to scat singing reveals a deep awareness of the origin and development of the jazz instrumentalist. Jazz Improv says "her scatting alone is so good that had she been the forerunner and not Ella Fitzgerald, Suzanne would have become the Ella." And All About Jazz says “Pittson is like an additional horn in the ensemble. Her ‘scatting’ drives the rhythm section and they respond to her urgings.”

Suzanne Pittson has performed at many of the country's foremost jazz venues including Birdland in New York, Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA, and The Jazz Bakery and Catalina’s in Los Angeles, CA. She has performed/recorded with such musicians as Mike Clark, John Patitucci, Dave Liebman, Mark Soskin, Harvie S, Jack Walrath, Dan Haerle, and Jeff Pittson.

Suzanne’s most recent CD, "Resolution: A Remembrance of John Coltrane" (1999, Vineland) features unique vocal interpretations of the music of John Coltrane—including 2 movements of "A Love Supreme"—and is mentioned in Ashley Kahn’s 2002 book A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album (Viking). Her bold and adventurous improvisations, based on study of John Coltrane and the post-Coltrane saxophonists, push the development of the jazz singing language into new realms of expression. In the liner notes to "Resolution" Wayne Saroyan says, "Pittson’s ambitious goal — captured on this brilliant, risk-taking recording—is nothing less than a soulful, heartfelt reinterpretation, and a remembrance of Coltrane’s monumental legacy. Part of this remembrance is the fresh lyrical
transformation of a musical expression—Coltrane’s horn— into a vocal language...Pittson accomplishes both with a stunning virtuosity and a startling clarity of purpose." Down Beat says, "she captures the spiritual urgency of 'Trane’s music while pushing her voice into ecstatic overdrive." The recording features a stellar band that includes Alex Murzyn on saxophone, Jeff Pittson on piano, Glenn Richman on bass and Wally Schnalle on drums: all leaders in their own right.

Prior to recording this CD, Suzanne (with husband, Jeff Pittson) co- wrote and set lyrics to the four-movement suite "A Love Supreme" for a performance in 1997 that commemorated the 30th Anniversary of Coltrane’s death. Since then she has performed this composition at Coltrane tributes in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York with such musicians as John Patitucci, Mark Soskin, Chip Jackson, and Dan Haerle. Thus far she is the only jazz vocalist to have sung this entire work.

Alex Murzyn - saxophone; Jeff Pittson - piano; Suzanne Pittson - vocals; Wally Schnalle - drums.