Born: June 23 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Born in San Diego, California, multi-lingual jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker began singing before she could speak. Allison was raised by classically trained musical parents, and began performing in front of audiences at age 5. She studied piano, flute, violin, dance and voice from elementary school and holds a BA in Linguistics/Music Vocal Performance and an AA in Italian. Allison's vocal palette has been colored by her experience in a variety of musical genres throughout her life, from punk rock to Elizabethan a cappella. These experiences led her on a natural and steadfast transition to the world of jazz in 2005.
Allison's love for languages and world cultures also began at a young age, and she has studied and sings in 6 languages besides her own. She has lived in Japan and Spain and has traveled to over 15 countries. This “wanderlust” is evident in the music she chooses today. Her music reflects her passion for world cultures with rhythms, melodies, and lyrics of Brazil, Italy, France, Latin America, Japan, and the US.
Allison's debut CD “Come With Me” (Allegato Music, July 2008), co-produced by jazz guitarist Peter Sprague (Dianne Reeves, David Benoit, Chick Corea, Sergio Mendes) and arranged by Kamau Kenyatta (Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Patti Austin), received international acclaim, was nominated for Best Jazz Album 2009 by the San Diego Music Awards, and continues to receive airplay on radio stations in 18 countries.
Allison's sophomore CD “April in Paris”, celebrating songs of Springtime from around the world, was the result of a 12 day performance tour in Italy and France with an international quintet and ending in the recording of the album in Paris on the 1st Annual UNESCO International Jazz Day, April 30, 2012. Arrangers for this album include Kamau Kenyatta, Danny Green, Emmanuel Massarotti, and Jovino Santos Neto, scheduled for release in early 2013.
As a session vocalist, Allison's voice can be heard around the world on video games and CDs, and as an international artist, Allison tours Japan and Europe with performances on national television, radio stations, festivals, and clubs.
Allison has shared festival billing and musical collaborations with jazz greats such as Kenny Burrell, Poncho Sanchez, Ivan Lins, Mindy Abair, Pete Escoveda, Sheila E, Tommy Campbell (Carmen McRea, Ella Fitzgerald, Branford Marsalis, Manhattan Transfer, Dizzy Gillespie), Gene Jackson (Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Christian McBride), Mirko Guerrini (Hermeto Pascoal, Caetano Veloso, Stefano Bollani), Toku (Japan Sony Music) and Ken Ota (Japan Universal Jazz).
Awards:
Nominated Best Jazz Album 2009, San Diego Music Awards-John Gilbert eJazzNews, November, 2008
”...one should expect the unexpected...”
-Scott Yanow L.A. Jazz Scene, September, 2008
”..mesmerizing, whether in English, Japanese, French...”
-Doug Boynton GirlSingers.org, USA / UK June 2008
”Her voice is so strong, she could sing in Martian and make it sound romantic.”
-Robert Bush San Diego Reader, February 2012
”Tucker is one of those vocalists who can sing anything with astonishing surety and nail the center of every note.” -Robert Bush San Diego Reader, July 2012
Allegato Music, July 2008
Featuring:
Peter Sprague, co-producer/guitar (Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, David Benoit, Sergio Mendes)
Kamau Kenyatta, arrangement/piano (Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Patti Austin)
Derek Cannon, trumpet (Natalie Cole, The Four Tops, The Temptations)
Evona Wascinski, bass
Dylan Savage, drums
Fabio Oliveira, percussion
Louisa West, flute
Reiko Obata, Japanese koto harp
Ray Suen, violin
Patrick Berrogain, French guitar
Danny Green, Brazilian piano
Tracks:
one World On A String 3:37 (Koehler/Arlen)
two My Funny Valentine/Sakura 3:16 (Rogers/Hart, Japanese traditional)
three Blue Skies 2:53 (Berlin)
four La Vie En Rose 3:11 (Louiguy/Piaf)
five l’ll Be Seeing You 4:07 (Kahal/Fain)
six Rosa 3:12 (Pixinguinha/de Souza)
seven You Got Me 4:09 (Allison Adams Tucker)
eight The Sea 4:40 (La Mer: Trenet, Umi: Hayashi/Inoue)
nine Volver 3:36 (Gardel/Le Pera)
ten You Belong To Me 4:45 (King/Stewart/Price)
eleven O Barquinho 3:02 (Boscoli/Menescal)
twelve Over The Rainbow 4:02 (Arlen/Harburg)
"Come With Me is an exceptional slice of music from all corners of the world performed by one of the better vocalists around..."
-Edward Blanco, eJazzNews, December 2008
"Come With Me...a wonderful showcase for Tucker’s vocal dexterity..."
-Denis Poole SmoothJazzTherapy.com, UK October 2008
"With a voice supple, agile, and bright, she executes each song on the tracklist with ease and imagination, creating a serene atmosphere that leaves you smiling."
-Eva Simontacchi Jazzitalia, Italy April, 2010
Radio Reviews:
"When vocalist Allison Adams Tucker adds the words "Come with me" in her quite original rendition of all time classic standard "My Funny Valentine", all you want to do is indeed follow her through all the beautiful tracks of her album. Very nice work indeed."
-Pascal Dorban, Radio ARA 103.3 / 105.2fm Luxembourg
"Fantastic album. Great stuff for our Radio Station."
-Alex Pijnen, BRTO Radio 105.8 / 87.5fm Netherlands
"Many Sincere Thanks for the CD "Come With Me" that you sent us recently. BRILLIANT - EXCELLENT. We have enjoyed it immensely and have added tracks from it to our playlists. Your presentation of music, inside the style and personality reflected in the tracks are very refreshing."
-Graham J Barclay, Soundwave FM 88.7 / 107.3 Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
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Primary Instrument:
Vocal
Location:
San Diego, CA
Credentials/Background:
Bachelor of Art degree in Linguistics with Minor in Music Vocal Performance. Over 20 years of teaching experience abroad and in the U.S. Specializing in jazz, pop, musical theater, R&B, blues, country, and children's music for students of all levels and ages with focus on vocal health, range and control development, breath support, performance, and music theory.
Clinic/Workshop Information:
Finding Your True Voice: Relaxed, Flexible, & Beautiful!
Clinic focusing on vocal health, releasing of vocal tension, and honing vocal timbre and control through Stretching, Breathing, and Workout concepts and exercises.
