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Tia Fuller

Swing is the musical manifestation of forward motion. To achieve one’s goals, one must take giant steps. Today’s modern musicians at the change of the 21st century are moving miles ahead, advancing the jazz continuum, while remaining open and engaged in other musical inventions and dimensions. The astonishingly gifted, Colorado-born, alto / soprano saxophonist / flautist Tia Fuller is such an artist. She is at home at all points of the musicverse—from her show-stopping solos as a member of superstar Beyoncé’s all-female band, to her scintillatingly swinging jazz dates and recordings. Her newest Mack Avenue release Decisive Steps, is the long-awaited follow-up to her 2007 label debut Healing Space. It features her Beyoncé bandmate, drummer Kim Thompson; bassist Miriam Sullivan; Fuller’s sister, Shamie Royston on piano and Fender Rhodes; with special guests, trumpeter Sean Jones and bassist Christian McBride (both Mack Avenue label mates); vibraphonist Warren Wolf; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut.

“It’s a continuation of Healing Space, evolving from a stationary place of healing to steps of action,” Fuller says. “I’ve been in the mindset of really moving forward to the next level in my life, constantly being in the mindset of greatness, relentless in my pursuit and progressing with purpose by embracing my talents, recognizing my strengths and improving upon my weaknesses…but also in not being afraid of change; stepping forward in faith and not in fear.”

Indeed, the ten tracks on this sumptuous CD aurally illustrate Fuller’s artistic fearlessness fulfilled by her agile, buoyant and elegant full-bodied sax lines effortlessly improvising a number of moods and grooves, as evidenced by the take-no-prisoners tempo of the title track. “The first track, ‘Decisive Steps,’ was one of the last songs that I wrote for the album,” Fuller says. “This particular song is very intricate—it has a lot of hits and time changes, so, compositionally, I wanted to portray a sonic representation of momentum; in moving forward, and really feature everybody in the quartet.” Royston’s Icarusian “Windsoar” highlights she and her sister’s telepathic compositional bond. “We have a way of writing, where our songs are almost seamless,” Fuller says. “It’s funny; when Shamie started writing ‘Windsoar,’ it begins with a melody surrounded by a concert B-flat, and I was like, ‘Shamie…I just started writing ‘Clear Mind’ with the same concept of the harmonies surrounding the melody of the B-flat.’ We were writing in the same light of each other. We didn’t talk about it; it was intuitive.”

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2
In Pictures

Alba Jazz Festival 2023

Read "Alba Jazz Festival 2023" reviewed by Antonio Baiano


A collection of photos from the Alba Jazz Festival held in Alba, Italy from June 29th, 2023 to July 2nd 2023 featuring Tia Fuller, Izabella Effenberg, Alexandra Lehmler, Stefania Tallini, Roz Macdonald, Dorota Piotrowska, Roberto Tarenzi, Dorota Piotrowska, Luca Fattorini, Marco Valeri, Anika Nilles and Rita Marcotulli. ...

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Album Review

John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren, SWR Big Band: Bird Lives

Read "Bird Lives" reviewed by Jim Worsley


Round about 2017 there was a meeting of the minds. Composers and musicians John Beasley and Magnus Lindgren evolved as kindred spirits, and chose to work together on a project engulfing their shared appreciation of Charlie Parker. This tribute to the man who came to be known simply as Bird, had trouble taking flight. Obstacles, none bigger than Covid, came along and stood in the way. Dedicated to its completion, the pair, along with the SWR Big Band, has now ...

37
Under the Radar

Women in Jazz, Pt. 2: The Girls From Piney Woods

Read "Women in Jazz, Pt. 2: The Girls From Piney Woods" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


In Part 1 of Women in Jazz we looked at the historical position of women in early jazz. Despite their influence in shaping the art, their talent as composers, arrangers, instrumentalists, and band leaders, women have often been token additions; marginalized window dressing in a male-dominated world. One hundred years after Lil Hardin held the ladder for Louis Armstrong, saxophonist Tia Fuller provides a window into how little things have changed for women in jazz. The composer and ...

2
Album Review

Tia Fuller: Diamond Cut

Read "Diamond Cut" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


The engaging and enjoyable Diamond Cut is saxophonist Tia Fuller's fifth release as a leader and the first without a pianist. Fuller deftly fronts a different rhythm section on each half of the album. The only constant is guitarist Adam Rogers, whose restless, explorative style is the perfect foil for Fuller's ardent, poetic wit. On the opening “In the Trenches" Fuller embellishes the breezy, mellifluous theme with gusto and passion. Rogers follows with a cool, muscular swagger that ...

Album Review

Tia Fuller: Angelic Warrior

Read "Angelic Warrior" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff


Quarto album da leader per Tia Fuller (il terzo con la Mack Avenue Records, due anni dopo Decisive Steps), la quale ribascisce le sue ottime doti tecniche ed espressive, che la collocano in piena regola tra le più promettenti stelle del firmamento jazz mainstream americano.In Angelic Warrior la saxofonista del Colorado si lascia ampiamente apprezzare nelle tredici tracce proposte -delle quali dieci originali -per via della grande capacità di esprimere concetti melodici complessi servendosi di un approccio allo ...

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Album Review

Tia Fuller: Angelic Warrior

Read "Angelic Warrior" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The title of saxophonist Tia Fuller's third album for the Mack Avenue imprint is a bit of an oxymoron, yet it fits her sound so well. Fuller's saxophone work exhibits a bright tone, but her soloing is often full of dark thoughts and her oft-agreeable and positive musical persona belies the fact that she has razor sharp chops that can dig into the auditory canal in powerful and pleasurable ways. Fuller is constantly at work, but her ...

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Live Review

Tia Fuller: Wayne, NJ February 13, 2011

Read "Tia Fuller: Wayne, NJ February 13, 2011" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


Tia FullerWilliam Paterson University Jazz RoomWayne, NJFebruary 13, 2011 Who is Tia Fuller? Oddly enough, the question came to mind after the conclusion of a performance at William Paterson University's Jazz Room. During the seventy-five minute set, Fuller deftly juggled a handful of identities: audience tour guide; purveyor of positive, uplifting messages; leader of a fierce band; composer and arranger; and, perhaps most importantly, a positively hellacious saxophonist. With the help of ...

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Festival

Spotlight 2023: Charlie Parker - August 19-26, 2023

Spotlight 2023: Charlie Parker - August 19-26, 2023

Source: Macy Layne

The Folly Theater, Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts, 18th & Vine Jazz District and Selected Kansas City jazz clubs and performance venues. Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2023 celebrates the jazz icon’s 103rd birthday with jam sessions and musical tributes, jazz history tours, lectures, exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops and showcase performances. The annual program was developed to honor Parker (also known as “Bird”), his legacy and impact on jazz in Kansas City and worldwide. The event also provides educational opportunities ...

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Event

New Brunswick Jazz Project Presents Alto Saxophonist Tia Fuller In A Free Concert At The Yard

New Brunswick Jazz Project Presents Alto Saxophonist Tia Fuller In A Free Concert At The Yard

Source: Virginia DeBerry

Alto saxophonist Tia Fuller and her band continue The New Brunswick Jazz Project’s celebration of the arrival of summer. Fuller performs 7-9PM Thursday June 22 as part of the Summer Evening Serenade Series at The Yard on Rutgers' New Brunswick campus. As a member of the all-female band touring with Beyoncé, Tia has played in venues throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Tia also appeared with Beyoncé on major television programs including Oprah, Today and the 2010 Grammy ...

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Event

Columbus Jazz Orchestra Performs Side By Side Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra In Ragtime, Blues & Beyond Featuring Tia Fuller & Lewis Nash

Columbus Jazz Orchestra Performs Side By Side Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra In Ragtime, Blues & Beyond Featuring Tia Fuller & Lewis Nash

Source: Scott Vezdos

Columbus - The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) returns to the historic Southern Theatre to showcase over 100 years of toe-tapping jazz in “Ragtime, Blues & Beyond: A Short History of Jazz,” February 7 – 10. The Columbus Jazz Orchestra will perform side by side the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra in this tribute to the most beloved jazz masters including Scott Joplin, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and more! The incredible talent of accomplished ...

Performance / Tour

Saxophonist/Composer/Educator Tia Fuller to Perform at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in Support of Critically Acclaimed Third Album, Angelic Warrior February 21 - 24, 7:30 and 9:30PM

Saxophonist/Composer/Educator Tia Fuller to Perform at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in Support of Critically Acclaimed Third Album, Angelic Warrior February 21 - 24, 7:30 and 9:30PM

Source: DL Media

Album Features John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dianne Reeves, Shamie Royston, Mimi Jones, and Rudy Royston Saxophonist/Composer/Educator Tia Fuller is scheduled to perform at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City from Thursday, February 21 through Sunday, February 24. The performance will be in support of her recently released Mack Avenue Records album, Angelic Warrior. With performances at 7:30 and 9:30PM each evening, Fuller will be joined by special guest trumpeter Sean Jones, as well as pianist Shamie Royston, bassist ...

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Recording

Saxophonist Tia Fuller Marks Her Evolution On Angelic Warrior

Saxophonist Tia Fuller Marks Her Evolution On Angelic Warrior

Source: DL Media

Tia Fuller's third release on Mack Avenue Records, Angelic Warrior, marks her deep-rooted evolution as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. After five years in Beyoncé's band, the pop diva's attention to detail in the studio rubbed off on Fuller. She has since developed a heightened focus in the editing, mixing and mastering process of Angelic Warrior, as the producer. And as the Assistant Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society touring band, Fuller applies her pop and jazz chops ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Tia Fuller, Steve Tyrell, an International Jazz Day Jam, and More

Jazz This Week: Tia Fuller, Steve Tyrell, an International Jazz Day Jam, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

As Jazz Appreciation Month winds down, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and hear some live jazz and creative music this weekend in St. Louis. So without further ado, let's go to the highlights: Tonight, saxophonist Tia Fuller (pictured) and her quartet open a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. This is the St. Louis debut as a bandleader for Fuller, who may be best known as a member of pop singer Beyoncé's backup ...

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Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Introducing Tia Fuller

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Introducing Tia Fuller

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's check out some video clips of saxophonist Tia Fuller, who will be making her St. Louis debut as a bandleader with gigs next Wednesday, April 25 through Saturday, April 28 at Jazz at the Bistro. Fuller, 36, may be best known to the general public for spending several years as a member of the all-female band backing pop singer Beyonce, but she's also been leading her own jazz groups for ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz St. Louis Offering 2-for-1 Tickets for Malone and Chestnut, Tia Fuller

Jazz St. Louis Offering 2-for-1 Tickets for Malone and Chestnut, Tia Fuller

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for sets by guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio this Wednesday and Thursday at Jazz at the Bistro, and for the shows on Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26 at the Bistro by saxophonist Tia Fuller's quartet. Single tickets for Malone and Chestnut are priced at $30, while tickets for Fuller (pictured) are $25. To get the two-for-one discount, purchase your tickets by calling Jazz ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz Saxophonist Tia Fuller Performs at UMass/Amherst on November 16

Jazz Saxophonist Tia Fuller Performs at UMass/Amherst on November 16

Source: MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts

Jazz saxophonist, composer and educator Tia Fuller is performing with her Quartet at Bowker Auditorium, Fine Arts Center at University of Massachusetts in Amherst on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Reserved seating is $15-$25, tickets for students of the five colleges, and for students under 17, are $10. These can be purchased online. Fuller is an accomplished musician with three CDs produced with her Quartet. She has toured and been a featured soloist with the all female band ...

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Interview

Saxophonist Tia Fuller Interviewed at AAJ

Saxophonist Tia Fuller Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

For saxophonist Tia Fuller, becoming a musician, and concentrating on jazz, seems almost preordained. After all, she came from a musical family who loved and performed jazz. She started playing piano at the age of 3. Music has always been in her life.

While she plays in front of massive audiences as a member of Beyonc's touring band, Fuller remains grounded in the jazz world, as evidenced by her new recording Decisive Steps, her second for the Mack Avenue label. ...

"...a knack for enchanting compositions and a passion to inspire listeners." —PopMatters

"Tia Fuller stakes her claim to being one of the finest new musicians on the scene." —All About Jazz

"Tia Fuller is starting to emerge as someone to keep an eye on..." —Pittsburgh Post Gazette

"A vibrant and muscular breed of postbop that crackles with energy." —Bagatellen

Aretha Tillotson
bass, acoustic

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Bird Lives

ACT Music
2021

buy

Adonis Rose Piece Of...

Storyville Records
2020

buy

Diamond Cut

Mack Avenue Records
2018

buy

Angelic Warrior

Mack Avenue Records
2012

buy

Decisive Steps

Mack Avenue Records
2010

buy

Healing Space

Mack Avenue Records
2007

buy

Videos

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