Champian Fulton (piano/voice); Scott Hamilton (tenor sax); Stephen Fulton (flugel); Hide Tanaka (bass); Fukushi Tainaka (drums).
Well, this one arrived right on the money. As did our singer - before she even left the maternal womb!
Daddy Fulton, who blows flugel on this album, wanted his daughter to come into the world accompanied by "the most beautiful music there ever was." For Stephen Fulton that was the album Bird With Strings. Now if this all sounds a little bit sick-making it obviously worked judging by this splendid album.
Chances are there will be many more Bird tribute albums coming along but, in all fairness, what chance will the instrumentals have against the originals? Will Banksy ever eclipse the Mona Lisa?
However, in Champian, we have as near perfect a take on Bird as any "bird" singer has ever done. A uniquely original voice that gets into the music in a manner that even Sheila Jordan and Carmen McRae didn't quite match. Plus her piano playing is up there too. It is simply fantastic. Ms Fulton does more than run the changes - she supercharges them!
Scott Hamilton can hardly be classed as a bopper but he provides the perfect foil for both of the Fultons. His laid back tenor playing slotting in perfectly. Stephen Fulton plays flugel and his cool sound is ideal - I wonder what pre-natal music his ma listened too - maybe Bix?
After a day spent listening, reading, talking about Bird this is just about the perfect way to wind down. Ms Fulton has captured the mood of his music both with her voice and her playing.
Recommended to jazz fans, mothers to be and midwives.
Lance.
Vocals: Just Friends; This is Always; Star Eyes; Dearly Beloved; Out of Nowhere; If I Should Lose You; My Old Flame.
Instrumental: Yardbird Suite; Quasimodo; All God's Chillun Got Rhythm; Bluebird.
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