Jazz Improv by Winthrop Bedford
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"This album is a gem from the first note of the up-tempo rendition of Irving Ber
"This album is a gem from the first note of the up-tempo rendition of Irving Berlin's "The Best Thing For You". Tucker's sound and intonation are magnificent. May I Come In is a richly musical, warm sounding recording, that is brimming with superb horn arrangements, a refreshing collection of standard songs, swinging solos that have me wanting more, and the well-developed musical talents, impeccable taste and sophisticated sound of Sue Tucker."
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Michael P. Gladstone/All About Jazz
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...Sue Tucker knows how to swing these tunes.
Good things come in small packages! With May I Come In, Minnesota jazz singer Sue Tucker provides nine standards and two original compositions with a first class group of musicians. She harkens back to an era when girl singers, like Chris Connor or June Christy, just sang without gimmicks or artifice, melisma or multi-tracking. Also, there are no show-stopping vocal techniques or three octave range—and if you're looking for improvisational vocalese or scatting techniques, they're not here. What makes this album work is that Sue Tucker knows how to swing these tunes.
Tucker comes from a musical family. Her father, Jack Oatts, was one of Iowa's first jazz educators; her brothers are trumpeter Jim Oatts and the much recorded reedman Dick Oatts. The singer also has woodwind training and experience. The presence of such A-List personnel as Dick Oatts, Ted Rosenthal, Joe Magnarelli and John Mosca also enhance the album. The session begins smartly with Irving Berlin's “The Best Thing For You,” with a tasty Mosca trombone solo, and continues with Tucker's own ballad “If You Don't See It Too,” with Oatts taking a lyrical alto spot. The title tune, a rather obscure Fisher-Segal ballad, is followed by a number of brightly arranged visits with the Great American Songbook. The torch song “I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life” is taken at an usually bright tempo but it seems to work. Her two compositions mesh perfectly with the other tunes.
An earlier recording, Meant For You, from 2000, was also self-produced and likely difficut to find.
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George W. Carroll/The Musicians' Ombudsman
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Sue sings in the language of jazz harmony, as she takes from the best influences
CD Review/''May I Come In''/Sue Tucker
Simply put, this country will never run out of prodigious talent. Sue Tucker is one, & she immediately establishes her credentials as a seasoned exponent of The American Songbook in her choices of elaborate standards for her CD project.
My favorite was her take on the eternal song, ''It Could happen To You.'' Her contribution here as I see it, is her exquisite control of both rhythm and sound. Technically stated, Sue sings in the language of jazz harmony, as she takes from the best influences of our American musical culture. My final accolade is to tell Sue that she sings with no 'Ill Wind.' God bless you girl.
George W. Carroll/The Musicians' Ombudsman
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©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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The most impressive aspect of this woman’s talents is the way she makes her voic
The last time I heard Sue Tucker sing I was impressed. That was in 2001. In 2003 on her new release "May I Come In", she picks up where she left off and continues to sing with inspiration and heart. The woman sings a jazz tune with great enthusiasm and has a deep respect for all the great divas that have come before her. With help from her brother Dick Oatts (woodwinds) and brother-in-law John Mosca (trombone) and several other top-flight professionals, Tucker dances and sings her way through a set of standards and not so standard tunes along with a few originals as if it were a walk in the park. Her voice is so sweet and endearing; it reminded me of the way Ella Fitzgerald always sends me straight to heaven.
Sue Tucker has a mountain of talent and does a beautiful job with tunes created by other composers. I do feel her level of talent is very high, good enough that an entire album of originals would be a great success for her. I hope the next time she cuts an album this will become a reality.
The most impressive aspect of this woman’s talents is the way she makes her voice an instrument that is able to blend with the music. That God given gift is precious to any vocalist. In this particular style of music, it serves as her greatest benefit in making each individual song a treasure for your listening pleasure. This CD could be “The Best Thing For You” if you have not relaxed and got into a smooth jazz groove in some time. Let Sue Tucker show you the way. I know because this gentleman is no dope, I know when I hear great jazz and this CD swings.
©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
September 23, 2003
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Peter La Barbara/The Jazz Zine/2003
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Sue Tucker Unequivocally swings and without restraint.
Just as she did in her previous release: "Meant For You," Sue Tucker delivers another winner with her latest, self produced ,CD, "May I Come In." Sue is a restrained vocal stylist that has the deepest respect for the lyric and puts her emphasis on the words rather than on dynamics and technique. Her style is straight forward and can dramatize the meanings of a line by bending a note this way or that. She leaves us with a sincere approach to singing that may not leave the listener breathless, but will certainly leave them interested and satisfied.
Listening closely to Sue there are times when her vibrato echoes that of Anita O'Day. This is not to say that she is replicating Anita in any way. It's probably that Anita has flowed through Sue at one time or other and has helped define her approach to singing jazz. All right, La Barbera what really defines a jazz singer from all the others? The jazz singers swing! Sue Tucker Unequivocally swings and without restraint.
She is fortunate to have some wonderful musical accompaniment along for the ride. Her brother, the all too under heard, Dick Oatts lends some great support. There is a lot of good soloing up and down the CD notably by Oatts, John Mosca on trombone and Joe Magnarelli on trumpet. Ted Rosenthal lends some good saloon piano on the opening lines of "You Turned The Tables On Me." From there the ensemble takes it in unison and Ms. Tucker is right on the lyric and swings hard to bring it out.
The set is made up of originals and some tasty standards. Sue is a wonderful writer and lyricist. Listen to the sophistication and hip lyrics to her line; "If You Don't See It Too." While there are no eyebrow raising surprises in the presentation of her music it will satisfy anyone that has a penchant for good, steady straight ahead jazz vocals. I am already a Sue Tucker fan. I hope the readers will discover her CDs and jump on the wagon.
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Nancy Craig
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Album
Just love her voice, very romantic selections, great jazz background.
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