Tierney Sutton with the Terry Trotter Trio includes vocalist Tierney Sutton, Pianist Terry Trotter, Bassist Chuck Berghofer, and Drummer Ray Brinker. Tierney is an 8-Time Grammy Nominated Jazz vocalist who received Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Nomination for every project released in the last decade. Sutton is a serious Jazz artist who takes the music to another level. Her vocal talent covers a widespread spectrum of music from traditional, to contemporary, and beyond. Tierney sings songs with vulnerability and drama that are imbued with an electricity that has a tingling effect. Sutton varies her phrasing that is both subtle and magical. Tierney is an experienced, premier musician with impressive credits in live and recording sessions. Suttons’s friends, respected colleagues, and musicians have an easy swinging connection with her. Tierney uses a quiet elasticity to create a new musical language, that is touching, playful, and serious with her marvelous delivery of song, that at times has a husky sweetness. Sutton sings with a balanced consistency and a spiritual humility. Tierney performs with a level of excellence and sends a message of unity with intricacy, beauty, variation, and harmony, qualities of the tradition of the best jazz. Sutton’s singing style can shift from happy to sad, and projects a sense of peace and well-being. Tierney’s vocal abilities are considerable, fresh, inventive, and inspiring. Sutton reimagines a song in detail and through the syllables and sounds she uses, creating a new musical language. With an impeccable voice, and imaginative treatment of the Great American Songbook, Tierney is heralded for her abilities as a jazz storyteller, and her use of her voice as an instrument. Sutton has 12 recordings as a leader, singing themes of materialism, the pursuit of happiness, and tributes to Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra, Sting, and Joni Mitchell. Tierney sang on and helped create the original score to Clint Eastwood’s film, Sully, performs as a studio vocal producer, vocal educator, has worked with soprano Natalie Dessay, for Sony’s Pictures of America, and on the soon to be released Between Yesterday, and Tomorrow. Sutton has taught at USC’s Thornton School of Music for over a decade, for 6 years as the Vocal Department Head at L.A. College of Music in Pasadena, and has taught and mentored some of the finest new generation of singers that include Gretchen Parlato, and Sara Gazarek. Tierney Sutton with the Terry Trotter Trio has performed together for over 25 years in some of the finest venues in the world, and are soon to release a new 19 Track Film Music Collection, called Screenplay, spanning the first century of American Film Music. Tierney’s World Class Band has had the same personnel for over 20 years, and is the only band to ever receive a Grammy nomination for their collaborative arranging. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Sutton grew up in Milwaukie, Wisconsin, and studied with Jerry Bergonzi at The Berklee School of Music, and graduated from Wesleyan University. Together for over 20 years, The Tierney Sutton Band has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and at Jazz at the Lincoln Center. Tierney applies the Bahai’s faith principles to her band arranging(Principle of Consultation). Sutton has worked with Buddy Childers, Dave MacKay, Les Brown’s Orchestra, her own trios, and has over 120 credits in her career.

Pianist Terry Trotter is a long time studio musician who has recorded with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, Celene Dion, Larry Carlton, and The Trio with Chuck Berghofer and Peter Erskine. Terry started on the piano at the age of 4 and developed a Classical Music background. Growing up in Southern California, Trotter first played with Bobby Hutcherson Herbie Lewis, Charles Lloyd, Scott LaFaro, Billy Higgins, and Don Cherry. Terry later worked with Les Brown, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Joe Pass, Lena Horne, Charlie Shoemake, Bill Holman, Phil Woods Pete Christlieb, Andy Martin, and many top artists. Trotter has made 9 recordings as a leader/co-leader, and has over 175 credits in a 60 year career. Once Terry Trotter was invited by Miles Davis to join his band, but chose to pursue a successful studio career in Souther California.
Double bassist Chuck Berghofer is a long time studio musician who has a lengthy career in the film industry. Starting on the trumpet at the age of 8 and then the tuba. Chuck was from a musical family, his grandfather played with John Phillip Souza, and his uncle played tuba in the St. Louis Symphony. At 18, Berghofer switched to the bass and began to frequent jazz nightclubs in Southern California. He admired bassist Ralph Pena, and soon began to study with him. Berghofer cites bassists Leroy Vinegar, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro, and Red Mitchell(whom he felt was the best soloist) as his influences. Chuck first played with Skinnay Ellis, Bobby Troup, and replaced his former tutor, Ralph Pena, playing bass in a duo with pianist Pete Jolly. Later, drummer Nick Martinis joined the group. In 1960, Berghofer joined Shelly Manne’s Band, and played at Shelly’s Manne-Hole for many years, playing with many jazz greats of the era, including Jack Sheldon, Conte Condoli, Frank Rosolino, Rahsaan Roland
Kirk, and Philly Joe Jones. Chuck played on Frank Zappa’s album Lumpy Gravy, and was an accomplished House Jazz musician, working as a semi-regular at Donte’s Nightclub in Hollywood. Berghofer earliest video recording was backing Zoot Sims with Roger Kellaway and Larry Bunker. Chuck has played with Ray Charles, Bob Cooper, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Seth MacFarlane, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Irene Kral, Carmen McRae, Ruth Price, Frank Capp’s Juggernaut Band, Buddy Greco, Keely Smith, and 100’s of top artists. Berghofer played the memorable bass part on Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin, with Glen Campbell, and with Barbra Streisand on the film Funny Girl. Chuck has played on over 400 film works, and won The Most Valuable Bassist Award 4 years in a row from The National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences. Berghofer has recorded with Mel Torme, and worked on the films Rocky 1 and 2, On Golden Pond, Matrix, Majestic, Clint Eastwood’s Bird, True Crime, played the opening bass line on T.V.’s Barney Miller, played on Charlie’s Angels, The Carol Burnett Show, The Simpsons, and Star Trek Enterprise. Chuck was one of the original members of the well known studio band, The Wrecking Crew, and has over 500 credits in his career.

Drummer Ray Brinker is a graduate of North Texas State University, and played in the school’s Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band. Brinker toured with The Maynard Ferguson Band, and has been a staple on the L.A.studio and performance scene. Ray is a 23 year founding member of The Tierney Sutton Band, with whom he has co-arranged and recorded 10 CDs. The Tierney Sutton Band has received 5 Grammy nominations for The Best Jazz Vocal Album, and Brinker received a Grammy nomination as a co-arranger for Best Arrangement Accompanying A Vocalist. Ray is a member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and has performed/recorded with over 40 major artists, that includes recording on Ray Charles’ 8-Time Grammy Award Winning Album of the Year, Genius Loves Company. Brinker has 12 T.V./Film Credits, and co-wrote, arranged, and performed on the music score of Clint Eastwood’s film, Sully.