Reviews for "House Party" are Rolling In!!
CHAMPIAN FULTON MARKS HER 20TH ALBUM WITH HOUSE PARTY, A LIVE NEW YORK CELEBRATION RECORDED AMONG FRIENDS AT TURTLE BAY HEADQUARTERS
FEATURING HER LONGTIME TRIO WITH HIDE TANAKA ON BASS AND FUKUSHI TAINAKA ON DRUMS, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS KLAS LINDQUIST ON ALTO SAXOPHONE AND CORY WEEDS ON TENOR SAXOPHONE
OUT APRIL 10 VIA TURTLE BAY RECORDS
PREORER YOUR CD OR LP NOW: https://champianfulton.bandcamp.com/album/house-party
“Fulton gives another display of her awesome vocal and piano technique creating a true party atmosphere” Bebop Spoken Here
“She’s an artist keeping the flavour of the Great American Songbook alive” - Listening Sessions
“[House Party} affirms one essential dimension: its continuity. This music knows where it comes from and deliberately chooses to remain in dialogue with its heritage. In this sense, Champian Fulton doesn't preserve the past: it keeps it alive, phrase after phrase.” - Paris Move
“HOUSE PARTY” featured on Singer’s Unlimited on WBGO on April 10, Listen here
“[Fulton gives] familiar songs new life with her ability to sing, swing and serenade.” - Paptamus Redux
“This House Party is one we can all enjoy. Can I get an invite to the next one?” - Cultural Attache
“This record is what I LOVE about Jazz!” - Bellario Sonic
“Fulton, is, pun intended, a champion of standards….she has the dynamic down to a “perfect science.” - Marilyn Lester, NYC Jazz Record
“There are evenings when jazz truly finds its footing: social, spontaneous, and unguarded… [with this release] Fulton confirms that she never needs gimmickry, but that poise, patience and a sense of artistic self-possession are the touchstones of her work.” - Pierre Giroux, AAJ
THE AMERICAN pianist and singer Champian Fulton is releasing her 20th album, and it's back with Klas Lindquist on alto saxophone. Together with Hide Tanaka on bass, Fukushi Tainaka on drums and Cory Weeds on tenor sax, they create a soundscape that feels as intimate as it is alive. House Party was recorded last year during a private evening at producer Scott Asen's home in New York. As Fulton herself says: "I wanted to lean towards real jazz musicians who hang out with their friends, have a good time and just make music for the moment."
This spontaneous feeling permeates the entire album. It's like sitting in the middle of the tables, feeling the party atmosphere and the playfulness of the jam - almost so much so that you spontaneously want to applaud after every solo even though you're listening at home in your living room. And it really swings. Fulton's voice and its phrasing are reminiscent of the really great legends, a pleasant "walk down jazz memory lane" right through. Here the expression less is more is spot on. Songs that have been played countless times get new life, not through complicated modernizations or excessive innovation, but through pure joy of playing, outstanding musicality and really good playing. The notes speak for themselves, the interplay is flawless, and every solo line feels inspiring.
Stardust quickly becomes a favorite, where everything stops for a moment - just as it should be when Stardust is played. The lyrics find space through both text and tone when Fulton and Lindquist begin with a conversation just between them, before the rest of the band comes in.
The album does not surprise - you know what you are getting. But what does it matter when it is this good? Champian Fulton and her playing companions show that jazz does not need to be constructed or complicated to touch. It is music in its purest form, where the craftsmanship, the feeling and the joy of playing speak for themselves.
House Party is an experience and a celebration, a reminder of why we love jazz.
VIKTORIA ÄKESSON FORSMAN for Orkesterjournalen Sweden