champian fulton + eight
arranged and conducted by Klas Lindquist
Over the course of her 20+ year career in New York City, Champian Fulton has established herself as one of jazz’s most compelling pianists and vocalists, releasing 21 award-winning albums as a leader, primarily in trio and duo settings.
Looking to explore a new musical direction, Champian proposed this project to Swedish saxophonist, arranger, and composer Klas Lindquist after discovering his Nonet at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Klas has been writing and arranging for his award-winning Swedish Nonet for nearly 20 years. Their most recent recording, Alternative Source of Energy, was hailed as Best Swedish Jazz Album of 2023 by the readers of OrkesterJournalen, one of the world’s oldest jazz publications.
For Champian Fulton + Eight, Klas has created an entirely new body of arrangements and compositions specifically designed to showcase Champian’s distinctive voice as both pianist and vocalist. The repertoire includes fresh interpretations of familiar material, including a beautiful arrangement of “You Were Always on My Mind,” alongside original compositions written especially for the ensemble.
The Nonet is already in high demand, having performed over the past year at NYC’s acclaimed Birdland, Stockholm’s famed Jazz Club Fasching, in Florence, Italy, and in Santander, Spain, as part of International Jazz Day. New York-based Turtle Bay Records has recorded the Nonet with award-winning producer Brian Camelio at the helm. The resulting album, “Champian Fulton + Eight”, is expected in summer 2027.
The ensemble surrounds Champian at the piano and vocals with a six-horn front line and rhythm section, featuring Klas Lindquist on lead alto saxophone and clarinet. The result is a rich, sophisticated sound that brings together Champian’s unmistakable artistry with Klas’s distinctive large-ensemble writing.
“There are a lot of good jazz singers around today, but there aren’t a lot of great ones. Champian Fulton is one of the great ones. Fulton doesn’t just sing songs, she tells stories.” - Modern Drummer
