Sue Tucker is one of batch of modern-day singers who avoid vocal histrionics and instead have adopted an unembellished, straightforward approach to delivering the tunes they sing. There's no scatting or swooping associated with their performances. They rely on fresh arrangements of standard material, and are absolute masters of knowing how to accent their best points by using sidemen to greatest advantage.
Tucker had a head start coming from a musical family. Not a family that just loves music, but that is active in jazz. Her father, Jack Oatts, was a jazz educator, and her brothers, Jim Oatts and
Dick Oatts, are professional trumpet and sax players, respectively. Early training on the clarinet and sax left her with a greater awareness of the importance of understanding the instrumental mindset within a vocal context. With this solid musical grounding, on her self-produced maiden album she successfully examines a variety of vocal styles and deliveries. Some cuts have a jam-session feel with vocalist added, like a bouncy "Too Close for Comfort," where multi-reedist Doug Haining's alto trades statements with Rick Carlson's piano and Brett Forberg's drums lay down an unswerving solid beat topped off with a clever coda by Steve Pikal's bass.
Tucker becomes a torch singer with blues undertones on "Sugar," which is moved along by a raunchy Haining baritone sax. On an up-tempo "A Foggy Day,"
Tucker shows her creativity as she plays around with the melody line. It works because of support from brother Jim Oatts, jazzy piano by Carlson, and perfectly timed drum breaks by Forberg. This is an awesome arrangement of a major entry in the Great American Songbook. Complete relaxation characterizes "Easy Street" to the point of sensual lethargy. A highlight track is
Bill Evans/Gee Lees' "Waltz for Debbie," which
Tucker really does in 3/4 time. Kent Saunders' guitar provides the bistro atmosphere for a tender "Blame It on My Youth." So it is, one track after another. Unembellished, no frills, straight-from-the-heart singing by a fine addition to the vocalist sorority. ~ Dave Nathan