About this Event
Please join us as we celebrate the release of jazz vocalist 's new album "Emerge Dancing," featuring Jeff Pittson on piano, with special guest Evan Pittson on viola.
"Suzanne’s vocal approach is hopeful and passionate. It feels like she believes we might all have a moment to fly, and listening to her, we believe it too. Her approach is both of this earth and something beyond, with a magical quality, soaring at times.” –Michael Doherty, Music Log
"Each song is deeply engaging and a memorable listening experience on this wonderful musical family affair. Outstanding!” –D. Glenn Daniels, The Jazz Page
“Suzanne Pittson is a great improviser… her personal style of singing and Jeff Pittson’s piano form an inseparable whole, merging in a magical way.” –Jose Ramon, La Habitación del Jazz (Spain)
SUZANNE PITTSON BIO
Suzanne Pittson is an accomplished jazz vocalist, pianist and lyricist living in New York. She grew up in a musical family and began piano studies at age 8. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Music (as a classical pianist) from San Francisco State University, before turning her attention to jazz voice. Suzanne has been recognized for her musicianship and improvisational skills, called by All About Jazz, “more than just a singer, but a jazz musician. With a fluid phrasing and stunning tone, she uses her voice as another instrument, improvising and playing with the melodies.” Jazz Inside New York says: “Some controversy exists over just what makes a jazz vocalist. Listen to Suzanne Pittson and you’ll know,” and the L.A. Jazz Scene calls her “a superior scat singer.”
Suzanne has released four critically acclaimed albums on Vineland Records:
Blues and the Abstract Truth (1996), Resolution: A Remembrance of John Coltrane
(1999) (original lyrics to “A Love Supreme”), Out of the Hub: The Music of Freddie Hubbard (2010) (original lyrics), and Emerge Dancing (2024) (a duo with Jeff Pittson, piano; featuring Evan Pittson, viola).
She has performed in the United States, Japan, Europe and Cuba at such major venues as Yoshi’s, Birdland, Catalina Jazz Club, Town Hall, Symphony Space, Instituto Superior de Arte (Havana), Royal Horse (Osaka), and has performed and/or recorded with John Patitucci, Buster Williams, Dave Liebman, Steve Wilson, Mike Clark, Jeremy Pelt, Shunzo Ohno, Mark Soskin, Jack Walrath, Chip Jackson, Harvie S, & more.
Suzanne is a tenured Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the City College of New York, where together with her colleagues, she has helped to build a world-class jazz program. She is currently Chair of the Music Department and Associate Director of Jazz Studies.
Suzanne co-leads the Pittson Family Band along with Jeff Pittson on piano/keyboards and Evan Pittson on viola. They are joined by Bryan Copeland on bass and Dave Meade on drums. Pittson Family Band plays predominantly original material.
JEFF PITTSON BIO
Jeff Pittson represents a dynamic force in the world of jazz having performed with such important figures as Joe Henderson, Ruth Brown, Eddie Henderson, John Handy, Jack Walrath, Mike Clark, Maynard Ferguson, Larry Coryell, Kenny Garrett, and many more. A virtuoso performer on piano and Moog synthesizer, he is also fluent on a wide spectrum of keyboards including Hammond B-3. As a composer, Mr. Pittson wrote and performed on the soundtrack for the documentary film Ann Calvello: Demon of the Derby, making its debut at the San Francisco Film Festival in 2000. His classical piano work, The Dietrich Variations, made its debut under the auspices of the Redding Ballet in 2003. Such gifted artists as Billy Childs, Chris Potter, Harvie S and Paul Jackson have performed and recorded his jazz compositions and he has appeared on CD alongside such distinguished artists as Herbie Hancock, Alphonse Mouzon, and Bennie Maupin.
Mr. Pittson has appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, Atlantic City Jazz Festival, Wolftrap, Meadow Brook Music Festival, Ravinia, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Cotati Jazz Festival, Vallejo Jazz Festival, The Mike Douglas Show and many others. He has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Hawaii, and the Caribbean and has performed and/or recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Ruth Brown, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, Buster Williams, Shunzo Ohno, Wally Schnalle, and Jeff Massanari.
Active as an educator and adjudicator for festivals, Mr. Pittson has taught at Sonoma State University, the Jazzschool (Berkeley, CA.), U.C. Berkeley, and Rutgers University. He is the leader on his own critically acclaimed CD’s Go Where It’s Dangerous, Invisible Love, The Dietrich Variations, Modern Artifact, and Awake, and appears on four recordings with his wife Suzanne Pittson.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.
Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.
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Thank you for your support!
Please note: Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Avenue, Berkeley, United States
USD 22.09
