Tia Fuller
Encyclopedia
Tia Fuller is a saxophonist, composer
, and educator is a member of the all-female band touring with R & B star, Beyoncé. As a bandleader
, Fuller has released three albums: Decisive Steps, Pillar of Strength and her debut album on the Mack Avenue Records
label, Healing Space.The dynamic saxophonist has been featured in Jazz Improv Magazine, Rocky Mountain News
, Philadelphia Tribune
, The Star-Ledger
, Down Beat
magazine and many other print and online publications. In addition to receiving numerous awards and marks of distinction, as an educator Fuller was honored to be the keynote speaker at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey’s 2003 graduation ceremony, where she presented her “Journey to Success” speech.
to jazz musicians, Fred and
Elthopia Fuller. Her father, Fred plays bass and her mother, Elthopia sings. She grew up listening to her parents rehearse in the basement of their home, as well as the music of jazz greats, such as John Coltrane
, Sarah Vaughan
and Charlie Parker
.
Inspired by her older sister, Shamie Royston a great composer in her own right and wife of the drummer Ruddy Royston, Fuller began playing classical piano when she was just three years old and continued until she was thirteen. She also began studying the flute when she was nine. Her interest in jazz came into fruition in high school. It was during this time that she began playing the saxophone.
After high school, Fuller continued her musical education at Spelman College
in Atlanta, Georgia
under the tutelage of Joseph Jennings. While there she had the distinct honor of playing with the late great Ray Charles
and honed her skills in Atlanta's hottest jazz clubs.
In 1998, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and later went on to complete her Master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Jazz Orchestra, the Rufus Reid
Septet, the Sean Jones
Quintet and the Nancy Wilson Jazz Orchestra.
However, her greatest exposure to the musical world came in 2007 when she was selected to be a member of the all-female band touring with R & B star, Beyoncé. As part of the Beyoncé
Experience World Tour promoting the superstar’s B’Day CD, Tia played in various venues throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. She is a featured soloist on the Beyoncé Experience DVD (Me, Myself and I) and also appeared on number of major television shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, BET Awards, American Music Awards and Total Request Live.
An accomplished performer in her own right, Fuller has recorded two CDs with her quartet which currently features Shamie Royston on piano, Kim Thompson on drums, and Miriam Sullivan on bass. The first, Pillar of Strength (2005/Wambui), received praise as being "an exhilarating work that introduced her as a leader who strives for perfection"by Terrell Holmes of All About Jazz Magazine. Her sophomore release, Healing Space (2007/Mack Avenue), is an offering of “melodic medicine” for those who indulge in it, was her debut album on the jazz label Mack Avenue Records
. Healing Space featured some lesser known musicians such as Sean Jones
, Ron Jones
and Kahlil Kwame Bell, but made up for it with strong compositions from Fuller and Royston.
Fuller moved to Jersey City, New Jersey
two days before the September 11 attacks. Despite the fact that the jazz community believed there was not much work in the area during that period, she was not discouraged and used the tragic event as a reason to succeed. She got her first gig playing in a big band at a fish fry in South Jersey. Brad Leali, who was playing in the Count Basie Orchestra
at the time, spread the word that Fuller was a skillful saxophonist who also played the flute. This brought her to the attention of others in the jazz community, including Gerald Wilson
, Jimmy Heath
, Don Braden
and Don Byron
, which led to her performing with a number of luminaries in the world of jazz.
As a devoted educator, she presents lectures and teaches ensembles and masterclasses at some of the most respected institutions in the country, including Stanford University’s“Jazz Workshop,” the University of Idaho
’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, New Mexico State University
, the IAJE Jazz Convention, Purchase College, WBGO’s “Children in Jazz” Series, Duquesne University
and Panama Jazz Festival
.
, and went on to obtain a master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and educator is a member of the all-female band touring with R & B star, Beyoncé. As a bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, Fuller has released three albums: Decisive Steps, Pillar of Strength and her debut album on the Mack Avenue Records
Mack Avenue Records
Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label headquartered in Harper Woods, Michigan. Founded in 1999, the label has several renowned jazz musicians on its roster, including Stanley Jordan, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Danilo Perez, Kevin Eubanks, Yellowjackets, and Gary Burton, among...
label, Healing Space.The dynamic saxophonist has been featured in Jazz Improv Magazine, Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
, Philadelphia Tribune
Philadelphia Tribune
The Philadelphia Tribune is an American newspaper, headquartered at 520 South 16th Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the African American community. Published Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, it is the oldest continually running African-American newspaper,...
, The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
, Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine and many other print and online publications. In addition to receiving numerous awards and marks of distinction, as an educator Fuller was honored to be the keynote speaker at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey’s 2003 graduation ceremony, where she presented her “Journey to Success” speech.
Background
Fuller was born in Aurora, ColoradoAurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
to jazz musicians, Fred and
Elthopia Fuller. Her father, Fred plays bass and her mother, Elthopia sings. She grew up listening to her parents rehearse in the basement of their home, as well as the music of jazz greats, such as John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
and Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
.
Inspired by her older sister, Shamie Royston a great composer in her own right and wife of the drummer Ruddy Royston, Fuller began playing classical piano when she was just three years old and continued until she was thirteen. She also began studying the flute when she was nine. Her interest in jazz came into fruition in high school. It was during this time that she began playing the saxophone.
After high school, Fuller continued her musical education at Spelman College
Spelman College
Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
under the tutelage of Joseph Jennings. While there she had the distinct honor of playing with the late great Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
and honed her skills in Atlanta's hottest jazz clubs.
In 1998, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and later went on to complete her Master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Career
In terms of jazz, Fuller can be seen performing regularly with a number of bands, including the Ralph Peterson Septet, the T.S. Monk Septet, the Jon FaddisJon Faddis
Jon Faddis is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator renowned for both his highly virtuosic command of the instrument and for his expertise in the field of music education...
Jazz Orchestra, the Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.-Personal history:...
Septet, the Sean Jones
Sean Jones (trumpeter)
Sean Jones is an American trumpeter and composer featured on the 2007 Grammy Award-winning Turned to Blue from Nancy Wilson. As a bandleader, Jones has released five albums under the Mack Avenue Records label...
Quintet and the Nancy Wilson Jazz Orchestra.
However, her greatest exposure to the musical world came in 2007 when she was selected to be a member of the all-female band touring with R & B star, Beyoncé. As part of the Beyoncé
Experience World Tour promoting the superstar’s B’Day CD, Tia played in various venues throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. She is a featured soloist on the Beyoncé Experience DVD (Me, Myself and I) and also appeared on number of major television shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, BET Awards, American Music Awards and Total Request Live.
An accomplished performer in her own right, Fuller has recorded two CDs with her quartet which currently features Shamie Royston on piano, Kim Thompson on drums, and Miriam Sullivan on bass. The first, Pillar of Strength (2005/Wambui), received praise as being "an exhilarating work that introduced her as a leader who strives for perfection"by Terrell Holmes of All About Jazz Magazine. Her sophomore release, Healing Space (2007/Mack Avenue), is an offering of “melodic medicine” for those who indulge in it, was her debut album on the jazz label Mack Avenue Records
Mack Avenue Records
Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label headquartered in Harper Woods, Michigan. Founded in 1999, the label has several renowned jazz musicians on its roster, including Stanley Jordan, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Danilo Perez, Kevin Eubanks, Yellowjackets, and Gary Burton, among...
. Healing Space featured some lesser known musicians such as Sean Jones
Sean Jones (trumpeter)
Sean Jones is an American trumpeter and composer featured on the 2007 Grammy Award-winning Turned to Blue from Nancy Wilson. As a bandleader, Jones has released five albums under the Mack Avenue Records label...
, Ron Jones
Ron Jones
Ron Jones may refer to:*Ron Jones , Doctor Who*Popeye Jones , professional basketball player*Ron Jones , Windsor, Ontario city councillor...
and Kahlil Kwame Bell, but made up for it with strong compositions from Fuller and Royston.
Fuller moved to Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
two days before the September 11 attacks. Despite the fact that the jazz community believed there was not much work in the area during that period, she was not discouraged and used the tragic event as a reason to succeed. She got her first gig playing in a big band at a fish fry in South Jersey. Brad Leali, who was playing in the Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie Orchestra
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie. The band survived the late '40s decline in big band popularity and went on to produce notable collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella...
at the time, spread the word that Fuller was a skillful saxophonist who also played the flute. This brought her to the attention of others in the jazz community, including Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
, Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
, Don Braden
Don Braden
Don Braden is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Braden was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began playing tenor sax at age 13 and started playing professionally at 15. As a high schooler he played in the McDonald's All-American High School Jazz Band...
and Don Byron
Don Byron
Don Byron is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet, but has also used bass clarinet and saxophones....
, which led to her performing with a number of luminaries in the world of jazz.
As a devoted educator, she presents lectures and teaches ensembles and masterclasses at some of the most respected institutions in the country, including Stanford University’s“Jazz Workshop,” the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
, the IAJE Jazz Convention, Purchase College, WBGO’s “Children in Jazz” Series, Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
and Panama Jazz Festival
Panama Jazz Festival
The Panama Jazz Festival was founded in September 2003 by Panamanian Grammy-winning pianist Danilo Pérez.A Fulbright Scholar, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Cultural Ambassador of Panama, and educator, founder of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music, , Perez founded the...
.
Education
In 1998, Fuller graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in music from Spelman CollegeSpelman College
Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
, and went on to obtain a master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.
As leader
- 2010: Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue)
- 2007: Healing Space (Mack Avenue)
- 2005: Pillar of Strength (Wambui)
As contributor
- 2007: Kaleidoscope (Mack Avenue)
- 2007: Maria Juanez (The Montreux Jazz)
- 2006:Turned to BlueTurned to BlueTurned to Blue is an album from Jazz singer Nancy Wilson which saw release in 2006. The title track is a poem penned by Maya Angelou. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2007.- Featured performers :...
, Nancy Wilson (MCG Jazz) - 2006: Roots (Mack Avenue)
- 2005: Gemini (Mack Avenue)
- 2004: Eternal Journey (Mack Avenue)
- 2004: Vibrant
- 2003: Joe Budden(Def Jam)
External links
- Tia Fuller Website
- Pillar of Strength Review
- All About Jazz Profile
- Tia Fuller: NPR Music
- http://www.mackavenue.com
- http://www.myspace.com/tiafuller