Dara Tucker, jazz vocalist and songwriter, has released ‘The Sun Season,’ her third studio album. It is a celebration about life, energy, and the human experiencer. Tucker’s latest project is different from her previous albums, ‘Soul Said Yes (2011) and ‘All Right Now (2009) in that ten tracks of ‘The Sun Season (2014) are original tunes featuring memorable melodies, strong harmonies, and strong rhythms. This is evident on songs like “Sometimes Love”, “Beautiful Sun”, “The Sun Suite” or “See It Always.” As evidenced by “Naive” and “The Nearness of You,” two of the album’s covers, Tucker is a mature singer who has the ability to convey the tender essence of love with an enveloping flair. Tucker stated that when I fall in LOVE with a song, it is the melody that I love first and then the lyrics. “If I can convey the essence of the melody to the listener, without relying upon attention-grabbing melisma and instead focus on creating subtle but effective embellishments that will draw them in, then that’s when I feel that I’ve done my work,” Tucker said. The project was recorded over two days at David Stoller’s Samurai Hotels Studios in Queens, New York. It features Helen Sung, Donald Edwards, Peter Bernstein, Greg Bryant, bassist/producer Greg Bryant, John Ellis, Ferber, Ferber, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, John Ellis, Ferber, Ferber, Ferber and Ferber. The result is a joyous presentation that features memorable contributions from all the cast. I was influenced greatly by the singer-songwriters from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s as well as gospel and the Great American Songbook. As a writer, what I end up producing is basically an amalgamation of all these genres. Combine these influences with one the most infamous New York jazz groups, and you get “The Sun Season.” Dara Tucker’s brief career has seen her catch the attention of some of jazz’s most important figures, such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cassandra Wilson and Benny Golson. Tucker has been a hit on stages such as The Blue Note (NYC), Smoke Jazz Club(NYC), Snug Harbour (New Orleans, LA), The San Jose Jazz Festival and Sculler’s Boston, MA. Nighttown in Cleveland, OH, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Tucker’s unconventional path to being a prominent contemporary vocal jazz singer is revealed by removing layers from her varied background. “I grew to sing gospel in church with my siblings and brothers. We were seven, so my father, a well-known music minister, and my mother, a singer, had a built-in choir. We were always on the move and would support our parents wherever we went. Before I was in the first grade, I had learned a lot about harmony. I was able to develop amazing ear-training skills very quickly. My father was a minister and wouldn’t allow any secular music in his home. As I grew up, I discovered the great sounds of big band music, and the Great American Songbook. My radio was always under my pillow and I would spend many nights listening to artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, Rosemary Clooney’s, The Hi-Lo’s and Sarah Vaughn. Tucker claims that writing “The Sun Season”, Tucker’s songs, was mostly an organic process. After working tirelessly for seven years, Tucker knew it was her time to make her statement. My manager always asked me, “Where will your songs fit?” You are one of those writers who is in between. This is something I knew all too well. . “I am excited to share this project and look forward to performing the material live. It is my personal statement about jazz to me right now. It is a privilege to be able to share the Space I chose to inhabit in my unique Sun Season at www.daratucker.com.
