Piedmont Piano Company is pleased to present
Champian Fulton Duo
with Stephen Fulton
Jazz pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton presents a night of swinging jazz standards. She will be joined by her father Stephen Fulton on flugelhorn. They will play music from her newly released 10th record The Stylings of Champian, a fabulous two disc set featuring 85+ minutes of non-stop swinging Jazz.
$20 General Admission
“A Rising Star” –Downbeat Magazine Critics’ Poll
“A charming young steward of the mainstream jazz tradition” –New York Times
“Champian Fulton could make a fine career as a pianist, but, like Diana Krall, she also developed a first rate jazz singer's skills”
–All About Jazz
Born in Oklahoma, Champian Fulton has become a world class Jazz pianist and vocalist with international acclaim. She grew up with music in the home; her mother and father (Jazz trumpeter and educator Stephen Fulton) recognized her fascination with music at an early age. The presence of her father’s musician friends, including Clark Terry and Major Holley, inspired her focus on Jazz. Her first paid musical engagement was with her own band at Clark Terry’s 75th Birthday Party; she was 10 years old. Since then, her piano and voice skills have been recognized by peers and critics as distinctive and sophisticated. This young woman from Oklahoma captivates audiences in New York’s finest Jazz rooms and in concert halls around the world.
A mainstay on the vibrant New York Jazz scene, she has performed with musical royalty such as Lou Donaldson, Frank Wess, Eric Alexander, Buster Williams, and Louis Hayes. From New York to Barcelona, Champian’s swinging style and charismatic performances have made her a guardian of the legacy of Jazz. Champian’s heroes include Bud Powell, Red Garland, Erroll Garner, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington. champian.net
Stephen Fulton is a Jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, and drummer who has devoted over thirty years to the study of the legacy of Jazz. He is a performer, educator, and advocate for Jazz. He began his career in Oklahoma where he studied music at the University of Oklahoma and while there formed an award winning band whose members are today prominent Jazz musicians. Stephen is known in the Jazz world to many veteran musicians and educators. He is well known for his association with Jazz great Clark Terry. For years Stephen co-managed Clark Terry Jazz Camps, Workshops and Festivals. From 1993-1997 he was the Director of the Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies at Westmar University in Iowa.
In 1984 Stephen went on the road. As featured soloist he performed with Woody Herman in Woody's big band and with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, touring the United States, Canada and Europe. Throughout this time Stephen also led his own group which was usually a quintet. It was during this period Stephen gained a reputation as an extraordinary performer, teacher and clinician. His command over the flugelhorn is outstanding and his sound is captivating. Stephen has taught and cliniced in high schools and colleges all over the United States as well as given presentations at events including the prestigious Iowa Bandmaster's Association. He is in demand as an adjudicator at Jazz festivals big and small. In 1993 after becoming a finalist in The Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition, Stephen was chosen by Dr. Clark Terry as Program Director / Artist in Residence for The Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies, where he led award winning student groups. His students rank among the finest young Jazz musicians today. stephenfultonjazz.com