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Jazz Beat 47 - Champian Fulton

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Champian Fulton.
Janice Yi

Champian Fulton was hailed by Francis Davis in the Village Voice in 2007, the year of her debut recording, as "the best new singer I've heard this year-- make that several years." Mark Stryker in the Detroit Free Press called her "the most gifted pure jazz singer of her generation." And Nate Chinen in the New York Times said, "she's a charming young steward of the mainstream jazz tradition." Jazz a la Mode co-host Bex Taylor said of the Norman, Oklahoma, native's recent concert in South Hadley, MA, "I loved her set. She was so charming and told some great stories."

Tom Reney spoke with the 34-year-old singer-pianist about her life and career before her appearance at the Vermont Jazz Center on January 18.

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Tom was honored by the Jazz Journalists Association with the Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Career Excellence in Broadcasting in 2019. In addition to hosting Jazz à la Mode since 1984, Tom writes the jazz blog and produces the Jazz Beat podcast at NEPM. He began working in jazz radio in 1977 at WCUW, a community-licensed radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts. Tom holds a bachelor's degree from UMass Amherst, where he majored in English and African American Studies.


Email Tom at tom_reney@nepm.org.