Join me on Backstage-Pass, My New Members Only Website

I love sharing my music and my life with my friends on social media, but I’ve started a membership only part of my site because I'm starting a new creative project that's very special and I want to share it with YOU.

My first album "Champian" (2007) was recorded after a long residency at Birdland with the David Berger Jazz Orchestra. I was so excited to perform with a big band (18 musicians) and work on the arrangements with David. As you might imagine, working with a big band is EXPENSIVE because there are 18 musicians and that means more transportation costs, more artist fees, etc. It was a wonderful experience and a privilege to have started my career in this format.

As I approach the planning of my 20th album, I've been thinking a lot about that wonderful experience and how I'd like to do something like that again. I was in Stockholm this year during the Stockholm Jazz Festival, and I heard the Klas Lindquist Nonet and I realized: this is the kind of ensemble I want for my next project.

That means Klas and I will be writing the arrangements together over the course of the next year, rehearsing with the band, and seeing where this goes. The nonet will feature me on piano and vocals, bass, drums, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, and 3 saxes. And yes, Klas lives in Stockholm Sweden, so that is its own challenge!

Please consider joining me on this journey! Just click here: https://www.champian.net/backstage-pass

Expect me to share tons of stuff including videos and music not only from this nonet project, but also from my trio and solo shows that will be exclusive to this member-only section of champian.net

Remembering My Friend Lou Donaldson

“We both love Charlie Parker, so I think we should be friends!” 

That was how I introduced myself to Lou Donaldson in 2003. I had just moved to NYC to go to college; at 17 years old I had already been working as a Jazz musician in Oklahoma for 5 years, so even though I was new on the scene in NYC, I felt in my heart that I was already a member of the Jazz community. 

I had gone to see Lou at the Village Vanguard that night and I introduced myself to him after his gig. He was packing up his horn in the kitchen, and he looked up at me and said, “What do you know about Charlie Parker?” That day I had been transcribing one of Bird’s solos so I started singing it to him, and after I sang a little bit Lou said to me… “Well, alright. Sit down.” So I sat down next to him and asked him to tell me a story about Charlie Parker, and he did. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Over the next 21 years Lou became one of my closest friends. He helped me with my music, my career, my relationships, with everything. We never stopped talking about Charlie Parker, but as time passed it became apparent that our love of the music was not the only thing we had in common. We had similar ideas about life, similar values, similar ideas about most things. Even though we were 60 years apart in age I don’t think either of us ever thought that much about it. In fact, about 10 years ago we were driving in his car around midtown and he said, “oh remember such and such used to be on that corner?” And I said, “No. When was this?” And he replied, “Oh, 1963?” And I said, “Lou, I was born in 1985.” He looked at me and opened his eyes REALLY BIG and then he just started laughing so hard and said, “I forgot!!” 

Lou missed NYC so much after he moved permanently to Florida in 2020. That is the real reason we started organizing the birthday parties at Dizzy’s. I really wanted him to be able to come to NYC and see his friends and talk some shit with other musicians. I think he really enjoyed them, even though they were also bittersweet because they were such short trips for him. This year, when he told me he couldn’t come, I told him I didn’t want to host the party without him. In our industry, so many of our heroes only get big parties and big celebrations after they’ve passed, and I wanted him to be loved and celebrated while he was alive, present and could enjoy it. I wanted the party to be *for* him, and if he wasn’t there, I wasn’t sure I would feel right about it. He understood me, and he asked me to throw the party anyway. I’m so glad we did and I’m glad we were able to get him on the phone so he could hear us all sing “Happy Birthday” to him and we could hear his voice too. That was a great moment. 

Lou dedicated his life to pursuing excellence in our music and he succeeded; he was a master on his instrument and a true Jazz legend. I feel very lucky that I was able to have such an exceptional man as my friend. When Lou passed away Sonny Rollins told me, “Knowing Lou Donaldson was a blessing.” My sentiments exactly.

Amerikansk jazz-stjerne fortryllede publikum, Danish News October 2024

En amerikansk jazzstjerne optrådte i Nykøbing med en koncert, der tryllebandt publikum.

Direkte fra New Yorks jazzscener til Nykøbing fik publikum i Kulturhus Pakhuset den funklende jazz-juvel Champian Fulton, der sammen med et hold af topmusikere skabte ren magi en lørdag eftermiddag.

Champian Fulton er en upcoming stjerne på den internationale jazz-himmel. I Pakhuset funklede hunsom sanger og som virtuos, Oscar Peterson-inspireret pianist. En kombination der kræver Multitasking. Hun begyndte at synge og spille jazz som barn i sin fars orkester - han spillede trompet og flygelhorn.

Hendes dybt indlejrede performance-naturlighed og musikalitet forplantede sig til publikum til intim koncerten i en tryllebindende intensitet.

Hylder de store divaer

Publikum blev hvirvlet ind i et univers af øresmygende, vemodigt-blå - eller lystigt lykkelige kærlighedssange fra “The Great American Songbook”, tidligere sunget af divaer som Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee og Billie Holiday. Champian Fulton tilføjede nye lag i kraft af sin rigt facetterede stemme og eminente klaver-akkompagnement til klassikere som “I Don't Know Enough About You”, “Baubles, Bangles and Beads”, “PS I Love You” og “It’s All Right With Me”.

Elsker eftermiddags-jazz

Det er så dejligt at være her. Jazz om eftermiddagen er noget helt andet end jazz sent om aftenen. Jeg får lyst til at spille en anden type sange her, sagde Champian Fulton før Dinah Washington-klassikeren “What A Difference A Day Makes”. Den blev indpakket i fortryllende saxofon-spil, leveret af den mesterlige, svenske altsaxofonist og klarinettist Klas Lindquist. Han er influeret af altsax-legender som Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker og Lou Donaldson - banebrydende indenfor hver deres genrer swing, bebop og hardbop. Den svenske saxofonist bevægede sig eminent indenfor alle genrerne - med smukt melodiøst spil, stærke improvisationer og blus-feeling. Det hele med et nostalgisk skær, hvilket kærligt flankerede Champian Fultons sang.

Den allerførste sang

Den her sang, var den første, jeg sang offentligt - “Pennies From Heaven”. Den lærte jeg af min far, berettede Champian Fulton om Clark Terrys evergreen. En fortolkning af Lou Donaldsons “Jump Up”, i forfriskende uptempo spækket med rytmeskift, bød på vilde præstationer af den svenske bas-gigant, Hans Backenroth, blandt andet en mester i bas-solo med bue, og danske Kristian Leth som rytmisk kraftværk bag trommerne.

Et kælent samspil

Publikum fik også et par Billie Holiday-sange - først “I Cryed For You” og til sidst “You Turned The Tables On Me.- Det er min yndlingssang, erklærede Champian Fulton. Publikum fik klappet sig til et ekstranummer - Fitzgerald-signaturen “It Had To Be You”, der bød på kælent samspil mellem Fulton og Lindquist.

---

American jazz star enchanted the audience

An American jazz star performed in Nykøbing with a concert that enchanted the audience.

Directly from New York's jazz scenes to Nykøbing, the audience in Kulturhus Pakhuset got the sparkling jazzjewel Champian Fulton, who together with a team of top musicians created pure magic on a Saturday afternoon.

Champian Fulton is an upcoming star on the international jazz scene. In Pakhuset, she sparkled as a singer and as a virtuoso, Oscar Peterson-inspired pianist. A combination that requires multitasking. She started singing and playing jazz as a child in her father's orchestra he played trumpet and flugelhorn. Her deeply embedded performance naturalness and musicality propagated to the audience at the intimate concert in a mesmerizing intensity.

Paying homage to the great divas

The audience was whirled into a universe of ear-splitting, wistfully blue or merrily happy love songs from “The Great American Songbook”, previously sung by divas like Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday.

Champian Fulton added new layers by virtue of his richly faceted voice and eminent piano-accompaniment to classics such as "I Don't Know Enough About You", "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", "PS I Love You" and "It's All Right With Me".

Love afternoon jazz

It's so nice to be here. Jazz in the afternoon is something completely different from jazz late in the evening. I feel like playing a different type of song here, Champian Fulton said before Dinah Washington the classic "What A Difference A Day Makes". It was wrapped in enchanting saxophone playing, delivered by the masterful Swedish alto saxophonist and clarinetist Klas Lindquist. He is influenced by alto sax legends such as Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker and Lou Donaldson - pioneer within each of their genres swing, bebop and hardbop.

The Swedish saxophonist moved eminently within all genres - with beautiful melodic playing, strong improvisations and flare feeling. All with a nostalgic glow, which lovingly flanked Champion Fulton's song.

The very first song

This song was the first I sang in public - “Pennies From Heaven”. I learned that from my father, reported Champion Fulton of Clark Terry's evergreen. An interpretation of Lou Donaldson's "Jump Up", in refreshing uptempo packed with rhythm changes, offered wild performances by the Swedish bass giant, Hans Backenroth, among other things a master of the bass solo with bow, and Danish Kristian Leth as a rhythmic powerhouse behind the drums.

A cuddly interplay

The audience was also treated to a few Billie Holiday songs - first “I Cryed For You” and finally “You Turned The Tables On Me. "It's my favorite song," declared Champian Fulton. The audience clapped along to an encore - the Fitzgerald signature “It Had To Be You” that offered cuddly interplay between Fulton and Lindquist.

Champian's Makes Her Debut as Record Producer

Planning and recording an album as an indie artist, that is to say an artist who is also the producer / record label / publicist, is a huge job for just one person. Picking tunes, thinking of arrangements, managing the vibe during the recording itself, picking final takes once everything recorded, picking an order of songs, naming the record, and then organizing alllll the work that comes with making the CDs such as finalizing graphics, submitting it for digital submission, etc etc etc. It’s really a lot of work and, for me at least, involves a lot of spreadsheets, post-it notes, and check lists. My first self-produced / self-released album came out in 2009 (the breeze and I) and I was lucky to have my father, Stephen Fulton, on my team. As the Indie musician doing it all, you really start to suffer not only from decision fatigue, but also self-doubt, and it’s very important to have someone you trust artistically to advise you on the music, the title, the vibe, and everything else.

As an artist I have made 19 albums, 11 of them self produced, and to be honest, I totally love it. I love making records. It’s fun and I really find the entire process inspiring. I have always wanted to be a producer for someone else’s record, and this year, I have finally made that dream come true.

I am proud to have been the producer for Klas Lindquist’s upcoming quartet album, “Handle with Care.” It’s a super swinging album and I had a great time working with Klas from the very conception of the album through to the finished product. I can’t wait for you to hear it, and I hope to be the producer on more projects to come!

-c

More info about the project here: https://www.klaslindquist.com/new-album-handle-with-care

---

Esteemed Jazz Alto Saxophonist Klas Lindquist Presents an Intimate New Record “Handle with Care”, Due Out October 11, 2024 on yellow car records

With his fifth release as a leader, Klas Lindquist delivers an intimate mood album, much in the spirit of Jazz legends Johnny Hodges and Lou Donaldson, featuring a collection of sophisticated standards and brilliant originals. “Handle with Care” spotlights Lindquist as a soloist with a voice and perspective all his own; he demonstrates a rare maturity and sensitivity as an improviser in the spartan setting of the quartet with a rhythm section expertly steered by pianist Leo Lindberg and featuring Niklas Fernqvist on bass and Daniel Fredriksson on drums. 

The entire album, recorded in one room without isolation at the Abrahamsbergskyrkan just outside of Stockholm, sparkles with the no holds barred approach to creativity. It is a joy to hear the ensemble “stretch out”, especially on the nearly 3 minute long tag of “Cry Me a River”, which is already a supreme example of Lindquist’s refined and tasteful arranging skills. 

Several nods to Jazz legend Lou Donaldson are present, including the commanding “The Man with a Horn” and a dynamic version of “Cherokee”, the former being described by Lindquist as a “power ballad”. The ballads may very well be the stars of this album, especially the two composed by Lindquist’s hero Duke Ellington: “Come Sunday” and “Prelude to a Kiss,” in which we hear the alto, the piano and the bass share the melodic duties. 

Nestled among the standards, we find two originals: “Bernadette” was previously recorded by Lindquist in a large ensemble setting, but “The Day We Met” makes its debut here; it is a showpiece for the sympathetic comping of drummer Fredriksson, who is a perfect match for Lindquist’s strong rhythmic lines (they have recorded together 5 times). In fact Fredriksson shines on the entire recording, especially on the rubato treatment of “Tea for Two” where he demonstrates his melodicism with the brushes. 

While Lindquist’s past releases have featured his much acclaimed nonet, including his most recent album “Alternative Sources of Energy” which was voted Sweden’s number one Jazz album in 2024 by the listeners of Orkesterjournalen, we are pleased he has chosen to return to the small group setting with this carefully curated album, giving us the opportunity to enjoy his virtuosic and beautiful alto playing for over an hour of listening. With purposeful song selections and keys (for the most discerning of listeners, it should be noted that many of these standards are recorded in non-standard, that is to say unusual, keys in order to make the alto “sing” in its best range.) “Handle with Care”, as the liner notes written by American Jazz pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton say, is “meant to be enjoyed and to be listened to with a smile on one’s face.” 

Recognized for his “technical brilliance, imagination and style”, Klas is considered one of “Sweden’s most exciting Jazz musicians” (Göteborgs Posten).  Recipient of the “The Golden Sax” award, “The Alice Babs Award” and “The Stockholm Culture Scholarship”, Klas Lindquist is a world-renowned ambassador of Jazz excellence. 

##

Tracklisting: 

1. My Old Flame 

2. Tea for Two

3. Prelude to a Kiss 

4. The Day We Met 

5. The Man with a Horn 

6. Cry Me a River 

7. Bernadette 

8. Stardust 

9. Cherokee 

10. Days of Wine and Roses 

11. Sweet Pumpkin 

12. Come Sunday 

Champian in the Swedish magazine OrkesterJournalen: Ödåkra Jazz Festival

Translated from the original Swedish (below); reviewing Champian’s performance at the Ödåkra Jazz Festival

Photo by Daniel Eklund

American pianist and singer Champian Fulton surprised big with her quartet. The group consisted of our own Klas Lindquist (reeds), the French bassist Alex Gilson and the Danish Andreas Svendsen on drums. Swing music standards were played with a rare degree of confidence, clarity and joy of playing. Fulton was a virtuoso on the piano at the same time as she sang lyrics in a style close to Ella Fitzgerald's. The piano itself requires multi-tasking of a high order. When singing and playing at the same time with a good tempo, her music becomes a piece of art. Pennies from Heaven is usually played slightly romantically, but here it became an indestructible rhythmic groove-filled number. That Lindquist thrived in this company was not surprising, Champian & Lindquist really complement each other. The evening before, they had also joined the skilled Australian guitarist Dave Blenkhorn's quartet.

Amerianska pianisten och sángerskan Champian Fulton överraskade stort med sin kvartett. Gruppen bestod i ovrigt ay vár egen Klas Lindqvist (reeds), franska basisten Alex Gilson och dansken Andreas Svendsen pa trummor. Det spelades standards inom swingmusiken med sällsynt stor säkerhet, kansla och spelglädje. Fulton var en virtuos pà pianot samtidigt som hon sjöng lànga texter i stil som ligger nara Ella Fitzgeralds. Piano i sig ställer ju krav pả simultankapacitet. När samtidig sảng tillkommer och tempot är högt börjar det likna konststycke. Pennies from Heaven spelas oftast smätt romantiskt. Hãr blev det ett rytmiskt groovefyllt nummer avsällan skadat slag. Att Lindquist trivdes i detta sällskap var inte överraskande,bada riktigt trimmade varandra. Sent källen före hade de ocks ingätt i den skicklige australienske gitarristen Dave Blenkhorns kvartett.

https://orkesterjournalen.com/

Champian in the June issue of Downbeat (2024)

Champian in the Rising Star Female Vocalist Critics Poll

AND a 4 STAR review of her latest album “Every Now and then” with Cory Weeds

“Fulton self-accompanies and solos on piano with harmonic sophistication, impeccable chops, a risk-friendly attitude and an idiosyncratic conceptual range spanning Bud Powell, Erroll Garner and several other way-stations, refracted into her own argot.”

Champian in the Absolute Sound (May / June 2024)

“Champian is a powerhouse of a musician! Equally talented as a vocalist and as a pianist, she has been releasing high-quality albums of beloved jazz standards and other great repertoire on an annual basis. Champian swings with clocklike precision, and no matter the tempo there's an ease and excitement in her music making. Her singing includes kittenish scoops and inflections, and you will often hear the smile within her sound. On her recent live recording Meet Me at Birdland with bassist Hide Tanaka and drummer Fukushi Tainaka, you can fall in love with the warmth of her sound on the standard "Just Friends" which begins as a plaintive sweeping waltz ballad and then gradually kicks into a walking swing tempo. Champian is one of the few vocalists I know who can sustain the "s" of a word such as in "friends" and make that sound musical, and on words like "two" there's a type of caress on the sound of "ooh" that make that word and sound come alive. Every song is a work of art in Champian's hands (and voice).”

-Karin Plato, The Absolute Sound