"They Didn't Believe Me" & "You Turned the Tables" - CHAMPIAN with David Berger & the Sultans of Swing, Such Sweet Thunder
"Whistling in the Dark" and "Tea for Two" - Sometimes I'm Happy on Venus Records, Neal Miner & Fukushi Tainaka.
The Current Trio includes NEAL MINER & FUKUSHI TAINAKA.
Influences
Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Frank Sinatra, Horace Silver, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry, Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Lou Donalson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Red Garland, Sonny Clark, etc. etc. etc.
Sounds Like
"...the best new singer I've heard this year - make that several years." - Francis Davis, THE VILLAGE VOICE
"...an assured vocalist with a galvanizing presence." - THE NEW YORKER
"...She's a true show stopper." - TIME OUT NY
"...an authentic Jazz artist..." - NEWARK STAR LEDGER
"...Fulton is sassy and sexy..." - ALL ABOUT JAZZ.COM
"...a young singer who can handle both the musical and emotional demands of the Great American Songbook." - ALL ABOUT JAZZ NY
Born in 1985, Champian grew up in Norman Oklahoma with her two loving parents, Stephen and Susan. Influenced at an early age by her father Stephen, a world reknowned Jazz trumpeter, Champian fell in love with Jazz. Surrounded by her father's musician friends, which included Clark Terry and Major Holley, Champian learned the language of the music firsthand. She began to study piano with her grandmother at age 5. As singing became more and more important, Champian began to play Jazz piano to accompany herself at home.
Champian's family moved to LeMars Iowa in 1994; where Stephen Fulton became the director of the Clark Terry Institute for Jazz Studies. It was here that Champian formed her first band. The members of the "Little Jazz Quintet" were all under the age of 10, except for the trumpeter - the elder of the group - who was 12 years old. The "Little Jazz Quintet" performed at many events in LeMars, including Clark Terry's 75th Birthday party.
After a short move to New York, Champian and her family returned to Norman Oklahoma in 1998. Champian's full attention turned to Jazz at this time, and by 1999 Champian was performing with her new band all around the region. 1999 included appearances at the Kemah Boardwalk Jazz Festival, the Corpus Christi Jazz Festival, and the Jazz in June Festival held in Norman Oklahoma.
2001 marked the beginning of Champian's stint at Maker's Cigar & Piano Bar in OKC. Maker's, and its owner Clinton Greehaw, were supportive of Champian while she grew musically as a professional performer. Makers made a wonderful musical home for Champian during these formative years. The Champian Fulton Trio would continue to perform at Maker's nearly every weekend through 2003, when Champian graduated from Norman North High School as valedictorian and made her move to NYC to attend SUNY Purchase Music Conservatory.
In New York City since 2003, Champian has been able to become a part of the Jazz scene. Besides leading her own gigs Champian has been able to play with some world-class musicians such as Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess, and Lou Donaldson. You can catch her at a number of different venues in Manhattan including Birdland, where Champian performs every Tuesday with David Berger & the Sultans of Swing.
A perpetual student of Jazz piano and Jazz singing, Champian mentions Erroll Garner, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughn as some of her main influences.
Champian was named as a finalist in the Kathleen B. Turner Jazz Piano Competition at the University of West Florida in spring 2006. That same year she graduated with honors from SUNY Purchase. Champian’s debut album “Champian” was released in September of 2007. She now lives in New York City and continues to play the music she loves with her current trio including Neil Miner (bass) and Fukushi Tainaka (drums).
I'm in the process of getting on Facebook. I'll check you out there as well. Its so good to get back in touch with you again. Its been so long. I'm so happy for you that things are going good for you, you deserve it. I always had a feeling that you were going to do great things with your talent. I love your music by the way and your voice is just amazing. Keep it up. I will definately keep in touch from now on.
Thank you for adding me! I look forward to see you soon! I'll keep checking your schedule ;) I may go and see you @ Cleopatra's Needle. I love the place... ;) Hope you have a beautiful singing weekend!