JEANNIE TANNER - Vocalist, Composer & Trumpeter

JEANNIE TANNER -- TANNER TIME
by Paul Abella

Jeannie Tanner: Vocals/Trumpet
Lisa McQueen: Piano
Carol Rand: Bass
Darlene Dufay: Drums
Neal Alger: Guitar
Michael Hesiak: Tenor

In a jazz scene littered with discs by singers singing the same standards with roughly the same arrangements, Jeannie Tanner's Tanner Time stands out. Not only for the songs, which stretch well beyond the boundaries of what is normally considered jazz, but also by the fine playing of an (almost) all female ensemble.

The disc starts off in fine fashion with a nice take on I Got Rhythm. Immediately, the listener is made
aware of Tanner's fantastic voice and sense of time, pulling and pushing against the rhythm section. The tip of the hat to the jazz world continues with some
fine trumpet playing on Bernie's Tune. The rest of the disc has some straight up jazz scattered
throughout, like the pretty Tanner Time, or the Fever-esque Red, but what will really grab the listener's attention on this disc, for better or for worse, will be the slow jam R&B-ish ballads that pepper the CD.

While some might see it as a bad thing that a talented jazz trumpeter and vocalist is dabbling in very poppy territory on songs like One Lifetime, My Whole World
Is You or It Ain't Me, I have to say, it is a bonus to this disc because she sounds so at home on the poppier material here. She's right in the pocket, and her band supports her well with punchy arrangements that make these songs work.

Overall, this is a nice disc that celebrates its schizophrenia, jumping between straight jazz and jazz influenced pop music. Jazz fans will definitely appreciate the jazz tunes, and might find themselves surprised by the effort put into the poppier moments.


- Chicago Jazz Magazine (December, 2007)

by Howard Reich (Tribune Critic)

Women never have had a fair shake in jazz, which long has accorded hero status mostly to men.

Though a few intrepid women broke out of the singer-pianist sterotype early on - among them composer-instrumentalists such as Melba Liston, Carla Bley and Toshiko Akiyoshi - these have been the glorious exceptions to an unfortunate rule.

So there's something inspiring in seeing Chicagoan Jeannie Tanner putting a trumpet to her lips at one moment, singing original compositions the next and leading a taut quartet throughout her show at Pete Miller's in Evanston. A multifaceted artist if ever there was one, Tanner played all her roles with aplomb, though some more effectively than others.

As a trumpeter, Tanner acquitted herself capably, unspooling lithe lines that never lacked for invention or clarity. If she didn't show the technical elan and charismatic presence one expects of modern-day trumpeters, that may have had something to do with the setting. A place such as Pete Miller's, which patrons visit for food and conversation, simply does not lend itself to clarion, hard-hitting trumpet solos.

So, it was as singer-songwriter-bandleader that Tanner proved most effective on a recent Thursday evening, her singing as lyrical as her trumpet playing but more subtle and delicately nuanced.

The silvery quality of her vocal tone, the pliancy of her rhythms and the originality of her compositions attested to her depth as a jazz musician.

Although Tanner would be still be more effective if she projected more forcefully into the crowd, there was no questioning the sophistication of this music.

In her own "Reflections in Mirrors," Tanner produced scat singing of appealing complexity. Her ability to linger behind the beat, then rush to catch up, was a pleasure to hear. And in "Tanner Time," the title cut of her latest CD, she reaffirmed the craft and creativity of her songwriting.

Moreover, she brought refinement of style to an earthy blues, reinventing the B.B. King hit "Rock Me Baby." Tanner's cries and laments may have been delivered at nearly the level of a whisper; but they were all the more effective for it.

Her band followed suit, with consistently gentle support from pianist Brett Rowe, bassist Joe Policastro and drummer Darlene Dufay.

Now, if Tanner would just give listeners something more to hear on trumpet, audiences could take the full measure of her art.

hreich@tribune.com - Chicago Tribune, February 28, 2008

JEANNIE TANNER -
PROMISE ME THE MOON

Jeannie Tanner – Vocals, trumpet
Lisa McQueen – Piano
Cory Biggerstaff – Upright bass
Darlene DuFay – Drums
Neal Alger – Guitar
Matt Feddermann – Guitar

For the past few years Jeannie Tanner has been one of the busiest musicians on the Chicago jazz scene. From long running gigs at Marie’s Restaurant and Pete Miller’s to high profile performances at Pheasant Run and the Taste of Chicago, Tanner has been working to perfect the sound of her music.

In her latest release, Promise Me the Moon, Tanner takes on several different roles: that of composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. Strong melodies and catchy lyrics is what many of today’s composers struggle to create. Tanner makes it sound easy throughout the recording.

The first tune on the recording is the title track, “Promise Me the Moon.” The first time listening it sounds like a nice medium tempo tune with some interesting lyrics, however after playing it a few more times I found myself singing the tune the rest of the day. Yes it was annoying to have a tune in my head all day but it goes to show you how catchy and well written the melody was.

Throughout the recording there are surprises: The song “C’est Bon, C’est Bon” is an up-tempo samba that has a nice groove created by bassist Cory Biggerstaff and drummer Darlene DuFay, and is sung by Tanner in French.

One of the highlights of the recording is the track “Can’t Believe that It’s You,” a beautiful song written by pianist Lisa McQueen with lyrics by Jeannie Tanner. This is the type of tune that you could easily hear artists like Jewel or Nora Jones perform on a hit recording. Tanner’s voice lends itself well to this style of music and the simplistic instrumentation of piano, guitar (provided by Neal Alger), bass and light drums create the ideal sound.

There are many other impressive moments on this recording, but the overall highlight is Tanner’s rich voice. Because she is always pictured with her trumpet one doesn’t expect to hear such an accomplished vocalist, but Tanner’s smooth delivery, swinging feel and quality phrasing on every tune makes one wonder what would happen if she devoted her time solely to singing. She is unquestionably a strong trumpet player, but her voice has a quality that is way above average. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for Tanner in the future. She has some great "Promise".

Mike Jeffers, Editor
CHICAGO JAZZ MAGAZINE

- Chicago Jazz Magazine (February, 2009)

JEANNIE TANNER -
PROMISE ME THE MOON

Jeannie Tanner – Vocals, trumpet
Lisa McQueen – Piano
Cory Biggerstaff – Upright bass
Darlene DuFay – Drums
Neal Alger – Guitar
Matt Feddermann – Guitar

For the past few years Jeannie Tanner has been one of the busiest musicians on the Chicago jazz scene. From long running gigs at Marie’s Restaurant and Pete Miller’s to high profile performances at Pheasant Run and the Taste of Chicago, Tanner has been working to perfect the sound of her music.

In her latest release, Promise Me the Moon, Tanner takes on several different roles: that of composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. Strong melodies and catchy lyrics is what many of today’s composers struggle to create. Tanner makes it sound easy throughout the recording.

The first tune on the recording is the title track, “Promise Me the Moon.” The first time listening it sounds like a nice medium tempo tune with some interesting lyrics, however after playing it a few more times I found myself singing the tune the rest of the day. Yes it was annoying to have a tune in my head all day but it goes to show you how catchy and well written the melody was.

Throughout the recording there are surprises: The song “C’est Bon, C’est Bon” is an up-tempo samba that has a nice groove created by bassist Cory Biggerstaff and drummer Darlene DuFay, and is sung by Tanner in French.

One of the highlights of the recording is the track “Can’t Believe that It’s You,” a beautiful song written by pianist Lisa McQueen with lyrics by Jeannie Tanner. This is the type of tune that you could easily hear artists like Jewel or Nora Jones perform on a hit recording. Tanner’s voice lends itself well to this style of music and the simplistic instrumentation of piano, guitar (provided by Neal Alger), bass and light drums create the ideal sound.

There are many other impressive moments on this recording, but the overall highlight is Tanner’s rich voice. Because she is always pictured with her trumpet one doesn’t expect to hear such an accomplished vocalist, but Tanner’s smooth delivery, swinging feel and quality phrasing on every tune makes one wonder what would happen if she devoted her time solely to singing. She is unquestionably a strong trumpet player, but her voice has a quality that is way above average. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for Tanner in the future. She has some great "Promise".

Mike Jeffers, Editor
CHICAGO JAZZ MAGAZINE

- Chicago Jazz Magazine (February, 2009)

Tanner’s Secret Sauce Sizzles
Patrice Elliott-Mace, Freelance Writer

Sultry vocalist, gifted instrumentalist, innovative composer – Jeannie Tanner blends each of these roles together like a tasty recipe simmering in its own signature sauce.

J-Pop (Jazz-Pop) is Tanner’s own signature blend of Jazz, Pop, R&B, Blues, and Latin rhythms. This fresh and lively styling permeates Tanner’s mesmerizing performances, as she projects the full range of human emotion punctuated with love, loss and feel-good lyrics.

These varied roles were most evident at her latest CD recording of, Promise Me The Moon. I witnessed a musical collaboration seasoned with creativity, skill, and technology. Tanner’s persona at the recording session is similar to her on-stage persona which is warm and engaging.

At the same time she leverages the collective strength of the musicians in her ensemble while allowing the music to find its own path of expression in each track.

Promise Me The Moon, will transport listeners back to the romantic times of the 1930’s and 40’s. This CD is chocked-full of Tanner originals plus a couple of jazz standards in her first “concept” project.

Jeannie Tanner took time out of a busy schedule to share her thoughts during a recent interview.

Q:What led you to play an instrument during your youth?
A:My whole family is very, musical; everybody plays instruments - cousins, uncles, mom, and dad. I came from sort of a gospel-Pentecostal upbringing in Houston, TX. My aunt played trumpet for the church, I remember seeing her play with the choir for special events and so forth. At my church we actually had a band, a set of drums, bass guitar, upright bass, horns and all kinds of instruments. At a young age, I was very inspired by the church and already writing. I started playing the piano and then the trumpet in sixth grade.

Q:Who were your strongest musical influences when you were a child?
A:Growing up it was really eclectic, as my parents listened to a lot of gospel and we went to a lot of churches where I was very influenced by gospel choirs. I also loved listening to my Dad's records of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. When I got a little older, I started loving the sounds of Earth Wind & Fire and the band Chicago ‘cause of their horn sections. I was very influenced by R&B, especially Aretha Franklin because of her soulfulness. And of course, once I really started getting into jazz, I discovered Miles Davis.


Q:What role did your music teacher play in your musical development?
A:I’d have to say that every single music teacher that I had in grade school, high school and college played a very important role in my musical development. Early on it was to inspire and encourage me to practice. In high school, both of my band directors allowed me to compose two jazz compositions that were preformed with the jazz band on tour and at concerts. As a result, of this experience, I was awarded the John Philip Sousa Award. There were so many talented musicians around me, but I was the only one that composed anything. In college, my professor was Dr. Harold Harmon (who had toured with Doc Severinsen of the Tonight Show). The most important thing that he taught me was to eliminate my elaborate warm-up before a performance. Dr. Harmon felt that when you picked up your horn, you needed to be ready to play. He also coached me to change my embouchure, since I used to play my horn to the side of my mouth. Although I almost had a nervous breakdown, it was the best thing ever, since the majority of your muscles are in the middle of your lip. Till this day, you’ll never hear me play a sound on my horn until I am ready to play my first note. That’s probably the most important point - always be ready to play.

Q:I know you’ve done quite a bit of volunteer work with young people from various backgrounds. Tell me a bit about what role music has played in the lives of these individuals?
A:I was fortunate enough to run the Lathrop Community Music Center from 1996 through 2003 in the Humboldt Park/Logan Square area. The most inspiring thing to me was I had children, teens and adults coming from different neighborhoods and backgrounds. I always encouraged my teachers to find out what kind of music our students liked to listen to - whether it was gospel, jazz, classical, whatever. One of the board members commented that if these students were seen on the street, they would walk on different sides of it. If they were in the park, they’d play different games. Suddenly it transcends all that [differences] -- Music is a healing and universal language. It didn’t matter the background of the student, when you walked through the door, everybody was equal. Many of our students began to excel at school and went on to college.

Q:Who do you listen to for musical inspiration?
A:I listen to all kinds of things: jazz, local artists - Patrice Elliott-Mace, Freelance Writer, Epiphany Communications

Tanner’s Secret Sauce Sizzles
Patrice Elliott-Mace, Freelance Writer

Sultry vocalist, gifted instrumentalist, innovative composer – Jeannie Tanner blends each of these roles together like a tasty recipe simmering in its own signature sauce.

J-Pop (Jazz-Pop) is Tanner’s own signature blend of Jazz, Pop, R&B, Blues, and Latin rhythms. This fresh and lively styling permeates Tanner’s mesmerizing performances, as she projects the full range of human emotion punctuated with love, loss and feel-good lyrics.

These varied roles were most evident at her latest CD recording of, Promise Me The Moon. I witnessed a musical collaboration seasoned with creativity, skill, and technology. Tanner’s persona at the recording session is similar to her on-stage persona which is warm and engaging.

At the same time she leverages the collective strength of the musicians in her ensemble while allowing the music to find its own path of expression in each track.

Promise Me The Moon, will transport listeners back to the romantic times of the 1930’s and 40’s. This CD is chocked-full of Tanner originals plus a couple of jazz standards in her first “concept” project.

Jeannie Tanner took time out of a busy schedule to share her thoughts during a recent interview.

Q:What led you to play an instrument during your youth?
A:My whole family is very, musical; everybody plays instruments - cousins, uncles, mom, and dad. I came from sort of a gospel-Pentecostal upbringing in Houston, TX. My aunt played trumpet for the church, I remember seeing her play with the choir for special events and so forth. At my church we actually had a band, a set of drums, bass guitar, upright bass, horns and all kinds of instruments. At a young age, I was very inspired by the church and already writing. I started playing the piano and then the trumpet in sixth grade.

Q:Who were your strongest musical influences when you were a child?
A:Growing up it was really eclectic, as my parents listened to a lot of gospel and we went to a lot of churches where I was very influenced by gospel choirs. I also loved listening to my Dad's records of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. When I got a little older, I started loving the sounds of Earth Wind & Fire and the band Chicago ‘cause of their horn sections. I was very influenced by R&B, especially Aretha Franklin because of her soulfulness. And of course, once I really started getting into jazz, I discovered Miles Davis.


Q:What role did your music teacher play in your musical development?
A:I’d have to say that every single music teacher that I had in grade school, high school and college played a very important role in my musical development. Early on it was to inspire and encourage me to practice. In high school, both of my band directors allowed me to compose two jazz compositions that were preformed with the jazz band on tour and at concerts. As a result, of this experience, I was awarded the John Philip Sousa Award. There were so many talented musicians around me, but I was the only one that composed anything. In college, my professor was Dr. Harold Harmon (who had toured with Doc Severinsen of the Tonight Show). The most important thing that he taught me was to eliminate my elaborate warm-up before a performance. Dr. Harmon felt that when you picked up your horn, you needed to be ready to play. He also coached me to change my embouchure, since I used to play my horn to the side of my mouth. Although I almost had a nervous breakdown, it was the best thing ever, since the majority of your muscles are in the middle of your lip. Till this day, you’ll never hear me play a sound on my horn until I am ready to play my first note. That’s probably the most important point - always be ready to play.

Q:I know you’ve done quite a bit of volunteer work with young people from various backgrounds. Tell me a bit about what role music has played in the lives of these individuals?
A:I was fortunate enough to run the Lathrop Community Music Center from 1996 through 2003 in the Humboldt Park/Logan Square area. The most inspiring thing to me was I had children, teens and adults coming from different neighborhoods and backgrounds. I always encouraged my teachers to find out what kind of music our students liked to listen to - whether it was gospel, jazz, classical, whatever. One of the board members commented that if these students were seen on the street, they would walk on different sides of it. If they were in the park, they’d play different games. Suddenly it transcends all that [differences] -- Music is a healing and universal language. It didn’t matter the background of the student, when you walked through the door, everybody was equal. Many of our students began to excel at school and went on to college.

Q:Who do you listen to for musical inspiration?
A:I listen to all kinds of things: jazz, local artists - Patrice Elliott-Mace, Freelance Writer, Epiphany Communications