{{Short description|American jazz singer and pianist (born 1985)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Champian Fulton | image = Champian Fulton singing.jpg | birth_date = September 12, 1985 | birth_place = Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. | genre = Jazz, swing | occupation = Musician | instrument = Vocals, piano | years_active = 2000–present | website = {{URL|www.champian.net}} }}
'''Champian Fulton''' (born September 12, 1985) is an American jazz singer and pianist.
==Early life and education== thumb|Champian Fulton in red at the TSF Jazz Radio studios, sitting at an upright piano Champian Fulton was born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1985.<ref name="jazzmuseum">{{cite web|title=The Jazz Museum in Harlem|url=http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org/oldsite/archive.php?id=592| website=Jazz Museum in Harlem| accessdate = 16 June 2017}}</ref> Her father, Stephen Fulton, was a jazz trumpeter who was often visited by musician friends such as Clark Terry and Major Holley. At the age of five, she took piano lessons from her grandmother. After trying trumpet and drums, she returned to piano and singing. When her father was hired to run the Clark Terry Institute for Jazz Studies, the family moved to Iowa. She went to jazz summer camp, where she founded the Little Jazz Quintet. One of their performances was Clark Terry's seventy-fifth birthday party.<ref name="Dryden">{{cite web| last1 = Dryden | first1 = Ken | title = Champian Fulton|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/champian-fulton-mn0000983845|website=AllMusic|accessdate=16 June 2017}}</ref>
Fulton graduated from high school in 2003, then attended State University of New York at Purchase, where she studied with trumpeter Jon Faddis.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/2012/10/07/jazz-pianist-champian-fulton-brings-positive-outlook-to-japanalia-2/|title=Champian Fulton At Japanalia|newspaper=Hartford Courant|access-date=25 August 2017}}</ref>
== Career == After graduating, she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a pianist and vocalist.<ref name="jerupost">{{cite web |author= |date=28 January 2015 |title=Playing Dinah's Dues| Champian Fulton Profile, Jan. 2015 |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Playing-Dinahs-dues-389241 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128093324/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Playing-Dinahs-dues-389241 |archivedate=2015-01-28 |accessdate=2016-12-06 |work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref>
===Live performances=== thumb|left|Champian Fulton in a red dress at a grand piano Fulton has performed in New York City venues, including Birdland, Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, the Carlyle Hotel, Cleopatra's Needle, and Shanghai Jazz, New Jersey. At some of those venues she played with Jimmy Cobb, Scott Hamilton (musician), Frank Wess, Lou Donaldson, and Louis Hayes.<ref name=PrevAppear>{{cite web |author= |url= http://www.champian.net/about |title=Previous Appearances List| by Champian Fulton - About |publisher=Champian.net |date= |accessdate=2016-12-06}}</ref><ref name=PastConcerts>{{cite web |author= |url= http://www.champian.net/press |title=Past Concert Venue Posters| by Champian Fulton - Press |publisher=Champian.net |date= |accessdate=2016-12-06}}</ref>
She has performed at jazz festivals and events across the U.S., including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Detroit Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the Chicago Humanities Festival.<ref name="PrevAppear"/><ref name="PastConcerts"/> Internationally, she has performed at jazz clubs, jazz festivals, and other venues, including Ascona Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (Scotland), Sunset-Sunside Jazz Club (France), Bansko International Jazz Festival (Bulgaria), Gouvy Jazz & Blues Festival (Belgium), Jamboree Jazz (Spain), Tanjazz (Morocco), Hot Jazz (Israel), Cellar Jazz (Vancouver, Canada), Yardbird Suite (Edmonton, Canada), JazzTone (Germany), and the Ystad Jazz Festival (Sweden).<ref name="PrevAppear"/><ref name="PastConcerts"/>
She has worked with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Litchfield Jazz Camp,<ref>Litchfield Jazz Camp, Teaching Artist – Champian Fulton [https://web.archive.org/web/20110501132320/http://litchfieldjazzfest.com/jazz-camp/teaching-artists/ljc-line-up/piano/champian-fulton/] Retrieved 2016-12-06</ref>{{cbignore}} and Rutgers University. In late 2015, she joined the faculty of the Jazz Arts Academy (in association with the Count Basie Theatre Education Department) to offer workshops in jazz vocals and jazz piano during the summer.
== Influences == One of her early influences was Dinah Washington, particularly the album ''For Those in Love'', which she played often as a young girl.<ref name="jerupost" /><ref name="Dryden" /> She also admired Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Sonny Clark, Red Garland, Hampton Hawes, Wynton Kelly, Thelonious Monk, and Art Tatum.<ref name="Dryden" />
==Awards and honors== * Rookie of the Year, ''The Village Voice'', 2007<ref name="villagevoice">{{cite web|last1=Davis|first1=Francis|title=Rookies of the Year|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2007/11/27/rookies-of-the-year/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914234219/https://www.villagevoice.com/2007/11/27/rookies-of-the-year/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 14, 2018|website=The Village Voice|accessdate=16 June 2017|date=27 November 2007}}</ref> * Top Ten Jazz Album, ''Champian Sings and Swings'', ''The New York Observer'', 2013<ref name="Kassell">{{cite web|last1=Kassell|first1=Matthew|title=The Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2013|url=http://observer.com/2013/12/the-top-10-jazz-albums-of-2013/|website=Observer|accessdate=23 April 2017|date=20 December 2013}}</ref> * Rising Star – Female Vocalist, Critics' Poll, ''Down Beat'' magazine, 2014<ref name="poll">{{cite web|title=Rising Star – Female Vocalist – 62nd Annual Critics' Poll|url=http://www.downbeat.com/digitaledition/2014/DB1408/_art/DB1408.pdf|website=Down Beat|accessdate=16 June 2017|page=67|date=August 2014}}</ref> * Female Vocalist of the Year, Hot House Jazz Fan Decision Awards, 2017 <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/new-jersey/article/Hot-House-Jazz-Fans-Decision-Award-Winners-Presented-In-Concert-Thursday-1214-20171204|title=Hot House Jazz Fans Decision Award Winners presented In Concert, Thursday, 12/14|author=BWW News Desk|work=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=2018-01-16|language=en}}</ref> *Female Vocalist of the Year, NYC Readers Awards sponsored by Hot House Jazz Magazine & JazzMobile, 2019 <ref name="Desk">{{Cite news|url=https://lydialiebman.com/index.php/2019/12/05/hot-house-magazine-and-jazzmobile-celebrate-a-night-with-the-stars-at-the-new-york-city-readers-jazz-awards-at-the-historic-birdland-jazz-club/|title=Hot House Magazine and Jazzmobile Celebrate A Night With the Stars At the New York City Readers Jazz Awards at the Historic Birdland Jazz Club|work=LydiaLiebman.com|language=en}}</ref> *Pianist of the Year, NYC Readers Awards sponsored by Hot House Jazz Magazine & JazzMobile, 2019 <ref name="Desk"/> * Performs in the Emmy Nominated show, "Take Me Back to Manhattan" (produced by Jazz at the Ballroom and filmed at the Carlyle Hotel), NY Emmy Awards 2022 {{citation needed|date=September 2022}} *''At Home'' nominated for Jazz Heritage Album of the Year, 2025, by the Academie du Jazz Prix
==Discography== ===As leader=== * ''Champian'' (Such Sweet Thunder, 2007) * ''Sometimes I'm Happy'' (Venus, 2008) * ''The Breeze and I'' (Gut String, 2011) * ''Champian Sings and Swings'' (Sharp Nine, 2012) * ''Change Partners: Live at the Yardbird Suite'' (Cellar Live, 2014) * ''After Dark'' (Gut String, 2016)<ref name="Blanco">{{cite web|last1=Blanco|first1=Edward|title=Champian Fulton: After Dark|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/after-dark-champian-fulton-gut-string-records-review-by-edward-blanco.php|website=All About Jazz|accessdate=23 April 2017|date=20 March 2016}}</ref> * ''Speechless'' (Posi-Tone, 2017) * ''Christmas with Champian'' (Champian, 2017)<ref name="DM1">{{cite web |last1=McClenaghan |first1=Dan |title=Champian Fulton: Christmas With Champian |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/christmas-with-champian-champian-fulton-self-produced-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php |website=All About Jazz |accessdate=15 July 2019 |date=19 October 2017}}</ref> * ''The Things We Did Last Summer'' with Scott Hamilton (Blau, 2017) * ''The Stylings of Champian'' (Champian, 2018)<ref name="DM2">{{cite web |last1=McClenaghan |first1=Dan |title=Champian Fulton: The Stylings Of Champian |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-stylings-of-champian-champian-fulton-champian-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php |website=All About Jazz |accessdate=15 July 2019 |date=30 October 2018}}</ref> * ''Dream a Little...'' (Cellar Live, 2019)<ref name="DM3">{{cite web | last1=Gilbert|first1=Andrew |title=Champian Fulton & Cory Weeds Dream a Little|url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/champian-fulton-cory-weeds-dream-a-little-cellar-live/|website=JazzTimes |accessdate=7 November 2019 |date=7 November 2019}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nycjazzrecord.com/issues/tnycjr202002.pdf Champian Fulton/Cory Weeds, ''Dream A Little...'']. Review by Alex Henderson, ''NYCJR'', February 2020, Issue 214, page 25 - retrieved 10 February 2020.</ref> * ''Birdsong'' (Champian, 2020)<ref name="Birdsong">{{cite web|last1=Perez-Fox|first1=Scott|title=Birdsong|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG6VC8eX8AQ|website=YouTube, Champian Fulton "Live from Lockdown Fathers Day June 21, 2020"|accessdate=22 June 2020|date=21 June 2020}}</ref> * ''I'll See You in My Dreams'' (Venus, 2021) * ''Live from Lockdown'' (Champian, 2021) * ''Blue and Sentimental''(Venus, 2022) * ''Meet Me at Birdland'' (Champian, 2023)<ref name="Enos">{{cite web|last1=Enos|first1=Morgan|title=Champian Fulton: Meet Me at Birdland|url=https://londonjazznews.com/2023/04/10/mondays-with-morgan-pianist-vocalist-champian-fulton-new-album-meet-me-at-birdland/|website=London Jazz News|accessdate=10 April 2023|date=7 August 2023}}</ref> * ''Cory Weeds Meets Champian Fulton: Every Now & Then'' (Cellar Live 2024) * ''Flying High'' (Jazz at the Ballroom, 2024) * ''At Home'' (Turtle Bay Records, 2025) *''Flying High: Still Soaring''(Jazz at the Ballroom, 2026) *''House Party'' (Turtle Bay Records, 2026)
===As guest=== * ''An Upper West Side Story'', Tobias Gebb & Trio West with Champian Fulton (Yummyhouse, 2008)<ref name="Wilkins">{{cite web|last1=Wilkins|first1=Woodrow|title=Tobias Gebb & Trio West: An Upper West Side Story|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/an-upper-west-side-story-trio-west-yummyhouse-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php|website=All About Jazz|accessdate=23 April 2017 |language=en |date=13 June 2008}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|35em}}
==External links== *{{official|www.champian.net/ Official website}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Champian}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:American women jazz singers Category:American jazz singers Category:American jazz pianists Category:Musicians from Norman, Oklahoma Category:Posi-Tone Records artists Category:Singers from Oklahoma Category:Purchase College alumni Category:Jazz musicians from New York (state) Category:21st-century American women singers Category:Jazz musicians from Oklahoma Category:21st-century American women pianists Category:21st-century American pianists Category:21st-century American singers