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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 9 January 2019

Tia Fuller, fierce woman in jazz, takes shot at 1st Grammy

By MESFIN FEKADU sometimes racism — some-
Associated Press times a combination of
NEW YORK (AP) — Saxo- both.”
phonist Tia Fuller was crying She recalls coming to New
in bed. And praising God. York in the early 2000s to
She’d just received the build buzz as a performer,
news that she was nomi- going from jazz club to jazz
nated for her first-ever club to share her music and
Grammy Award — but it’s sound with listeners. “There
not just any nomination: was a long line of people,
Her inclusion in the best jazz of course I’m the only wom-
instrumental album cat- an up there, so I go onstage
egory is a historic moment and I’m about to play and
for women because they somebody just cuts me off
have rarely been nominat- and starts playing. That was
ed for the coveted award like my first year. That was
throughout the Grammys’ the first and last time that
61-year history. happened.”
And if Fuller wins, she be- She’s also faced people
comes just the second assuming she’s dating a
women to take home the successful musician to jus-
prize. tify her seat at the table, or
“I feel really blessed. Any- “even club owners trying to
time I think extensively hit on you, not taking you
about being in the cate- as serious.”
gory and (anything) Gram- But Fuller has preserved,
my-wise, I start tearing up,” and she’s using her role as
said Fuller, this time smiling a teacher to help change
ear-to-ear with light tears the narrative in jazz, and in
of joy in her eyes. “It’s really music.
a dream come true. I’m This Jan. 6, 2019 photo shows saxophonist Tia Fuller posing in Piscataway, N.J. Fuller, who teaches “I was directing a band
realizing that dreams can at Berklee College of Music and famously toured with Beyonce as part of her all-female band, is full of young men. I’m like,
become reality and every- nominated for her first Grammy in the best instrumental jazz album category. ‘What is your job and what
thing is tangible.” Associated Press is your role in this whole
Her nominated album, “Di- “I feel like this record is reason why that I ended up since, and doesn’t plan on thing?’ You can’t just sit
amond Cut,” is a smooth showing her growth and not going back is because slowing down. She wants back passively,” she said.
and striking collection that her evolution,” Carrington I realized that it was time to be a voice for women in “Accountability to me is
has brought the skilled per- said. “If nothing else, I be- for me to move on.” Fuller’s jazz, especially instrumen- key for not only women to
former, who once played lieve that she’s really moti- decision was very Beyonce- talists, who don’t get as hold men accountable,
with Ray Charles during vated to keep pushing her- like: “She’s always pressing much as credit as the men. but for men to hold their
her college years and self and keep evolving into forward. Always growing. “I’m representative of all of brothers accountable.”
toured with Beyonce, to all that she can be.” Always evolving. ...I sat these women out here that In 2017, along with Car-
the next level. The album, “Diamond Cut” is Fuller’s back and I just watched are grinding. Terri (Lyne rington and 12 other fe-
her fifth, was produced by first album in six years. She’s how she would never take Carrington) served as that male artists, Fuller devel-
another woman making been busy as a professor ‘no’ for an answer. She for me prior to me even oped We Have Voice, a
critical waves in jazz, Terri at the prestigious Berklee would always find a ‘yes.’ knowing who she was. See- collective that has created
Lyne Carrington. The drum- College of Music since And that’s something that ing her on Arsenio Hall’s a code of conduct that
mer, who came to national 2013, and that decision to now, I’ve incorporated into show, and then of course performing arts venues, jazz
prominence decades ago move to Boston to fulfill a me being a leader, a band hearing her name on the festivals, schools and others
in “The Arsenio Hall Show” lifetime dream came at a leader, a businesswoman, scene, watching her on dif- have adopted. The goal,
band, became the first fe- crossroads: In the same 24- a professor at Berklee, all of ferent TV shows. That was she said, is “to bring the
male to win best jazz instru- hour period that Fuller was that.” an unspoken, internal nar- level of consciousness up.”
mental album at the 2014 offered the teaching posi- The 42-year-old, who was rative that spoke to me, “I think slowly but surely
Grammys. tion, Beyonce asked Fuller born and raised in Aurora, ‘She’s doing it, you can we’re doing the work and
Carrington describes the to perform again with the Colorado, has followed in do it,’” she said. “For me, I there is some shift happen-
win as bittersweet because band. the footsteps of her parents, don’t think it’s necessarily a ing,” she said. “I especially
of the “many great fe- “That was the year I think who are also musicians and historical thing, but hope- see it with my students and
male instrumentalists that they were doing the Super educators. Fuller first started fully I’m a beacon of light the younger generation.
weren’t nominated ever, Bowl and she was going playing the piano at three, for not only other women, That’s something that’s
so that was really disheart- back out on tour,” recalled then moved on to the flute. but men, too. And also near and dear to my heart.
ening.” Fuller, who performed with But once her grandfather changing this inadvertent I’m seeing the pain, psy-
“It just shows that there’s Beyonce from 2006 to 2010. handed her a saxophone, narrative, the male, patriar- chological, physical, emo-
a lot of work to do when it “While I was on tour with her she was hooked. chal perspective in the jazz tional pain that it’s caused
comes to gender equity in something came over me “I was in the upper level of world, actually in the musi- with women and some-
jazz and the music industry and spoke, ‘You have to my parent’s house, like the cal world. (Women) have times men, too.”
in general,” she added. move in faith and not fear. loft. I just remember how it always had just as much And in between the teach-
It’s one of the reasons Don’t be afraid of what reverberated throughout influence over the music.” ing and playing — she’s
Carrington, a three-time may not happen, or get at- the house. I was like, ‘Oh Her career — and success also busy dress shopping for
Grammy winner, is excited tached to the artificial re- this is way better than flute, — has not come without her big day at the Gram-
for Fuller’s success and has sult of, ‘I’m playing with Be- I can be loud.’” challenges: “I’ve dealt with mys, taking place Feb. 10 in
been a mentor to the artist. yonce,’” she said. “So the Fuller has making noise ever sexism, inadvertent sexism, Los Angeles.q