Sunny Sumter

After hearing Sarah Vaughan on the air at age 9, Washington, D.C. indigenous Sunny Sumter understood that the life span of the jazz vocalist was her long term. After going to Washington’s renowned Duke Ellington SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, she continued to Howard College or university to make a music level. Private research from pianist/composer Geri Allen and drummer/vocalist Grady Tate had been the icing on Sumter’s educational wedding cake. While at Howard, she worked well at local night clubs and in 1992, got a brief tour of European countries. Sumter distributed the stage in the Dominican Republic Jazz Event with David Sanchez, Jason Marsalis, Mimi Fox and Pamela Williams. 1998 was a break through yr. She opened up for Shirley Horn and Dee Dee Bridgewater at D.C.’s Lincoln Theatre, toured Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg), performed at Camelot Jazz Golf club in Tel Aviv with the LaVilla Jazz Golf club in Paris. Time for the united states, Sumter was at Sanford College or university with contemporary trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Sumter was also a visitor on a Wager Jazz Central display hosted by Ramsey Lewis. Sumter’s debut documenting was Learning You and her most recent Sunny, within the Mapleshade label, features an eclectic system of ballads performed and/or made up by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Vacation, and Stevie Question. With affects as disparate as Sarah Vaughan, Phyllis Hyman, and Kate Bush plus a warm, deep and soulful tone of voice, Sumter has all of the musical equipment to become legitimate jazz diva.