Allison Adams Tucker

Born in San Diego, California, multi-lingual jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker began singing before she could speak. Allison was raised by classically trained musical parents, and began performing in front of audiences at age 5. She studied piano, flute, violin, dance and voice from elementary school and holds a BA in Linguistics / Music Vocal Performance and an AA in Italian. Allison's vocal palette has been colored by her experience in a variety of musical genres throughout her life, from punk rock to Elizabethan a cappella. These experiences led her on a natural transition to the world of jazz in 2005.  Allison's love for languages and world cultures also began at a young age, and she has studied and sings in 6 languages besides her own. She has lived in Japan and Spain and has traveled to over 15 countries. This "wanderlust" is evident in the music she chooses today. Her music reflects her passion for world cultures with rhythms, melodies, and lyrics of Brazil, Italy, France, Latin America, Japan, and the US.  Allison's debut CD "Come With Me" (2008), co-produced by jazz guitarist Peter Sprague and arranged by Kamau Kenyatta, received international acclaim, was nominated for Best Jazz Album 2009 by the San Diego Music Awards, and continues to receive airplay on radio stations in 18 countries. Allison's sophomore CD "April in Paris" (2014), was recorded in Paris on UNESCO's 1st Annual International Jazz Day at the end of a 9-concert tour through Italy & France with international musicians and arrangers from five countries. Arrangers include Kamau Kenyatta, Danny Green, Emmanuel Massarotti, and Jovino Santos Neto.  Allison returned to the studio for her third album project "WANDERlust", this time in New York City under the direction of producer Matt Pierson and including a group of world class musicians: pianist and arranger Josh Nelson, Chris Potter, Scott Colley, Antonio Sánchez, Mike Moreno, Romero Lubambo, Stéphane Wrembel, and Rogério Boccato. WANDERlust journeys into new territory with jazz inspired songs that span countries and genres, with all tracks being recorded in all 6 languages.  As a session artist, Allison's voice can be heard on national commercials and on the soundtrack of the video game "The Saboteur," singing French jazz in the company of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Madeleine Peyroux, & others. This has resulted in a cult following by the typically "non-jazz listening" gamer audience, causing her interpretation of "La Vie En Rose" to become one of the top downloads on iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify worldwide.  As an international artist, Allison has performed in Japan, Europe, Mexico, and the US, including appearances on local and national television, on radio stations, and in festivals and jazz clubs. Allison has shared festival billing and musical collaborations with jazz greats such as Kenny Burrell, Poncho Sanchez, Ivan Lins, Mindy Abair, Pete Escoveda, Sheila E, Tommy Campbell, Gene Jackson, Mirko Guerrini, Toku (Japan Sony Music) and Ken Ota (Japan Universal Jazz), among others.