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"After a long waiting period, these two musical partners have finally released their 1999 session recorded in concert at a small club in Eeklo, Belgium. It features Candye Kane's robust voice out front, with Sue Palmer's rhythmic boogie-woogie piano alongside, as th interpret memorable blues, torch songs, and several original pieces. Both artists are in top form here as they rollick and pay homage to the women in history who sang jazz, gospel, and blues, in "a man's world" many decades ago: songs associated with Julia Lee, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, and others.
Kane sings "Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer" with its built-in innuendo about a woman's perspective in a juke joint, "Don't Cry Sister" with its blues lament aimed at women who've got man trouble (actually this song is about a robbery), and "The Lady is a Tramp," with its tongue in cheek message about respect. Palmer rattles the piano's keyboard hard and maintains a focused drive throughout. Together, they insure that each selection carries not only a historical blues perspective, but also a rhythmic flow that drives the stories home. Kane and Palmer show an intuitive sense that makes the program roll seamlessly from start to finish."
--Southland Blues Magazine, January 2012, by Jim Santella
Highlights of August include Trolley Barn Park Concert, San Diego Music Awards performance,
and Candye Kane's play, "Toughest Girl Alive" at the Fringe Fest in NYC
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
bluesrevue.com/2011/10/candye-kane-sue-palmer-one-night-in-belgium-10-7-11
Sue Palmer is San Diego’s Queen of Boogie Woogie piano. She was previously a member of Candye Kane‘s band when they were still called the Swingin’ Armadillos and she appears on four of Kane’s albums including Diva La Grande and 1998’s Swango. Palmer also has seven albums in her own name, including last year’s Honky Tonk Rockabilly Blues by Sue Palmer with The Hayriders. In 2010 Kane and Palmer we’re re-united as Palmer was hired to be musical director of The Toughest Girl Alive, Kane’s autobiographical play that was recently part of New York City’s Fringe Festival.
There is a certain simpatico that exists when Kane and Palmer are on stage together. Such was the case back in 1999 when Kane and Palmer appeared One Night in Belgium. Kane is an enormously talented vocalist whose set, primarily of covers, includes Bessie Smith’s “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer”; two songs from Billie Holiday, including “Lover Man”; Rodgers and Hart‘s “The Lady is a Tramp”; Etta James’ “Only Time Will Tell”; Julie London’s “Cry Me a River”; Doc Pomus’ “Boogie Woogie Country Girl”; and, The Mamas & Papas‘ “Dream A Little Dream.” The remainder of the song selection is just as interesting. Throughout this intimate 44-minute set Palmer’s left hand performs miracles.
Kane’s brand new studio album on Delta Groove Records is Sister Vagabond. Co-produced with her guitarist Laura Chavez that album is receiving significant attention and airplay. Also just released is this older live set which recently received a San Diego Music Award nomination as Best Jazz Album of 2011. For another intimate look at Kane’s vocal talents One Night in Belgium is highly recommended.
Richard Ludmerer is a contributing editor at BluesWax.
Candye Kane & Sue Palmer's telepathic musical rapport
When Candye Kane and Sue
Palmer perform Saturday night at the Marble Room downtown and Monday
night at the 21st annual San Diego Music Awards at
Humphrey’s, they’ll be continuing a vibrant musical partnership that is now in
its 20th year.
Kane, a boisterous, sometimes bawdy singer, with a big voice and an even bigger heart, first began playing with ace pianist Palmer in 1991 at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Their near-telepathic musical rapport was immediately apparent, fueled by their shared passion for blues, boogie-woogie, swing, jump-blues and other earthy American music styles.
You can savor that rapport on the recently released “One Night in Belgium,” an intimate live duo album Kane and Palmer recorded in 1999 in Eeklo, Belgium. Due out Aug. 16 is Kane’s blues-drenched “Sister Vagabond,” a full band (plus musical guests) collection that is one of the strongest in her rock-solid discography.
Later this month, Kane, Palmer, guitarist Laura Chavez, Kane’s rhythm section and two actors head east for the 14th annual New York International Fringe Festival. From Aug. 12-28, they’ll in residence at Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge, performing “The Toughest Girl Alive!” A musical based on Kane’s eye-popping, soul-trying life, “Alive! debuted here in January at Moxie Theatre, where it played a sold-out run. (She is still seeking donations on her web site to help fund the trip.)
If Kane is diminished, three years after undergoing extensive medical treatment for pancreatic cancer, it’s hard to tell (even though her battle against cancer remains an ongoing one). This 10-time San Diego Music Award-winner is a fighter, if not the toughest girl alive, and she’s also doing a free, all-ages Concerts on the Green show Sunday at Pacific Beach’s Kate Sessions Park (info: pbconcerts.org).
Palmer last year released an enchanting solo piano album, “After Hours,” and continues to lead her rollicking Motel Swing Orchestra. The four-woman, three-man group performs a free, all-ages show Friday night at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights (info: normalheights.org/parks/trolleybarnpark/).
--SignOnSanDiego.com, August 2011, by George Varga
Candye Kane & Sue Palmer: One Night in Belgium
With a voice the size of the Louisiana Purchase, Candye Kane has belted out hard-driving jump blues for the last 20 plus years. She has also surrounded herself with some of the best blues and jazz musicians to be found in San Diego. Among the side personnel for her performances and recordings has been Sue Palmer, who has so often served up her signature barrelhouse boogie-woogie piano in Kane's ensembles – while decked out in a stratospheric beehive and ever-so-cool cheap shades – that she can be thought of as a mainstay of Kane's music.
Besides performing locally, their music has taken Kane and Palmer on tours across the country as well as overseas. From a recording made at a European concert in 1999, in which Kane and Palmer perform as a duo, the two women have released the disk One Night in Belgium. Nominated for best jazz album for this year's San Diego Music Awards, this CD will certainly please any fan of Kane or Palmer.
By the time this recording was made, the two women had been performing together for at least a decade, and the melding of their talents and comfort with each other is apparent throughout the disk. The singing and playing is solid and assured. Kane's powerful voice is well-suited to having an entire ensemble, with the amplifiers cranked, backing her up. Palmer nonetheless keeps the piano playing up on forté for the hard-driving tunes, comping the singer with some barreling riffs and licks.
Besides the blues, the disk contains swing, old jazz standards, and ballads. Kane and Palmer revisit such chestnuts as "Dream a Little Dream" and "The Lady Is a Tramp." A few tunes are played for laughs. "Dragnet for Jesus" in particular brings out the LOLs. The variety keeps the disk fresh from tune to tune, and both women prove adept at switching gears into these other genres.
--SanDiegoTroubadour.com, August 2011, by Paul Hormick
Mark it up to a higher power that Candye Kane and Sue Palmer found each other. This live recording from a rainy night in Eeklo, Belgium, reveals the undeniable truth that the sum of Candye and Sue is greater than its two parts. They have almost telepathic communication skills that come not from practice, but from listening and respecting each other.
Here, they ease through standards such as "The Lady is a Tramp," "Cry Me a River," and "Dream a Little Dream," but they also throwdown on the honky tonker "I Left My Heart In Texas," which seems like it should havg4e been inn some western movie bar scene with Handsome cowboys swooning over Candye.
There's some barrelhouse here on "Don't Cry Sister," and boogie-woogie on "Boogie Woogie Country Girl," but the style of music doesn't seem to matter. Candye and Sue have a special relationship that allows top-shelf display of their sterling talents.
This is wonderful collaboration, a singer who has such purity in her voice and a pianist whose musical vocabulary can summon just the proper tone, touch and nuance to accent the singer. Partnerships don't come any better than this. Michael Kinsman, Blue Ink, August, 2011
--Blue Ink, August 2011, by Michael Kinsman
Sue Palmer - "San Diego’s Queen of Boogie Woogie"
Thirty years in the music industry is a long time for any performer, particularly for blues artists and especially for women blues performers. For Sue Palmer, the “Queen of Boogie Woogie,” it’s been a star-studded blues career with many rewards and awards. The swing, blues and boogie-woogie piano player has toured the world and played music festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe as the pianist for blues diva Candye Kane. But it’s her solo and band recording as Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra that have generated the most awards. Her fourth release, Sophisticated Lady won an International Blues Challenge Award for “Best Self Produced CD” in 2008, her third release, Live at Dizzy’s won “Best Blues Album 2002/2003 and her solo piano album, Sue Palmer After Hours won “Best Blues Album 2010” from the San Diego Music Awards.
The San Diego native even had a day named for her by the San Diego City Council: March 25th, 2008 was officially declared “Sue Palmer Day” for her many years of cultural contributions playing the city’s festivals, clubs and celebrations. Following her most recent award in 2010, Sue received the “Jim Croce Music Award” for excellence and dedication to music from the late recording artist’s widow, Ingrid Croce, owner of San Diego’s jazz/blues club Croce’s Bar and Restaurant.
“They call me the ‘Queen of Boogie Woogie’” says Sue, speaking about her career. “As far as the future, I’d like to take that title as far as I can.”
Sue got started in music early. She was born into a musical family which encouraged her to express herself through music. Her early role models were her musical aunts: a saxophonist and piano player and her mother who played percussion. Says Sue, “It was kind of required to participate musically; that’s what we did when we got together.”
Later, her role models included swinging blues and boogie woogie recording artists Hadda Brooks, Julia Lee, and Camille Howard along with Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
After graduating high school, she became politically active in the Women’s Movement where she was able to showcase her talents playing at local meetings and events. Playing in small venues allowed her to develop her own style and exposed her to many other talented performers who mentored her along the way.
Sue’s first professional band was in Tobacco Road, a band she formed with well known jazz and swing bass player Preston Coleman. Over the next 15 years, the band played regular gigs at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. Of Coleman she says, “Working with Preston was like going to college to learn my craft. He was the real thing – a man who was a fantastic performer and arranger and was kind and generous with us.”
While fronting Tobacco Road, Sue met Candye Kane and soon after the two began collaborating on music. Later, Sue was invited to join Kane’s band as piano player which led to world tours through the ‘90s playing club dates and festivals in Canada, Australia, France, Holland, the Netherlands and United States.
Sue was known, during these years, for her memorable get-up:
a two foot high beehive hairdo, retro shades and piles of rings and bracelets
that jangled as she played her lightening fast keyboard. Their act was so popular, the band averaged
250 dates per year. While it was an
exhilarating experience for her as a musician, it was also very draining so in
1999, Sue decided to leave the band.
“It was hard to be away from friends and significant others,” she recalled, “especially because we didn’t have Internet and it was really expensive making phone calls. Eventually, I quit because I was just tired of being on the road so much.”
Back in San Diego Sue launched her own band in 2000, “Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra” and over the past decade has performed regularly at Croce’s in San Diego as well as the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the Glendale Kiwanis Jazz Festival, the Mammoth Jazz Festival, the Ocean Beach Jazz Festival and the Adams Avenue Street Fair to rave reviews.
In addition, she has collaborated with a number of recording artists. She’s featured on Tom Waits’ compilation, New Coat of Paint (Manifesto Records, 2000), Earl Thomas’ The Elector Studio Sessions (2000), Michele Lundeen’s self produced, Song Inside Me (2004), produced and contributed to Dayna Carroll’s CD Yesterday, Today, Forever (2008), and produced the late, award-winning songwriter Janell Rock’s CD, Janell Rock, Performer. She’s also appeared on stage or recorded with Lou Ann Barton, Sue Foley, Kim Wilson, Walter Wolfman Washington and Marcia Ball, to name a few.
In addition to writing new music for her five, independent releases, Sue has continued to write and perform with Candye Kane. Her latest role is as musical director for Kane’s new biographical music show, Toughest Girl Alive, for which she wrote “Highway of Tears,” one of the featured songs. Based on Kane’s life’s experiences, the show features music, multimedia and gorgeous set design highlighting Kane’s colorful memoirs. The show opened in January and runs until February 6, 2011 at the Moxie Theater in San Diego.
Sue has also performed as part of the show “Queens of Boogie Woogie” with piano players/singers Lisa Otey, Dona Oxford and Wendy Dewitt at Berkeley, CA’s Freight & Salvage and the 2010 Ocean Beach Jazz Festival. But the most special show was in 2002 with the late, original Queen of Boogie Woogie, singer-songwriter-pianist Hadda Brooks who died later that year. Sue will again join the Queens of Boogie Woogie for a show at Yoshi’s in Oakland on April 25, 2011.
For the present, Sue enjoys her role as band leader with Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra. The band’s lineup includes lead singer Deejha Marie, trombone player April West, drummer Sharon Shufelt, guitarist Steve Wilcox, sax player Jonny Viau and bass player Pete Harrison, with Sue on piano and accordion.
--SouthlandBlues.com, February 2011, by Pat Kramer
SUE PALMER, "After Hours"
With nearly four decades of professional experience behind her, San Diego-based pianist Sue Palmer has always been the consummate ensemble player who held down a featured role for a decade in the band of blues diva Candye Kane and led her own band, Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra. But Lately, Palmer has been feeling the effects of a stop-and-go economy and, after years of keeping a seven-piece band working several nights a week, she's resorted to some solo work to keep her calendar filled.
Music aficionado/arts patron/sound engineer Hiro Ikezi invited Palmer into his sprawling estate in the exclusive Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood of San Diego and put her to work on his Bosendorfer grand piano. So here is the unmasked Palmer, sitting alone at the piano with no one to share the spotlight with.
The results are at once intoxicating and illuminating. Palmer digs deep into her repertoire for songs that not only fit her style, but also expand it a bit, pulling songs from as far back as the 1920s to complement her own five originals here.
Palmer struts on Avery Parrish's "After Hours," Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose," Lovie Austin's "Frog Tongue Stomp," Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose Boogie," the Gershwin Brother's "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and Sidney Bechet's "I'm Speaking My Mind." Clearly, these performances show off a broader range that we haven't often given the boogie woogie maven credit for.
Yet, by mixing those songs along with her own compositions such as "Boogie Noir," "Room Service Boogie," and "Domino Boogie," Palmer easily keeps the interest of listeners through all 13 instrumentals.
Perhaps the most interesting song here is the combination of Joe Sullivan's runaway train epic "Little Rock Getaway" with Palmer's "Ferraday Breakdown," turning a rollicking piano number into a tribute to the original piano pumper, Jerry Lee Lewis. You know wherever they are, jazz, blues, and rock piano players are smiling at the full-throttle sounds coming from Palmer's keyboards
--Blues Revue, September 2010, by Michael Kinsman
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Sue (Palmer with Hal Smith's Hayriders,) called the "Queen of Boogie Woogie," is the only female in the lineup (Sacramento Jazz Festival/Pianorama). A high energy performer, she easily matches the men in skill, experience, and knowledge as well as in versatility and personality. This multitalented pianist/accordianist/bandleader/producer can blaze away not just on boogie but also, on blues, jazz, swing, country, and just about any genre you can name. She's performed in the US, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia.
Sue plays with such style, energy, and fun that she seems to put the room in motion. You sure can't miss the beat when she plays Freddie Slack's Down the Road Apiece or her version of Fats Waller's Honeysuckle Rose. Next up is her original Sashimi Mimi, a takeoff on Fujiyama Mama. She's wearing a couple pounds of big cocktail rings on each hand, and their reflections sparkle against the piano's fallboard.
Her most elegant number is Avery Parrish's After Hours, delivered with such ease that many onlookers don't realize how difficult it is to play. She wraps up her 20 minutes with a medley of Little Rock Getaway by Joe Sullivan and her own Ferraday Breakdown. Sue hasn't stopped smiling the whole time! .....by
--The American Rag, July 2010, by Dr. Rosemary Hallum
Gal Band
Sue Palmer Takes a Look at Musical and Family History
"St. Louis Woman.....with all her diamond rings......"
Some of my earliest memories are of hearing strains
of W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" being played
by my mother's very musical family: my Aunt Arlene blowing
alto sax, Auntie Sallie's smoky voice, and Aunt Toot
playing the sexy blues on piano. I was lucky enough
to have cool musical role models to grow up with. Unfortunately,
they all died over 20 years ago and the memories ended.
Or so I thought.
Last year, being a band leader myself now,
Jerrie now
Jerrie 1945
I added a very gifted sax player
from L.A., Carol Chaiken, to one of my shows at Dizzy's.
To make a long story short, she introduced me to a wonderful
woman who had toured for years with my aunts. She's
90 years old and still playing drums and singing at
the famed El Cid Restaurant in the Silverlake area of
L.A., where she has been a fixture for years. She has
a wonderful memory and filled in lots of the blanks
about my aunts' lives. Her name is Jerrie Thill.
Born in Dubuque Iowa in 1917, Jerrie Thill began making
her living as a performing artist, singing, dancing,
and playing her drums in the Chicago area, at the age
of 18. She was the leader of an all-girl swing band
that toured on the Pantages and Gus Sun Times Circuits
during the tail end of the vaudeville era throughout
the mid to late 1930's. West coast tours with the Ada
Leonard All-Girl Orchestra and the Biltmore Girls during
the 50's places her among the ranks of women instrumentalists
who have contributed to jazz and blues for more than
half a century. Twenty years with Peggy Gilbert's Dixie
Bells, women musicians in their 60's to 80's, included
guest appearances on a number of television shows including
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Golden Girls, Married
with Children, and Trapper John.
My aunt, Arlene Turner, also played with Ada Leonard.
Both my aunt and her girlfriend, Sallie Davis, were
integral members of the Biltmore Girls. While my aunts
retired from the music business in the
'60's, Jerrie has continued until the present. Auntie
Sallie
Arlene offered Jerrie her first job in Hollywood at
Mickey Cohen's Continental Club. She says if they wanted
to work elsewhere, they had to ask his permission first!!!
That was the beginning of the Biltmore Girls and several
years of touring work. She has fun stories that fill
in lots of gaps that my family never told me, and probably
didn't know either. It is an interesting cultural phenomena
of life on the road, as a musician, as a woman, and
as gay women. Jerrie's experiences weren't so different
from mine, 50 years later. They were hipsters of the
'40's and '50's, playing music, partying, and having
a creative and rewarding life.
Check out Jerrie's website: www.jerriethill.com
and find out where she's playing next. Maybe you'll
hear "St. Louis Woman, with all her store-bought
hair.........."
~ Sue Palmer
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/14/event-celebrates-life-after-cancer/
LA JOLLA — In a way, the cancer survivors celebration Sunday at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla served as an unofficial graduation ceremony for Mary Ann MacMillan.
MacMillan, a former real estate agent from Cardiff, is wrapping up a year of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to treat tongue cancer.
Now she has started thinking more about life after her disease.
“I believe your life doesn’t end because of cancer,” said MacMillan, 67.
That sentiment was shared by many of the 200 people who attended the midday event that marked the 23rd annual national Cancer Survivors Day.
Among the cancer survivors was San Diego boogie-woogie and blues pianist Sue Palmer, who was treated for breast cancer eight years ago. Palmer talked about her journey during a 20-minute musical performance.
“I used to think that I just wanted to make money and play,” Palmer said. “Now, I really appreciate the musical moment.”
Battling cancer can be one of the most challenging experiences of any person’s life, but the difficulties don’t necessarily end when the disease disappears.
Many former cancer patients deal with depression and other psychological issues that resemble post-traumatic stress disorder. The toxic treatments they undergo while being ill can lead to a wide range of physical problems later in life, such as damaged nerves, a diminished sex life, heart problems and a risk of developing other cancers.
The event put on by Scripps Green could get more crowded in the coming years.
More people are likely to get cancer in the future as the population ages and advances in the treatment of heart disease extends life spans, said Dr. Michael Kosty, medical director of the cancer center at Scripps Green.
Cancer surpassed heart disease in 2009 to become the No. 1 killer in San Diego County, and the same switch is likely on the national and international level.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 11,750 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year in the county and as many as two-thirds of them will survive their illnesses, based on the latest cancer mortality rates.
Nationally, more than 11 million people have survived cancer, representing nearly 4 percent of the U.S. population.
Many cancer patients display an uncanny ability to deal with their difficulties and nurture the most important things in their lives, Scripps Clinic oncologist Dr. Darren Sigal told the crowd that gathered for the local event.
“Every day I am focused on valuing life, people and relationships,” Sigal said. “These are the things that people outside this sphere easily lose sight of.”
Cathy Garvey, a Scripps dietitian, said cancer survivors can increase their post-illness years by adopting a healthy diet that can help minimize inflammation, which has been tied to a higher risk of developing certain cancers and other diseases.
“As survivors, sometimes we overlook those day-to-day opportunities to keep healthy,” Garvey said.
When preparing a plate of food, make sure two-thirds consist of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans, she said.
Eat less red meat, avoid processed meats altogether, cut down on sugary drinks, toss out foods containing trans fats, snack on nuts and exercise at least 30 minutes a day, Garvey said.
“Is this food going to help my body or is it going to promote disease?” she told attendees to ask themselves.
Palmer told the gathering that playing piano offered solace during and after her cancer surgery and treatments.
The illness helped her focus on the things that meant the most to her.
Palmer worked with her doctors to relieve numbness in her fingers that was caused by some of the treatments, and several local music club owners such as Ingrid Croce scheduled her gigs around chemotherapy sessions.
“It’s nice to have a passion to go back to when you don’t know what is going to happen,” Palmer said.
MacMillan, the tongue cancer patient who attended the celebration with her daughter, called Palmer’s message inspiring.
“The more we can hear that, the more we can make our spirit uplifted,” she said.
--San Diego Union Tribune, June 2010, by Keith Darcé
"Killer Tiki Boogie," from in the Green Room
written by Sue in 2002 when she was undergoing chemo and President Bush was contemplating going to war with Iraq.
(2) SAN DIEGANS INVITED TO CELEBRATE CANCER SURVIVOR'S DAY
"Sue Palmer, a cancer survivor, says her job is to have fun."
--Sue Palmer-Queen of boogie woogie to perform, The Presidio Sentinel, June, 2010
SUE
PALMER, "After Hours"
Good boogie woogie piano is a force to be reckoned with, and San Diego's Sue
Plamer has played it in her own Motel Swing Orchestra, with numerous other top
blues artists including Lou Ann Barton, Kim Wilson, Dave Alvin, and Earl
Thomas, and as a member of local singer Candye Kane's band for years. She
has released six previous albums with her own band of blues and boogie music,
which feature her energetic playing in a group setting. "After
Hours," her new album offers a different approach: it is solo piano,
and Palmer plays much of it straight up, boogie woogie style. She
recorded this music on 2 evenings in late 2009 in the living room of local
recording engineer Hiro Ikezi. The home recording is okay
throughout; there is noise, but also a kind of "live one take"
vibe that actually helps the project work.
Things start off with the title tune, a standard that Palmer slows down a bit as she relishes each verse's opportunities to make forays up and down the scales. "Down the Road Apiece" bumps up the beat to full boogie level, as Palmer's left hand becomes a rapid heartbeat of bass lines and she displays an ease with one lyrical phrase after another with the right hand. On "Boogie Noir" some of the deep bass notes on the grand piano swallow one another up. "Speakin' My Mind" is more of a straight blues piece than much of the material here, as the minor chords and melodies strike a departure from songs like "Room Service Boogie." "Frog Tongue Stomp" is a 1920's tune with a ragtime feel, played with flair. A definite standout is "Honeysuckle Rose Boogie," witih Palmer propelling the familiar jazz classic with the full boogie treatment and sounding like two pianos instead of one.
Palmer has a very complete blues keyboard vocabulary, and one of the big pluses of a solo piano disc is the opportunity to hear plenty of the classic riffs; she has them all down pat and in some ways this is a great boogie piano primer for fans of the style. One of the limitations of the approach is the lack of any other musical focus on a disc where much of the music is similar. While this puts a lot of pressure on Palmer's creative ability, she does a good job of capturing the individual songs and keeps things interesting.
"Lil Rock Getaway/Ferraday Breakdown" is another great track, an example of Palmer filling the room with sound, briskly following a jazzy melody into a full-throttle bass-key thumper. This is one of those tunes that will have the listener looking at every keyboard around for days, thinking about how cool it would be to be able to play like that. On "After Hours," Sue Palmer gives listeners a chance to hear the piano all by itself, no holds barred, playing various styles of music that date back more than a century and that will always be with us. Blues keyboard fans will love it, and so will anyone who likes intrumental music with a beat.
--The San Diego Troubadour, May 2010, by Frank Kocher
SUE
PALMER, "After Hours"
A
San Diego's queen of boogie-woogie, Sue Palmer sits down at the grand piano for
this sessions and struts her veteran sense of what it takes to make
creative music. Through vivid imagery, she paints 'em slow, fast, and
in-between with a clear theme running around each selection. Her left hand
rumbles the keyboard as her right hand dances an appropriate melody; together,
they fashion rhythmic pieces taken in stride and running as smooth as a dancer
on ice.
Among her many accomplishments, Palmer served as pianist for San Diego's production of Ain't Misbehavin', a show in which boogie-woogie reigned supreme. Currently, she's featured along with Northern California's Wnedy Dewitt, Tucson's Lisa Otey and Los Angeles Dona Oxford as the Four Queens of Boogie Woogie Piano, in which eight hands ramble over one keyboard for a unique ride.
With this, her solo piano album, Palmer takes "After Hours" nice and slow, "Honeysuckle Rose Boogie" uptempo, and "Down the Road piece" at a loping pace. Then she takes "Lil Rock Getaway" and Ferraday Breakdown" at breakneck speed. She gives "Boogie Noir" an eerie effect where the slow cabaret pace creates dark scenes as if from an old movie. Palmer's title track rates as the best of the album and each of the other dozen boogie thrills add plenty of variety to this excting solo piano session."
--SOUTHLAND BLUES, March 2010, by Jim Santella
SUE
PALMER, "After Hours"
"We
always enjoy hearing Sue, and this time it's a solo piano CD, with 13 tracks
recorded in Hiro Ikezi's living room on the Bosendorfer grand....it's a
beautiful sounding piano, and Sue's one of our favorite players. The tune list
includes Sue's take on some familiar themes like "Down the Road
APiece," "Honeysucklerose Boogie," "Rockhouse,"
"La Vie en Rose" and others. And though there are no notes to the
effect, I suspect Sue's originality is shining through all of it, with some
songs being hers alone."
--Blue Suede News, Spring, 2010, by Marc Bristol
"The Queen of Boogie Woogie lives! Recognized from Paris, France, to Paris, Texas, Sue Palmer, piano player extraordinaire has recently released a new live CD,"On Air: Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra." Recorded live in her hometown of San Diego by KSDS Jazz 88.3, Ms. Palmer, a frequent visitor to Long Beach and the surrounding blues clubs, snaps, crackles, and pops with Her Motel Swing Orchestra.
Sue Palmer and cohorts lead the listener through American pop music history. Combining instrumental arrangements and vocalized renditions of "Take the A Train" and "Mustang Sally," the band jubilantly weaves iconic signatures that salute the Big Band Era of the 40s.
Many will recognize Palmer from her dedicated stint with another Diva of the boogie and blues community, Candye Kane and the Swingin' Armidillos. Together these invigorating rockers have toured the world. She has fronted several other coastal bands, including Tobacco Road, based in San Diego and has appeared with luminaries, Dave Alvin, KIm Wilson, and San Diego legends, The Paladins.
Perfect for uplifting holiday spirits, Palmer's extended catalog can be purchased through www.suepalmer.com Get converted to the classic era of big band sounds and spread the gospel of boogie"
--The Beachcomber, News and Views of Greater Long Beach, November 20, 2009, Dirk Gorre
"On Air, a recording of a recent KSDS "Jazz Live" performance broadcast of Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra gives us everything that we've grown to expect throught the years-some snapping fingers, tapping toes, and maybe a smile or two.
Palmer's forte is barrelhouse boogiewoogie, and for such music you won't find a better piano player in town. Throughout this disk, boogie or other strong rhythms make up the musical backbone, fromm the rocking "Mustang Sally" and "Big Boss Man" to the up tempo "Sue's Boogie." Even Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues," usually given a jazz treatment, is put through the boogie-woogie processor.
While Palmer's background is the barrelhouse, the other musicians of the MSO have obviously been steeped in other genres, such as swing, blues, and jazz. There may even be a few reformed rock-n-rollers among the ensemble. You might expect a cacophony from this musical amalgamation, but the effect is addictive in a good way. During the performance the soloists have a playful tug-o'-war with the rhythm section to see
which direction the music will take. A little blues, jazz, and maybe a little be bop from April West, Jonny Viau, and Carol Chaikin, who play the trombone and saxophones. And guitarist Steve Wilcox channels some ancient Chicago bluesman on his solos. It would be interesting to find about the time machine he has too. The one he uses go back to 1951 to buy those amplifiers that give him the best guitar sound possible.
While we're concentrating on the MSO personnel we should mention that bassist Pete Harrison and Sharon Shufelt hold the rhythm section together. Shufelt plays with verve and spunk. There is not a livelier drummer in San Diego. Her sense of time is so good you can set your watch by her. Continuing her long association with Palmer, Deejha Marie sings on a few of the tunes, including a fairly up tempo rendering of "East of the Sun." KSDS radio personality Cynthia Hammond joins in on a couple of the vocals as well. With about as much moxie as anyone should be allowed to have, Lady Dottie steals the show on "Mustang Sally" and "Big Boss Man," singing with the rough edge that those tunes call out for.
Palmer's playing and compositions are always clever and fun, and none more so than "Swango." As the musicians make their way through a section of said tango, the anticipation that they have to take the tune into the swing section builds and builds. You can hear how much fun they're having with it. The ninth greatest composition in the history of Western Civilization is is Billy Strayhorn's "Take The A Train." No other tune mixes pluck and elegance like this one, and the MSO performs it to a fare-thee-well."
--Troubador, November 2009, San Diego, by Paul Hormick
"Sue was (blues belter) Candye (Kane's) piano player for several of her earlier tours and cds. She's back now with a CD recorded live on KSDS 88.3 San Diego in May of this year. While there are 2 or 3 songs that have appeared on Sue's earlier titles (including "Swango," which was the title tune from one of Candye's CDS,) this is mostly a different program, with several familiar tunes like "Take the A Train," "Gotchu On My Mind," "Big Bossman," "Mustang Sally," and "Just a Fool." KSDS is a Jazz station, and this is a terrific band. The subtitle of the CD is "Celebrating 20 Years of Instrumental Women with DJ Janine Harty." Indeed the core of the band are all female players, though the guitarist, bass player, and sax man are male. The special guests, Carol Chaikin (sax), Cynthia Hammond(lead vocals), and Lady Dottie (lead vocals) are all female. It might be too much to hope for to find all female players good enough for a band like this and on the other I always think it makes fantastic chemistry to have both women and men playing hot music together this well! It was a great show, and now you can be there even if you weren't there!"
--Blue Suede News, Fall 2009, Marc Bristol
"Opening with (3) instrumentals might be a chancy move, but pianist Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra maintain interest and momentum, using horns and Steve Wilcox's reverb-drenched guitar to full potential on the slow blues "Soundtrack to a B Movie" and a rousing "Springroll." April West (trombone) steps out on "Swango." Deejha Marie sings "Mustang Sally" in an arrangement sufficiently off the beaten path to merit inclusion on Palmer's self-released "On Air." Interpretations of Ike&Tina Turner's "A Fool In Love"(here called "Just a Fool") and the exotic "Clipjoint" are excellent."
--Blues Revue, Dec/Jan 2010
"Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra, numbering seven dedicated souls, added guest saxophonist Carol Chaikin and vocalists Cynthi Hammond and Lady Dottie for this radio show. Recorded in May for station KSDS in San Diegoj, the session was performed before a live audience, making things swing with plenty of enthusiasm. Palmer spreads her program across the musical spectrum, including Duke Ellington favorites as well as traditional blues, boogie, and rock and roll.
Her piano delivers "Sue's Boogie" with a rumble built for swing. Drummer Sharon Shufelt converses with the band on "Springroll" as if taking a stroll in the park, while guitarist Steve Wilcox lends his might axe to most selections with a comfortable ease. Jonny Viau's tenor sax and April West's trombone make a solid horn section and interplay with alto saxophonist Carol Chaikin in a round that recalls the spirit of television's Saturday Night Live band. To complete the formula that Palmer has designed, Pete Harrison walks the upright bass for a constant reminder that her purpose remains firmly rooted in swing."
--Southland Blues, August 2009, Jim Santella
Tuesday, March 25 was declared Sue Palmer Day in San Diego. Sue, with proclamation, and Councilmember Toni Atkins, celebrate the day. BLUSD nominated Sue's "Sophisticated Ladies" CD into the Blues Foundation's worldwide competition where it earned the title of Best Self-Produced CD of 2007.
SUE
PALMER ROCKS BLUES WORLD WITH BEST CD AWARD!!!
Sue Palmer, whose piano has graced the San Diego music scene
for more than 2 decades, is getting some long overdue recognition.
Sue's "Sophisticated Ladies" CD was chosen by
BLUSD as the best self-produced CD in San Diego last year
and nominated into the Blues foundation's worldwide competition.
In front of 2500 people at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis,
Sue won the best self-produced CD at the International Blues
Challenge on Feb 2nd. Sue celebrated at the event with long-time
band member Sharon Shufelt, friends, and BLUSD board members.
To honor Sue, San Diego Councilmemeber Toni Atkins has proclaimed
March 25th as "Sue Palmer Day in San Diego" and
will present her proclamation to Sue at the City Council
meeting that day. Sue is not a newcomer to the blues. She
spent 12 years leading the swing group Tobacco Road, and
another five years traveling the world as part of the band
of North County diva Candye Kane. It seems that Sue's CDS
or bands get nominated or win at the San Diego Music Awards
nearly every year. This is a working musician with a vision
and a commitment to stick to it. No one plays the piano
like Sue Palmer, and she's earned wide-ranging respect in
the local music community."
--Blue Ink, March 2008, San Diego
Watch a clip from the CD Release for "Sophisticated Ladies"
Sue
Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra “Sophisticated
Ladies”
Blues Lovers United of San Diego (BLUSD) congratulates
Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra after their new
CD, “Sophisticated Ladies”, was selected by
BLUSD to be considered for the Best Self-Produced CD award.
The award is given each year by the Blues Foundation in
Memphis TN. “Sophisticated Ladies” was chosen by BLUSD’s
selection committee from among several CDs entered by San
Diego area blues artists.
BLUSD is the San Diego affiliate of The Blues Foundation. Affiliates around the world are permitted to send one CD to the Foundation for consideration. CDs are evaluated on Musical Performance, Audio Quality of the Presentation, Cover Art and Design, and Credits and Liner Information. The award has been given each year since 2005 by the Blues Foundation. The winners will be announced during the festivities of The International Blues Challenge (IBC), which will take place January 30 – February 1, 2008 in Memphis.
--Ken Boozer, Vice President
From Blue Ink, BLUSD Newsletter, November 2007
"It's
hard to imagine a blues scene without Sue Palmer. San Diego
is most fortunate to have such a talented and committed
blues player; someone who appreciates and respects tradition
and finds a way of delivering the past to today's doorstep.
On 'Sophisticated Ladies,' Sue reaches deep into her arsenal
to make certain we understand that the swagger of Hadda
Brooks wasn't for nothing and that blues doesn't have to
rock to work, that it can swing away, and be just fine.
In New York, Paris or Istanbul, Sue Palmer would be celebrated
as a cultural icon. Sadly, even after she turns out an album
as delightfully seductive as this, she won't get her proper
due in her hometown. She won't be discouraged, though. Sue's
piano playing and arranging skills are first class. She's
got Deejha Marie to sing and April West and Jonny Viau to
drive their horns through the heart of the music. San Diego's
Queen of Boogie Woogie is way more than just another working
musician. She's a bright light ready to take chances and
retrofit the past into a vibrant, classy version of what
blues should be. 'Sophisticated Ladies' is proof of that.
--Michael Kinsman, President of the San Diego Blues Society, "Blue Ink," June 2007
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"Sue
Palmer, the self-styled "Queen of Boogie Woogie"
and her Motel Swing Orchestra is on the loose again with
a new cd that's the best she's recorded since forming the
jazz band seven years ago. The San Diego pianist's seven-piece
group has been labeled a blues band, but when you listen,
it becomes apparent that putting the band in a blues box
is a disservice to the orchestra. It swings hard, bites
into odd harmonics with a vengeance and is far more disciplined
than the typical blues band. You need only to sample the
first track, "I'll Cry Over You," featuring songstress
Deejha Marie, to discover a swing gem, whereas "Queen
of the Boogie" finds the leader keeping the Freddie
Slack tradition alive. And the venerable ballad, "As
Time Goes By" is given a dramatic reading by guest
vocalist Dayna Carroll with Palmer as her sole accompanist.
The fact that Palmer varies the combination of instruments
to suit the mood is one of the elements that makes the disc
appealing. Palmer has dedicated the album to women who have
played important roles in her personal or professional life,
or both. "I Feel So Good" is done in memeory of
Hadda Brooks, the original "Queen of the Boogie,"
while the previously mentioned song "Queen of the Boogie,"
is a role reversal song that Janell Rock wrote with Palmer
in mind. Amid the very good performances are several that
stand out: One is "Sophisticated Ladies," which
showcases the talents of oboist Scott Paulson and trombonist
April West; another is the flute and tenor sax work of Jonny
Viau on "Interlude," a Palmer original that's
as modern as a 2010 Mercedes; and "Ladies Shoes,"
a blues tune that Viau and Marie turn into a musical sex
symbol."
--Cam Miller, North County times, July,
2007
"Sue
Palmer's newest CD 'Sophisticated Ladies," shines the
light on the talents of the women who make music with her.
Indeed, the disk's selection ranges from swing standards
and slow, sultry blues to barrel house and full-tilt boogie
woogie. Throughout, Palmer's playing remains right on the
mark, with the right touch for each style. Deejha Marie,
who has worked with Palmer for years, sings with elan; Sharon
Shufelt drums with snap and pizazz; Daniel Jackson, San
Diego's Dean of Cool, (plays) with some hot supreme saxophone.
Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra cover "Sophisticated
Lady," with their efforts taking this Duke Ellington
standard to a new level. Scott Paulson plays the lead on
oboe, and the instrument brings out the bits of Ravel, Debussy,
and other 20th century composers who influenced Ellington.
The result is something wonderful, which I've never heard
in any other version of this classic. April West pulls the
composition back to its roots with her full round trombone.
Palmer usually saves the best for the last, wrapping up
her recordings with a real gem, and she does the same here.
She and Dayna Carroll team up for "As Time Goes By."
I feel confident when I tell you that this is the best recording
of "As Time Goes By" that there has ever been."
--Paul Hormick, The Troubador, San
Diego, June 2007
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"Palmer's
piano is excellent..... A collection of great players, including
Jonny Viau on sax and Steve Wilcox on guitar, brings to
life a lovely reading of the Ellington title song, Rodgers&Hart's
"This Can't Be Love," Hadda Brooks' version of
Big Bill Broonzy's "I Feel So Good," a terrific
pair of songs from Camille Howard, and two memorable originals--Janell
Rock's "Queen of the Boogie" and Palmer's smoky
"Ladies Shoes."
--Blues Revue,
Oct/Nov 2007
"As
Queen of the Boogie Woogie Piano, Sue Palmer knows how to
make things happen. With her latest album, she brings her
Motel Swing orchestra in for a romp through the blues that
could very well make the house rock all night long"
--Jim Santella, Southland Blues Magazine,
Southern California, June 2007
"Once known for her mile-high beehive hairdo and wild accordian
solos as a member of blues singer Candye Kane's band, pianist Sue
Palmer struck out on her own in 2000, reinventing herself as San
Diego's queen of boogie-woogie. A loyal following of swing dancers
have taken to Palmer's trademark 'wall climbing jump boogie"--a
combination of boogie-woogie and swing with a slightly punk rock
ethos, as she describes it. "It makes you a slave to the dance
floor," Palmer said with a laugh. The swing aficionados at her
shows seem happy cutting it up, whether on a wooden floor or a
field of grass."
--Pat Sherman, Today's Local News - Sounds
of summer, June 2007
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"While Sue's mother grew up in the Texas panhandle, Sue grew up in San Diego
and started playing music with her relatives, who would all get together and jam
at family functions. In the '80's, Sue performed with then-local-now-famous
comedians Kathy Najimy, Mo Gaffney, and Whoopie Goldberg in the feminist groups
"Hot Flashes" and "Ms.B.Haven." She's toured the world, written soundtracks,
and created and performed her own multimedia one-woman show. But we know and
love her as band leader and piano player for one of our most popular TGIF groups.
Wigglin' boogie-woogie, Ellington sophistication, old-time Americana, vintage
blues, a little Hawaiian spice-Sue Palmerand Her Motel Swing Orchestra deliver
it all. While the musicianship is impeccable, it's the warm, expansive,
join-in-don't-be-shy sense of fun that we always remember.
--Carlsbad Jazz in the Park Program, June 2007
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"Pianist
Sue Palmer might be best known for her former role as a
member of Candye Kane's band. On "In The Green Room,"
she offers an hour's worth of boogie-woogie, vintage blues,
jazz, old-timey Americana, Hawaiian music, and even a funky
novelty song.
That might sound like a jarring mix, but it's enjoyable all the way through, even with a blend of studio recordings, live cuts (with her band, the Motel Swing Orchestra), and a low-fi family performance. Palmer leaves the vocals to others, so it's not surprising that she kicks off the set with a pair of instrumentals, her own "Jakob's Boogie Woogie Lullaby," and Cy Coben's "The Old Piano Roll Blues." She introduces her band for a bluesy reading of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo" featuring singer Deejha Marie that should go over well with the cocktail crowd.
Things
really get cooking when Palmer recruits Kane's brassy vocals
for "Gertrude&Steins," a salute to bawdy women
who love women, with a piano hook you won't be able to get
out of your head. Kane also sings a cover of "I'm Confessin'"
and contributes background vocals to Killer Tiki Boogie,"
Palmer's wacky album-closer. Tucked into the middle of the
album is a recording of Palmer and her extended family performing
the instrumental "Cottonwood." It's as amateurish
as it sounds, with Palmer's piano cutting through the joyful
noise. (A home movie of the performance is featured on an
enhanced video track.)
A sense of joy permeates the entire disc. Palmer has surrounded
herself with great musicians who love what they do, and
it's infectious."
--BLUES REVUE, Aug/Sept 2005, by Michael
Cote
"Palmer, San Diego's queen of boogie-woogie, has come into her own on this wonderful new release, with studio and live tracks redefining her rep as "just" a gifted pianist-bandleader. Palmer may now add producer and visionary to her resume. She, her Motel Swing Orchestra and many notable guests combine to create an expansive, eclectic album that touches on everything from Ellingtonia amd trad piano boogie to the sort of giddy-but-musical tomfoolery that Frank Zappa once defined.
Highlights
include the amusing, Sappho-centric cabaret "Gertrude&Steins"(penned
by local singer-songwriter Janell Rock), Palmer's own sleazy
instrumental stroll "Boogie Noir" and the droll,
new-wavish "Killer Tiki Boogie" - not to mention
an unlikely, uke-and-steel-steeped cover of "Aloha
Oe" (really!)/ The roster of San Diego heavies on hand
include April West, Candye Kane, David Mosby and Adrian
Demain"
--"Blue
Notes"/Buddy Blue/San Diego Union-Tribune, June 2,
2005
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**Dot&Roy
Palmer make National News!!!** "This one
is Sue's tribute to the green
room where her family got together to play and sing as she
was growing up. SHe was blessed with talented relatives
and a family that believed everyone should participate in
the family music.....Her mom Dot plays banjo uke on "Cottonwood,"
and her dad is the announcer...The booklet is peppered wiith
nice vintage photos which add to the ambiance intended.
You'll love the one of Sue's Aunt Arlene (a professional
alto sax player)'s girlfriend Sally Davis under the CD!
"Cottonwood" was also videotaped (live in the
green room at Sue's house of course!) and is presented in
the enhanced portion of the cd...."
--Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News, Seattle,
Summer 2005
"CD
IS BOMB: DEAR SUE, YOUR NEW CD IS YOUR BEST YET. WE WERE
AT BUDDY BLUEBALLS A FEW MO. AGO. HE'D JUST GOT A COPY IN
THE MAIL. WE MADE HIM LISTEN TO IT AT GUNPOINT (HIS FAVORITE
SEXUAL POSTION). THE OLD BASTID WAS IMPRESSED(SO FUKINWHAT).
SO MUCH FOR THE LAZY LEFT HAND. APRIL IS MY FAVORITE S.D.
MUSICIAN. HER BONE PLAYIN BRINGS A TEAR TO MY BLOODSHOT
EYE"
--MR.FLEENER, May 26, 2005
"cowabunga dewd! GREAT job! Not only do I love that
wild, eclectic, adventurous spirit of playing music you
love and shitcanning musically confining concepts like "cohesion,"
or adhering to people's expectations, but it takes massive
chutzpah to pull it off. Yer playing is fantastic, your
songs are wonderful and your taste in co-conspirators impeccable."
--With admiration, Buddy, May 22, 2005
"If
pressed, Sue Palmer could hold her own with some of music's
greatest when dropping the names of green rooms in which
she's bided her time. From posh Parisian dressing rooms
stocked with caviar and champagene to lackluster lounges
in Duluth, Minn., it is from these backstage areas she has
emerged to whip crowds into submission with her sultry piano
stylings. As a longtime musical colllaborator of blues diva
Candye Kane, Palmer has traveled throughout Europe and the
world with her beehive harido, outrageous outfits and trademark,
left-hand boogie-woogie blues. On her fourth solo recording,
the San Diego Music Awards-winner finds herself back "In
The Green Room," albeit in a retro, personal sort of
way. Paying homage to both family tradition and her musical
roots, Palmer's new CD includes an impromptu jam session
recorded in her Talmadge home. A video of the living room
session is included as an enhanced track on "In The
Green Room." The low-fi video includes inveterate Palmer
collaborators such as trombonist April West, drummer Sharon
Shufelt, guitarist Steve Wilcox and vocalist Deejha Marie.
Alongside them are Palmer's mother, Dot Palmer, strumming
a ukelele, and longtime friend Chris Kehoe, known more for
her tenure as State senator from San Diego than as the next
Chrissie Hynde..... (Highlights include) "Killer Tiki
Boogie," a sort of Peter Gun meets psychedelic B-movie
mind-trip, a complete departure from Palmer's trademark
sound. Lending his deep, bass chops to the tune is vocalist
David Mosby. Candye Kane goes wild on backing vocals,while
Scott Paulson uses a Theramin to infuse the piece with science-fiction
flair (Paulson is known to many as curator of toy pianos
at UCSD's Gisel Library). "Gertrude&Steins"
is an infectiously campy homage to bawdy women, beer, creativity
and good friends. Kane croons the salacious tune, which
garnered (songwriter Janell) Rock a 2004 "Just Plain
Folks" award in the Best Cabaret category......
--Pat Sherman, Gay&Lesbian Times,
April 21, 2005
"Along
with various manifestations of her own Motel Swing Orchestra,
Palmer does not try to recreate the passions, adrenaline,
and excess that drove these American music forms while they
were in their prime. "In The Green Room" is a
disk of blues and standards for family fun times. ..The
mood is best summed up by the DVD disk of Palmer playing
the old country classic "Cottonwood" in her living
room with friends and family. What could be sweeter or simpler?
And the montage of old family photos just puts the icing
on the cake. Besides such classics as "Saint Louis
Blues" and "Mood Indigo" are a couple new
tunes. "Gertrude and Steins" is the one song on
the disk with a bit of a wink and a nod. And if my life
couuld have a soundtrack, I'd want it to be the last number
on this disk. "Killer Tiki Boogie," a tune Palmer
penned while fighting breast cancer during the buildup for
war on Iraq, is clever, unworried, and about as hip as it
gets."
--Paul Hormick, The Troubadour, May
2005
"The
idea is to finish a song before your legs fall asleep,"
said Sharon Shufelt, who played a toy drumset to accompany
boogie-woogie pianist Sue Palmer...., on toy piano.
--San Diego Union, August 15, 2004
"......Game
over, 6-5 Padres. We all sat there blinking in the sun,
and gradually, sadly, it dawned on us that we had to leave.
I stepped next door, paid a $10 cover charge and was admitted
to an alcohol-free club called Dizzy's, where I sat up front
for an evening of rollicking jazz from boogie-woogie pianist
Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra. (The world needs
more left-footed trombone solos like the one I heard here)"
--Christopher Reynolds, LATimes, Travel
section , May 9, 2004
"Sue
Palmer was leader and wonderful boogiewoogie pianist who
seemed to put the room into motion. I didn't see anyone
not moving to the music. April West's outstanding trombone
playing left me speechless, especially when she removed
her right shoe and played it with her foot for one tune!
Drummer Sharon Shufelt drove the band and vocalist Deejha
Marie captured the audience with her first note and didn't
turn them loose until the set ended. This San Diego based
band with vocalist was one of the highlights of this festival,
and a must see feature."
--Harvey Barkan, LA Jazz Scene, August,
2003, re: Glendale Kiwanis Jazz Festival 2003
"If
you want to enjoy a truly dynamic set of rhythm and blues,
swing era jazz, and even the occasional torch ballad played
with virtuoso skill and most importantly, real fervor, then
nothing will beat this show. Even in a city with as many
musical treasures as we have, Sue Palmer truly stands out."
--La Jolla Light, June 19, 2003, F.Chester
"While
"Live at Dizzy's" is a document of a theatre piece
called "Soundtrack to a B Movie," the disc also
stands on its own as a fine collection of swing and boogie-woogie
tunes. This San Diego collective has a bright future if
they want it; the sophisticated music and musicianship on
"Live at Dizzy's" outclasses many swing-revival
pretenders. Palmer, especially, is an important find--a
gifted piano player and top-flight band leader........
--Jeff Calvin, BLUES REVUE, Apr/May
2003
"Unless
you live in San Diego County, Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing
Orchestra may just be the best band you've never heard of.
This isn't Palmer's first disc, but the issue is her best.
Like most musicians, Palmer and her 8-piece band feed off
the presence of an appreciative audience and it shows."
--Review of "Live at Dizzy's,"
by Cam Miller, The American Rag, February 2003, Sacramento
"We
had so much fun at Dizzy's, and really enjoyed the show.
The stage looked great and your guitar player was on fire
- that big Stevie Ray Vaughan sound. The Tiki song you wrote
was too cool. It was great to hear the band play a more
bluesy, harder sound. You guys were kickin' it up another
notch at Dizzy's!"
--Mary Fleener, underground cartoonist,
rock star, Tiki queen, Halloween night, Sue's CD release
party, 2002
"As
usual, things were hopping on Halloween in downtown San
Diego. Parking was a bear but we found a lot with a single
remaining spot, parked our car, and followed costumed merrymakers
making their way towards the music, booming from the Gaslamp
District. But we weren't going there. Turning down a side
street next to the new ball park we found the dim lights
of Dizzy's and walked inside. We entered a tropical scene:
Tiki heads, palm thatch, hula girls and costumed dancers
bouncing to the sound of Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing
Orchestra.
The event marked the release of Sue's most recent CD, "Live
at Dizzy's," and the crowd was clearly enjoying itself.
The band was joined by musical friends and collaborators.
Everyone was having a swinging good time moving through
the repertoire of standards and Palmer originals including,
of course,many of the tunes on the new CD. The grand finale
("Deejha's Boogie") was a driving fantastic trip
that blew everyone away."
--Mike Almer, Bon Vivant, Patron of
the Arts, Love Boy, Downtown Sleuth, Halloween night, 2002
As
Swing bands go, Sue Palmer and Her Motel Swing Orchestra
represent the kind of undercurrent we recall from the organizations
of Count Basie and Woody Herman: big bands that swing the
Blues. Based in San Diego, Palmer and her orchestra sizzle
with incredible chops and express with a genuine feel for
the Blues".........
--Southland Blues, August 2002
"I just want to say these are the most wonderful Boogie Woogie players I've heard in a long time."
--Hadda Brooks, on the night of the Boogie Woogie Extravaganza show at Dizzy's, July 7, 2002, with Hadda Brooks, Sue Palmer, Wendy Dewitt, and Philippe Lejeune.
"Today,
Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra is much more than
a band capable of playing some of the best boogie-woogie
in the country. It's a band that swings gracefully and fearlessly
and gets downright rollicking when Sue cuts loose on the
piano or guitarist Steve Wilcox (another refugee from the
Candy Kane days) jumps off with his own high-energy guitar
runs that whip the crowd into a frenzy.......All of this
is Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra. There is no
sense trying to pigeonhole Sue or her music. She'll play
what she feels and, most likely, she will find an audience
that is just as inspired by her music as she is."
--from the program for the San DIego
Blues Fest 2002, Michael Kinsman, producer.
"Top place of honor for the show's first half easily goes to Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra. The former pianist for
Candye Kane's band, is known for her amazing boogie-woogie keyboard work, as well as a winning, bouyant personality. Her performances are never
less than highly recommended!"
--F.Chester, La Jolla Light, June 2002
Review of "Soundtrack to a B Movie", a theatre presentation "PALMER NOIR"
That something so complex and so unique could take place in a tiny alcohol-free, smoke-free dive known as Dizzy's should, I
suppose, come as no surprise. Palmer and Dizzy's proprietor Chuck Perrin, who wrote and performed some of the work's "noir" narrative, packed
them in, folks diverse of race, age, and gender preference. The Diva herself, Sue Palmer, presided at the piano, her voice mute except for an
occasional, subtle vocal backup and for one wild piercing scream. From a strictly theatrical standpoint, Palmer is like a one-woman mime-troupe, an
engaging, slyly clownish presence. Others thrown into the film noir narrative soup provided vocals as well. Bass-baritone David Mosby oozed hot
sex, blues singer Deejha Marie provided bluesy sauce, and outstanding song stylist Romy Kaye, a touch of sass and class. Whether scat or tight
harmony, the two women together were a steamroller, a scream-evoking cacophony of pleasure. Add Mosby, as Palmer does in the climactic
number, and hair levitates from heads. Palmer's Motel Swing Orchestra boasts the talents of Sharon Shufelt on drums, Oliver Shirley on bass, April
West on trombone, Jonny Viau on sax and bongos, and Steve Wilcox on guitar. Each , individually, is an incomparable artist. West's trombone
wah-wahing, body movements and mesh stockings were a treat in and of themselves. She is personality plus...
--Charlene Baldridge, Gay and
Lesbian Times, February 28, 2002
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Replete
with appropriately noir-ish notes by Chuck Perrin, one longs
for a whole B Movie or stage play to go with this fine music."
--Blue Suede News, Seattle, Winter
2001-02
"Palmer
is one of the best piano players in San Diego - period.....(Her)
brand spanking new album, "Soundtrack to a B Movie,"
is a recording that not only highlights her rich and versatile
pounding of the 88 keys, but also taps her flair for vintage
cinema and pulp novels with its gritty and grainy overall
scheme...Palmer's piano is an appropriate counterpart to
vocals and musicianship that is like a who's who of the
San Diego boogiewoogie blues scene. Grand Dame Candye Kane
makes an appearance as does the smooth-as-silk vocalist
David Mosby, but the most prominent voice on "Soundtrack"
is the bluesy and beautiful Deejha Marie. Marie has a vocal
style that takes listeners right up on stage with her. Combined,
Marie and Palmer are a pair of divas whose work together
should continue for many years (if San Diego is lucky).
--Lance Vargas La Jolla Light, November
8, 2001
Sue
Palmer's CD release party was one of the top ten musical
experiences of my life. Some of the others: Front rows at
Chuck Berry & Tina Turner concerts, and the symphony
at Carnegie Hall. Sue and her friends know how to swing.
Buy her album and check them out.
--E. Paul Henderson, Music Critic
and Funk Dancer
"Just
when you thought every original idea in the world had been
snatched up, along comes Sue Palmer and her new disc...The
result is a "concept album," that's so cutting-edge
you get paper cuts just thinking about it."
--Maureen DelGrosso Blues Revue, September,
2001
"Sue
Palmer paints images with her piano, gracefully filling
her canvas with notes that soothe and seduce...She is a
polished and professional musical artist worthy of attention.
--Michael Kinsman San Diego Union,
September 27, 2001
"On
'Soundtrack to a B Movie,'......Sue Palmer continues to
ignite the ivories with the dynamic sound and style she
promisingly exhibited on her debut, "Boogie Woogie
and Motel Swing."
--Joann D. Ball SLAMM, September 6,
2001
"One
of the great swing orchestra leaders of yesteryear must
have possessed Sue Palmer's body because she delivers some
wicked boogie woogie that transports any listener to that
little Harlem jazz cafe in 1932. No wonder San Diego has
warmly coined Sue Palmer the "Boogie Woogie Queen."
Palmer can tickle the ivories like no one's business on
tracks such as "The Boogie and the Blues," "Walkin',"and
"Left Bank Boogie" so what are you waiting for?
Get your boogie shoes on and dance the night away with one
of San Diego's best kept secrets."
--Heidi Hudson Lesbian News, September
2001
"A
sidewoman no more, keyboard queen Sue Palmer has taken her
rightful place as headliner and leader of her own band.
The beehive-coifed Candye Kane Band pianist simply has a
musical fire that burns too brightly. She's shed her beehive,
let her hair down and allowed her fire to erupt. And she
loves following her own path.
Her wicked left hand, especially potent on "Room Service
Boogie" and "Sue's Boogie," induces listeners to dance their
troubles away. Her explosive right hand shimmers with brilliant,
perfectly executed melodic riffs, performed with no hint
of difficulty.
The San Diego-based Palmer has chosen some of the West Coast's
finest to accompany her on this collection of blistering
boogies, big-band tunes and blues. Ten of the 13 cuts are
instrumentals; vocal tracks on the others are provided by
singers hand-picked by Palmer. A gospel boogie version of
"Do Lord"--the song a 10-year-old Palmer first heard at
her Baptist vacation Bible school that awakened her musical
interest--is also included.
Boogie Woogie and Motel Swing is an album of sheer piano
artistry; there's not a single misstep. It's one to savor.
Five stars."
--Maureen Delgrosso Blues Revue Magazine,
November 2000
"If
you've been around San Diego a while, you've seen Sue Palmer.
Banging on her piano with the vigor and liveliness of a
little boy on a toy xylophone, she plays jump boogie like
no one's business. Unlike some of the newer aficionados
of the style who treat the music like some sort of lodestone,
Palmer knows her music for what it is: a friend to be embraced,
enjoyed, and occasionally knock about a little bit."
--Clark Novak SLAMM, February 16,
2000
"Her
beehive is gone from her Candye Kane days, but pianist Sue
Palmer hasn't lost any of that boogie-woogie in her soul."
--Michael Kinsman San Diego Union, January
2000.
"From the opening track, "Room Service Boogie," to the cocktail-nation
groove of "Blue and Tan" to Palmer's swinging take of the
gospel standard "Do Lord, Do Remember Me," Motel Swing ranks
among her finest work."
--Pat Sherman Gay & Lesbian Times, January
20, 2000
"Versatile enough to move comfortably from blues to jazz
to swing„ and tasteful enough to consider the ensemble sound,
Palmer knows the boogie groove inside and out and has such
fun in the process that she actually makes it look easy.
When she cuts loose, her fiery, attention-getting, right-hand
licks bristle with energy, imagination and technical skill.
And her dazzling rolling-boil rhythms are courtesy of a
muscular left hand that moves with the startling accuracy
of an Oscar De La Hoya uppercut."
--Maureen Del Grosso Blues Revue, December
1998
"There
are clearly not enough rockabilly, blues-swinging, beehive-wearing
accordionist/pianists to go around. We caught a rare sighting
of Sue "Beehive" Palmer working the keys with solo artist
and ex-porn star Candye Kane."
--Keyboard Magazine October 1997
"This
woman is a wailer of the first degree with or without her
beehive."
--Marc Gallo, Beach News, Encinitas, CA 1993
