Biography
***Sue Palmer's newest album, "Sophisticated Ladies," has WON THE BLUES FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE AWARD 2008, for Best Self Produced CD! ***
***Councilwoman Toni Atkins and the San Diego City Council declares March 25th "Sue Palmer Day", for her lifetime achievements and artistic contributions to the City of San Diego. ***
San Diego' s Queen of Boogie Woogie, Sue Palmer, has amazed audiences all over the world with her unique style and phenomenal left hand. She delights
in creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the small clubs and cafes of 1932 Paris, Harlem, West Texas and Hawaii. Her first CD, which features many of her own compositions, has been described as "full of fun, and cool enough to cause crop damage to orange groves." Her second CD, "Soundtrack to a B Movie" was called "a steam of sultry sound." "Live at Dizzy's" was voted the Best Blues Album at the San Diego Music Awards, 2002-2003. "Palmer has come into her own on this wonderful new release, "In The Green Room," 2005, with studio and live tracks redefining her rep as "just" a gifted pianist-bandleader. Palmer may now add producer and visionary to her resume."
Mme Palmer is no stranger to the spotlight. For five years, Sue was the musical partner of blues diva and recording artist Candye Kane. They toured France and most of Europe, including Scandinavia, Greece, and Turkey. Their travels also took them to Reunion Island, Canada, Australia, and all over the U.S. Under the moniker Sue "Beehive" Palmer with Candye Kane and the Swingin' Armadillos, she appeared on the Penn & Teller Show and the Roseanne Show, where Sue acted as the talk show band leader (1999). Sue is a featured artist on all four of Kane's CDs under the Antones and Sire labels. Sue's instrumental composition "Beehive" was featured on Kane's "Diva La Grande" CD, and Sue and Candye co-wrote the title tune on Kane's CD "Swango." "Swango" is also featured in the documentary "The Girl Next Door," a biography of porn star Stacy Valentine produced by National Public Radio's Christine Fugat in 2000.
Equally at home with 12-bar blues, boogie woogie, swing, jazz or country, Sue is a successful band leader in her own right. She fronted her own swing band Tobacco Road for twelve years and produced and played on four independently released CD's. The recordings featured bassist, vocalist and arranger Preston Coleman who was an indispensable player in the Chicago and New York jazz scenes of the '30s and '40s. This wildly popular vintage swing band was the recipient of the prestigious San Diego Music Awards seven times between 1986-1994. Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra are now receiving rave reviews. Sue's 1st album, "Boogie Woogie& Motel Swing," was nominated for both Best Blues Album and Best Jazz Album in San Diego, 2000. Her 2nd album, "Soundtrack to a B Movie," was nominated for Best Blues Album in 2001 and her 3rd album, "Live at Dizzy's," received the Best Blues Album Award, from the San Diego Music Awards, 2002-2003.
Sue's love of theatre has taken her on stints with the comedy improv group Hot Flashes (featuring actress Maureen "Mo" Gaffney), as the pianist for the San Diego production of "Ain't Misbehavin'," and as coproducer and accompanist for actress Kathy Najimy at the famed Wing Cafe in San Diego. She received two Nicky awards from the Gay Community for Outstanding Entertainer and recently performed in Manhattan for the Gay and Lesbian Music Awards Ceremony (1999). She appeared in Keyboard magazine (1997) and was called a "virtuoso pianist" by Blue Suede News (Seattle 1999). Her recent multimedia one woman show, February 2002, a theatre presentation of "Soundtrack to a B Movie," featuring Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra, was aired as a live show on KSDS 88.3, and has been released as an album "Live at Dizzy's."
In addition, Sue has appeared onstage and/or recorded with Lou Ann Barton, Sue Foley, Teddy Morgan, Lavelle White, Kim Wilson, Marcia Ball, Toni Price, The Paladins, Roy Gaines, Rosie Flores, Big Sandy and the FlyRite Boys, Dave Alvin, Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos), Earl Thomas, Del Rey, Lea Delaria, Pussy Tourette, Buddy Blue, Rod Piazza&the Mighty Fliers, Walter Wolfman Washington, and recently opened for the Subdudes. Sue backed up Floyd Dixon on a compilation album to Tom Waits, "New Coat of Paint." She has been included in the "Queens of Boogie Woogie" Show in Berkeley, CA, at the Freight&Salvage, in 2001-2004. Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra appeared in the San Diego Blues Festival 2002 and Sue appeared with Wendy Dewitt and Carl Sonny Leyland at the San Diego Museum of Art, August 2002. Highlighting her performances in 2002 was a Boogie Woogie Extravaganza honoring the original Queen of the Boogie, 85 year old singer songwriter pianist Hadda Brooks... who joined Sue, along with Bay area favorite Wendy Dewitt and Frenchman Philippe Lejeune. That was Hadda's last San Diego performance. She died November 21st.
In 2003, Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra made their debut at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee as well as the Glendale Kiwanis Jazz Festival, to rave reviews. Sue was also featured with the Candye Kane Band, July, 2003, at the Ascona New Orleans Jazz Festival, in Switzerland, as well as at the Palais Farnais, French Embassy, in Rome, this October, 2003. 2004 - 2007 brought the Motel Swing Orchestra to the Mammoth Jazz Festival, and Sue traveled to Prague, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland with the Candye Kane Band.
2005 brought Sue and her talented group of musicians some wonderful shows, including an over-the-top CD Release Party for "In the Green Room," at San Diego's famous Bali Hai Club, a rousing Ray Charles Review in Point Loma (San DIego) (see the video in the Photo Section), another success at the Mammoth Jazz Festival in July, rave reviews at both the Adams Avenue Street Fair (opening before Pinetop Perkins on the Blues Stage) and the Ocean Beach Jazz Festival (with headliner DeeDee Bridgewater.)
In 2006, Sue's band was nominated once again for Best Blues Band at the San Diego Music Awards.
2007 has found Sue performing a variety of specialty shows, including the Teeny Tiny Toy Piano Festival, "Songs of Love&Lust," with Laura Jane at the Rubber Rose, a Roaring '20's show for the San Diego Repertory Theatre, as well appearing as a side person with the hillbilly band, The Hayriders. Sue's own all star band, Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra, has performed to rave reviews this year at the Mammoth Jazz Festival, La Jolla Concerts By the Sea, Gator By the Bay New Orleans Festival, Huntington Beach Pier Summer Concert Series among others, and a steady gig at Downtown San Diego's premier jazz spot, Croce's. Sue's latest album, "Sophisticated Ladies," was released in June 2007, at the Belly Up Tavern, with an all star cast, including Daniel Jackson, Carol Chaiken, Lisa Sanders, Dayna Carroll, and many others. It has been nominated as Best Blues Album 2007 by the San Diego Music Awards committee, and was the winner of the National 2008 IBC award in Memphis for Best Self Produced CD.
WORKSHOP (now available)...
"Sophisticated Ladies"
Spend some time with Sue Palmer, "Queen of Boogie Woogie" from San Diego, California USA. Sue will teach you about known female blues and jazz musicians: Lil Green, Alberta Hunter, Lil Hardin-Armstrong, and Connie Boswell, Camille Howard and Hadda Brooks. Sue is a veritable encyclopedia of information when it comes to the obscure female heroes of American music and culture. Samples from some of these "Sophisticated Ladies" music will be demonstrated.
SPECIALTY SHOWS...
1. RAY CHARLES REVIEW - Sue Palmer&Her Motel Swing Orchestra pair up with the wonderful doo wop/a capella group "Pieces."
2. BOOGIE NOIR - Sue pairs up with multi instrumentalist/radio sound effect specialist, Scott Paulson to create a mood, from the '50's and '60's, of film noir, pulp fiction, and La Dolce Vida.
3. BOOGIEWOOGIE SHOW - Sue has appeared in numerous solo Boogie shows, Boogie woogie aficiondos rave about her talent.
4. INTIMATE CABARET SHOW - Sue can provide a small intimate, jazzy, ensamble.
5. BACKGOUND FRENCH ACCORDION TRIO - Calling themselves "Madame Palmer&Les Pommes Frites," Sue plays the classic Edith Piaf number La Vie En Rose, Cole Porter's I Love Paris, and Sidney Bechet's Petite Fleur, among others. Dressing in berets and black skirts, Sue and her trio can flavor a room immediately.
6. ALL WOMEN'S BAND in various styles- including "Some Like It Hot" outfits and songs.
7. '20'S STYLE MUSIC - replete with flapper dresses and spa
Instrumentation
Sue Palmer - piano/keyboard (band leader)
Deejha Marie - lead vocal
Sharon Shufelt - drums, backing vocal
Pete Harrison - acoustic bass
Steve Wilcox - guitar
April West - trombone, backing vocal
Jonny Viau - saxophone
Discography
"Boogie-Woogie and Motel Swing" 1999
"Soundtrack to a B Movie" 2001
"Live at Dizzy's" 2002
"In The Green Room" 2005
"Sophisticated Ladies" 2007 - WON THE BLUES FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE AWARD 2008, for Best Self Produced CD!
"On Air" 2009 recorded live for KSDS radio.
RADIO STATIONS PLAYING SUE'S MUSIC
— Dave Radlauer's syndicated show "Jazz Rhythms-Women of Neo-Swing" (see JAZZHOT.Bigstep.com for stations and times across the country
— KSDS, 88.3 FM, San Diego Jazz radio
— "Rockin' Blues Today," Radio RCC, Umbertide, Italy, DJ Simone Bagelli
— "Rootstime" Radio Contact, 107.9 FM, Belgium
— Bay-FM, Byron Bay, Australia
— Kristall radio, Milano, Italy
— Goodtime Blues Radio, FM 91.3, Buenas Aires, Argentina
— "Pickup" Radio Show, Cadiz, Spain
— Radio Economia FM 104.8, "El Autoblues", Basque Country, Spain
— Radio Brawo 92.8 FM, "Z Bluesem na ty" Poland
— Radio Holstebro, Denmark
— 96.1 FM Radio, Sant Boi, "Born to Be Bad" Show, Barcelona, Spain
— 88.9 FM, WSHA, Raleigh, North Carolina
— 89.3 FM, Washington DC, "Don't Forget the Blues," by Elliott Gross
— Radio Comunidade FM 104.9, Brazil
Links
| PH PROmusic Recording |
| Melissa Hague Entertainment |
| Blues Lovers United of San Diego |
| International Blues Foundation |
| Mammoth Jazz Jubilee |