Southern Nights Sullivan Fortner

• 1 Southern Nights 05:37
• 2 I Love You 05:13
• 3 9 Bar Tune 03:45
• 4 Tres Palabras 06:35
• 5 Waltz For Monk 04:07
• 6 Again, Never 07:13
• 7 Discovery 05:25
• 8 Daahoud 05:46
• 9 Organ Grinder 05:31
• Total Runtime 49:12

Info for Southern Nights

Southern Nights, the latest album by Grammy-winning pianist Sullivan Fortner. Recorded during an unforgettable weeklong residency at New York’s iconic Village Vanguard in the summer of 2023, Southern Nights showcases Fortner’s artistry at its peak, in the company of the great Peter Washington on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums.

In July 2023, Sullivan Fortner returned to the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City for his second weeklong residency as a bandleader. Tasked with forming a trio of exceptional musicians, Fortner brought together bassist Peter Washington and drummer Marcus Gilmore for a truly outstanding week of performances. Their connection—unrehearsed yet seamless—culminated in a spontaneous recording session that same week that captured the magic of their collaboration. The resulting album, Southern Nights, is a vibrant testament to Fortner’s artistry and New Orleans heritage.

Reflecting on the experience, Fortner shared, “I had been a fan of Peter Washington since hearing him play with Bill Charlap when I was in high school. His lyrical approach and sense of groove are everything I admire in a bassist. Marcus Gilmore and I have known each other since high school, and I’ve always been inspired by his unique approach to the drums. It was our first time playing together as a trio, and from the first note, it felt as if we’d been doing so for years.”

Southern Nights features a wide-ranging repertoire, including tunes by Allen Toussaint and Clifford Brown, and tributes to his late mentor Bill Lee and Lee’s sister, the underappreciated pianist and educator Consuela Lee and a Fortner original. Recorded live in the studio with no isolation, edits, or retakes, the album channels the raw energy and immediacy of the trio’s live sets at the Vanguard.

The album’s centerpiece is its title track, a reinterpretation of Toussaint’s 1970s classic, a wistful piano-led tribute to magical childhood evenings in rural Louisiana. As music historian Ashley Kahn writes in the liner notes, Fortner’s rendition “returns it to its primary focus on piano, matching wistfulness with youthful joy… capturing the reflective charm that Toussaint’s original and Fortner’s interpretation share.”

Kahn also emphasizes Fortner’s New Orleans roots, noting how the city’s unique musical ethos—marked by an openness to tradition and innovation alike—shines through in his playing. “There’s something about the music of New Orleans that goes beyond distinctive rhythms,” writes Kahn. “It’s an unrestrained respect for music’s porous nature, a willingness to mix, meld, and breathe. You hear that generosity and bubbling joy in every note Fortner plays.”

Recorded with veteran engineer Todd Whitelock, Southern Nights captures the trio’s quick, intuitive interplay. Their dynamic chemistry is showcased across an eclectic setlist, from the post-bop dexterity of Donald Brown’s “Waltz for Monk” to the reflective depth of Bill Lee’s “Again Never.”

Fortner’s trio is joined in spirit by New Orleans’s rich musical lineage, with nods to Cuban influences on Osvaldo Farres’ “Tres Palabras” and the timeless connection between jazz and Caribbean sounds. “New Orleans is at the top of the Caribbean,” Fortner observes. “It’s definitely not America. The Spanish and Caribbean influences run deep, and you can hear that in the music.”

This album stands among iconic piano trio recordings, offering both a snapshot of a moment in time and a promising glimpse of what lies ahead. Fortner’s journey from NOCCA and mentorship under Ellis Marsalis to his ongoing collaborations with luminaries like Cécile McLorin Salvant has solidified his place as one of jazz’s most vital voices. Currently, the pianist is nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, including in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for his prior Artwork release Solo Game.

With Southern Nights, Sullivan Fortner captures the unrepeatable magic of their Vanguard’s sets—an intimate, joyous occasion filled with chance-taking and deep connection. It’s an album that invites listeners to celebrate the past while anticipating a thrilling future for Fortner and his trio.

Sullivan Fortner, piano
Peter Washington, double bass
Marcus Gilmore, drums

Sullivan Joseph Fortner Jr.
is a native New Orleanian who has already made a significant foray into the jazz world that belies his young age. While touring with Stefon Harris & Blackout, Christian Scott Quintet, and the Roy Hargrove Quintet, Sullivan completed his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at Manhattan School of Music under the tutorage of Jason Moran, and Phil Markowitz. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Sullivan began playing music by ear at the age of seven. Two years later, he was playing for church choirs throughout New Orleans. By the time he was 11 years old, Sullivan had won a Cox Cable “Amazing Kids Award”. At the age of 13, Sullivan furthered his formal education in piano by attending the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and earned scholarships to several prestigious summer jazz programs, including the Vail Jazz Institute and the Skidmore Jazz Studies Summer Program. A standout on the stage and in the classroom, Sullivan was Valedictorian of his high school class while simultaneously graduating from NOCCA. He has studied and performed with many great musicians, including The Marsalis Family, Donald Harrison, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Marcus Belgrave, The Jordan Family, Irvin Mayfield, Peter Martin, Dave Liebman, and a host of others.

This album contains no booklet.