“Touch & Go is a superb record from a singer, composer, lyricist, and arranger who deserves a wider audience. Tobocman’s originals are especially notable.”
—Mark Stryker (Jazz From Detroit)
With her warm and flexible voice, combined with impressive arranging and composing skills, Susan Tobocman has been making a name for herself on the NYC jazz scene among audiences and musicians alike for over 20 years—performing, recording, and collaborating with some of the top players anywhere. She has toured extensively throughout Europe and the US, and has also released numerous recordings, including four as a leader on Japan’s eponymous Disk Union label.
Born in Detroit, at 16 Tobocman won the National Scholastic Writing Award for Poetry, then at 17 attended Columbia University to study the craft. Fast forward 15 years to when she decided to make the leap into the unknown (being a full-time musician),and the transition from poet to lyricist was a smooth one. While her first gig was touring with the renowned Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads sans David Byrne), she soon decided to take on jazz—a lifelong endeavor. Susan’s instincts were spot-on. She started writing tunes immediately, connecting the dots between her gift for poetry, early piano lessons, and a childhood filled with music and art. Tobocman is now known for putting her own stamp on strikingly diverse material. Her newest release, Touch & Go, is most definitely not your typical jazz vocalist’s record. She wrote five of the 13 tracks, in addition to all of the arrangements. Something else that sets Susan apart from other vocalists who compose is that she also writes instrumental music. As the late great Mark Murphy said about Tobocman, “Susan sings and writes with a warm, smooth delivery, and a genuine feeling for the music.