TESSA SOUTER: Listen Love

Tessa Souter

Listen Love

© 2004 Tessa Souter (616892627722)

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Daughter of an English mother and Trinidadian father, Tessa sings jazz with the soul and passion of Flamenco and world music.

notes

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PLUS ... IS TESSA PERFORMING AT A VENUE NEAR YOU?
Check out Tessa's itinerary at:
http://www.tessasouter.com

With Freddie Bryant (guitar), Essiet Essiet (bass), Chembo Corniel (percussion) and guest Mark Berman (piano).

Tessa also has a new book out:
ANYTHING I CAN DO YOU CAN DO BETTER
Random House-Vermilion).
For more information copy and paste this URL into your browser. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0091902568/qid%3D1135837280/202-7742018-3607067

"Extraordinary authenticity. Musical sophistication. A must-see for lovers of world class jazz vocalizing." Los Angeles Times

Born in London of Trinidadian and English parents, New York-based vocalist, composer, and lyricist Tessa Souter (soo-ter) infuses jazz with the soul and passion of flamenco, Indian and Middle Eastern music. There's no one doing what Tessa does," enthused Village Voice and New York Sun critic Will Friedwald. "One of the most imaginatively programmed vocal sets of recent memory." said the Los Angeles Times, in a rave review of her California debut at the Catalina Bar and Grill in 2002. And it's not just the critics who admire her. Soul jazz singer Jon Lucien said of Listen Love. "Magnificent! I couldn't stop playing it over and over. She blew me away!"

Taught to sing at the age of three by her mother, Tessa took up the guitar at 12. She was encouraged in her early teens to pursue a singing career, but took a detour - early motherhood, university and journalism. In 1992, she moved to San Francisco, where she wrote for the British press, including Vogue, Elle, The Guardian and The Times, and became one of the original six members of The Writer's Grotto, along with Po Bronson (who cites her in his best seller What Should I Do With My Life), Ethan Canin, Ethan Watters, Josh Kornbluth and David Munro. After moving to New York in 1996, she started sitting in at jazz jams, before winning a scholarship to study at New York's Manhattan School of Music in 1998. She left to study privately with jazz vocal legend Mark Murphy.

Since her professional debut in 1999 Tessa has performed with some of the world's jazz greats, including Mark Murphy, Joe La Barbera, Marvin Sewell, Larry Koonse, Latin Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria and jazz tuba legend Howard Johnson. WNPK Radio FM says: "It's hard to believe she only recently became a vocalist, because she sings with the authority and passion that usually comes from long experience." To quote Los Angeles-based guitarist Larry Koonse, "Tessa Souter has all the qualities I value most in a musician: great time, beautiful phrasing, gorgeous sound, a respect for silence, an emotional connection to the moment, and a wonderful ability to tell a story. She is the 'real thing' in every way." www.tessasouter.com www.sonicbids.com/tessasouter

What People Are Saying About Tessa's Music:

"Talented English jazz singer who runs her set through various kinds of territory."
NEW YORK TIMES

"British-Caribbean jazz vocalist Tessa Souter brings new life to time-honored standards, while also mining a creative spark from the unlikeliest quarters.'"
TIME OUT, NEW YORK

"On her amazing album Listen Love, she delivers powerful versions of nonstandards such as Pat Martino's "Willow" and Pharoah Sanders' complex "The Creator Has a Master Plan," in addition to her originals, all delivered in a crystal-clear voice with diamond-cut phrasing and a slight tinge of melancholy. She's a gem."
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"Unlike many jazz singers, who either emulate the brassy blasts of a trumpet or the gymnastic lines of a saxophone, Souter uses the sustained waves of a violinist. Her voice is sinuous and elastic, stretching and caressing a melody with an actress' sense of the emotional meaning of each lyric."
PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER

"You'll burn a finger holding a torch to her."
DAILYCANDY.COM

"Her rendition of Pharoah Sanders's 'The Creator Has a Master Plan' proves that it's possible to be spiritual and sensual at the same time."
NEW YORK SUN

"Dazzles and stuns with her vocal expertise."
WNTI-FM RADIO

"... pliable, lush-toned voice ... comfortable with musical paraphrase, harmonically adept ... Souter, whose musical sophistication gives her a significant advantage in the competitive clamor surrounding the current world of ambitious female jazz artists, also has the rare quality of authenticity."
LOS ANGELES TIMES (LIVE REVIEW)

"Listen Love marks the debut of an important new jazz singer."
WPKN-FM RADIO

"You'll be hearing more from this lady."
LOS ANGELES WEEKLY

"... fearless, self-assured and consciously singular ... sense of daring combined with skill."
WORCESTER MAGAZINE

"An Afro-British-Caribbean stylist who proves that the jazz singer's repertoire is no longer limited to the Great American Song Book. Direct and soulful. Plus she's the only singer who can make sense of the 60s free-jazz flower child anthem, 'The Creator Has A Master Plan.'"
VILLAGE VOICE

"Sensuous, womanly, wrapped in an aura of high-60s glamour that's equal parts Paris, New York and Rio."
JOSEPH HOOPER, JAZZ CRITIC

"It is rare to find someone so musical who can sail through challenging material with such ease."
JAMES GAVIN, AUTHOR, BIOGRAPHER OF CHET BAKER

"A beautiful voice and a beautiful soul to go with it. A very very special talent ... at the top of my list of great talent. There aren't many, but Tessa Souter is a natural born singer."
SHEILA JORDAN, JAZZ VOCALIST

"Her brilliant lyrics and songs make her stand out from the pack so very much, not to mention how she wonderfully handles other people's material. And she creates a mood and an atmosphere when she takes the stage."
HOWARD JOHNSON, JAZZ TUBA PLAYER

reviews

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  • enjoyed it would like to hear her record some classics
    author: jake

    cd is excellent

  • Goes straight to your heart
    author: Graham McTavish

    I first heard this through a friend and since then it is always in my top ten on my iPod. She has the most beautiful voice and her arrangements make each song a stand out hit.

  • Life is beautiful
    author: Richard Conde Photographer/Marcus Kamal Media Group

    She lives her music. She is a modern day Billy Holliday. You dont have to believe, The creator has a master plan and Listen Love is the essence of her music. Life is beautiful and this cd proves it........

  • gorgeous, lyrical and soulful
    author: jjxg

    Vocal precision melded with soul, passion and commitment. Distinct musical articulation. Lovely and restrained arrangements that distill the music to core essence which is perfectly and appropriately nuanced by Ms. Souter's gorgeous voice.

  • A fabulous voice - tender, sophisticated, passionate.
    author: Cathy Netherwood

    The combination of standards and original material brings out the full range of Tessa's voice, from dreamy and introspective to bold and passionate.

  • The most relaxing CD I've ever listened to.
    author: Sarah

    This CD is so relaxing. If you're an Insomniac this is the one for you. Tessa's voice is smooth, beautiful and hypnotic. Each song seems to run into the next with ease. The only downside to the CD is that, although I've listened to it many times, some of the tracks are not that memorable. I would definitely buy more CD's by this Artist.

  • This CD is a MUST HAVE
    author: Julie E. Malave

    The music on the CD offers so many different flavors that are all wonderful in their own right. Perfect for a romantic evening without putting you to sleep.

  • fantastic
    author: niki ponte

    this album is so beautiful and melodic! nice repetoire and smooth voice!!! a real winner!!!

  • Beatiful Music from a Beatiful Person
    author: Chris E. Owens

    Listen Love speaks to the romantic in all of us. The beautiful blend of jazz, Euro-Caribbean sound with just a hint of 50’s smooth R&B/Soul favor is a delight. Listen Love asks you to do just that listen and enjoy the beautiful sounds coming from a beautiful voice. A beautiful voice which echoes back an era of music long pass. Listen Love simply says listen and hopefully with the one you love.

  • I've been playing it over and over and keep finding new things.
    author: Rob Lester

    Her background is Caribbean, British and African. She can sing in more than one language, and in different styles, but it all sounds rich and ravishing. Meet Tessa Souter, who has released her debut album. She's garnered some warm attention from the music press and played club dates including a spot in Greenwich Village, Club 55, where she'll return May 13. I've very recently caught on to her and am glad of it. It's hard to believe this is the young lady's very first recording - she sounds so assured, so comfortable, so in command. It's one of those CDs you put on and immediately think, "wow!" and know you can settle back and be bathed in a simply beautiful voice possessed by someone who has learned how to use it. Well, she's had a good teacher - her mentor is one of the best jazz singers, the veteran Mark Murphy, who is also known for his good taste. Tessa's style is not similar to a typical jazz singer, though. It sounds like she could do all kinds of things. Well, she does here. Sensitive and thoughtful, there are no tricks or gimmicks on display. The standard "How Insensitive" ("Insensatez") by Antonio Carlos Jobim has been attended to in cabarets and recordings by dozens of singers but she makes the melody a fresh experience. The Duke Ellington classic "Caravan" is in good hands, too. Although she might find herself typed as "a jazz singer," that would be just a part of the picture. She pays careful attention to the lyrics, phrases well and knows how to bring out the drama in the words. Especially well served is "Fragile" by Sting. There's also a Billie Holiday specialty, "Left Alone," that shows her way with a sad ballad without borrowing any vocal stylization from the lady. She knows how to tell a story (not surprising that before turning to singing, she was a journalist!) The album's jewel of a title tune is by another singer not easily categorized, Jon Lucien. Not only did Tessa produce the CD herself, she also wrote especially tender and emotional lyrics to three of its selections. One of these, "You Don't Have To Believe," has an attractive melody by ... you guessed it - she composes, too. She interacts well with some highly skilled musicians. Freddie Bryant playing guitar is a true partner; it never feels like they are taking turns. Reflective, spare, serious, hypnotic... I've been playing it over and over and keep finding new things.

  • listening to Tessa's CD, makes cleaning my room a romantic dance
    author: Daniel Tassew

    It starts softly and never leaves you without a constant soothing, close but yet just beyond reach, I feel like she is singing to me and thru me, gently, it is the way her voice carry's with or without accompanyment, you can feel her presence in the song.

  • To hear Tessa Souter sing is to love her.
    author: Fred Fayerweather

    Having heard Tessa Souter sing at many different venues in New York City, I already knew she was indeed special. However, her Listen Love CD took me to a higher level of respect because, above the din of a live audience, it captures the essence of her very being.

  • Ms. Souter dazzles and stuns with her vocal expertise
    author: John Hammel , WNTI Radio

    Tessa Souter – Listen Love – Nara Music – Ms. Souter dazzles and stuns with her vocal expertise on a potpourri of classics and a few that she adds her own lyrics to. All rendered with taste and élan. It’s a jam packed world out in jazz vocal land but Ms. Souter is able to lend an innate musicality and tastefulness to her performances that separates her from the herd. Jimmy Rowles’ The Peacocks shimmers in her voice, while Pat Martino’s Willow gains added depth with Ms. Souter’s own lyrical bent. Caravan is done with a gorgeously referenced Middle Eastern feel that sounds more right than the original. Her lyrics and interpretation to Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is simply sublime. Pharoah Sander’s The Creator Has A Master Plan is even better as performed by Ms. Souter than Leon Thomas’s version as she makes the music and lyrics come together with added depth to the spiritual aspects of the piece. All in all Ms. Souter imbues her singing with sensitivity and profound insights without beating you over the head. An outstanding new release. Kudos to Freddie Bryant and Miles Okzaki on guitar; Essiet Essiet on bass; Mark Berman on piano; and Chembo Cormiel on percussion. They don’t over or under play anything on this disk, but just lay down all the right notes and chords with consummate and masterly musicianship!

  • An album to seduce somebody to? THIS is it!
    author: Claudia Daventry, freelance writer

    The best review of this CD would be, quite simply, to play it. It speaks for itself. Pure, lyrical, soulful...an album to seduce somebody to? THIS is it!

  • Transports me to a smokey, dark bar in Seville
    author: Alex Guy

    Great CD. Play it all the time. The flamenco influence transports me to a smokey, dark bar in Seville. Very evocative stuff.

  • Intelligent, tasteful CD with Tessa's wonderful voice and amplifying arrangement
    author: Bruce Heckman

    The songs are selected with taste, intelligence, and to allow the demonstration of the full range of Tessa's talents. Peacocks weaves a beautiful, unusual picture that is handled with the delicacy and confidence that it needs to be whole. The arrangements bring a new slant to the mixture of standards, new standards, and original work. The accompaniment never detracts and amplifies the heartfelt music. You will listen to the CD repeatedly, finding new depth in the artful treatment of the music.

  • author: Donald Elfman, All About Jazz Magazine

    How nice to hear a sophisticated singer who so completely respects the melody, the lyrics and the moment. Ms. Souter contributes much to the evolution of the songs she chooses to perform - she finds ways through phrase, paraphrase and instrumental accompaniment to add rich new color. Like Norma Winstone -- whose lyrics for Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" she uses here -- Souter understands what is needed to deliver a song. Her voice, her sense of drama, her use of space and shape -- all these work towards the sense of birth in each of these performances. You may have heard some of these songs before, but they're newly fashioned herein. Take the Pharoah Sanders/Leon Thomas '60s hym, "The Creator Has A Master Plan', which she de-mystifies. In so doing, Souter finds a different, earthier way to sing it in which none of the spiritual or anthemic quality is lost with an arrangement bouyed by Essiet Essiet's soulful bass and the ethereal guitar of [Miles Okazaki]. Souter's singing style feels natural and organic -- her rich, dark voice combines with her ability to see the shape of a tune and so the words seem to come from her soul. The production is pure and simple and thus the song stays at the center of consciousness. "Caravan", a song that's seen countless performances by countless singers, is re-animated with new dynamics and a hypnotic vocal arrangement. "You Don't Have to Believe' says the title of one of the singer's originals, but what happens is that the magic happens and you find yourself believing in what she does after all

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