Tessa Souter - Picture In Black And White

Size: 118,6 MB
Time: 50:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Kothbiro (4:17)
02. Contemplation (Ancestors) (4:06)
03. A Taste Of Honey (3:31)
04. Dancing Girl Where The Streets Have No Name (5:04)
05. Ana Maria's Song (Ana Maria) (3:39)
06. Child Of Love (4:10)
07. Picture In Black And White (3:42)
08. You Don't Have To Believe (3:45)
09. Reynardine (4:26)
10. Siren Song (5:52)
11. Lonely Woman (5:15)
12. Nothing Will Be As It Was (3:03)

Concept albums are common in rock, but rare in the jazz realm. Tessa Souter's "Picture in Black and White" breaks that mold. Souter, a Rochester favorite after multiple jazz festival appearances, has created an exquisite musical exploration of her identity. At the age 28, she discovered that her birth father was black and her roots reached from Africa to the Caribbean, from Celtic Britain to Andalusian Spain. Musical strains from all of these places permeate the album.

Among the many highlights: on the opener, "Kothbiro," Souter harmonizes with herself beautifully in the Kenyan language of Dholuo; her composition "Dancing Girl" segues so perfectly into U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name," you'd think the two songs had always been together. Additionally, Souter wrote poignant lyrics to Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria" with Shorter's blessing. Souter eventually met her biological father, and the title tune reflects her feelings about him.

With gorgeous tone and impeccable phrasing, Souter's voice is thrilling throughout. Arrangements are nicely sparse, with all of the players -- guitarist and oud player Yotam Silberstein, Adam Platt on piano, cellist Dana Leong, Yasushi Nakamura on bass; drummer Billy Drummond, and Keita Ogawa on percussion -- providing the perfect lift for this journey. ~ By Ron Netsky

Picture In Black And White

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Tessa Souter - Obsession

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:57
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Eleanor Rigby
(4:59)  2. Riverman
(4:21)  3. Obsession
(5:22)  4. White Room
(4:46)  5. Afro Blue/Footprints
(4:14)  6. Make This City Ours Tonight
(4:23)  7. Crystal Rain (Sunshower)
(5:39)  8. Empty Faces (Vera Cruz)
(3:51)  9. Now and Then
(3:20) 10. Nara's Song (Little Sunflower)
(2:05) 11. Love Theme from Spartacus
(2:59) 12. Usha's Wedding

Tessa Souter is a consummate and dedicated vocalist who is deservedly on the rise in the New York jazz scene and elsewhere. A contralto who sings with both precision and emotion, her impressionist and minimalist interpretations bring out the meanings of her songs while remaining true to their melodic lines. Following Listen Love (Nara Music, 2004) and Nights of Key Largo (Venus Records, 2008), Obsession continues her in-depth preoccupation with the nature and experience of love, but with a slight shift to the Latin rhythmic side. In this respect, she is helped along by a well-chosen ensemble of instrumentalists who surround her with gentle warmth. By incorporating guitar (Jason Ennis), accordion (Victor Prieto), and violin (Todd Reynolds) into the group, Souter establishes a sultry feeling of a late night cabana in a southern clime. This provides the backdrop for further reflections on the vicissitudes of intimacy which she pursued in her previous recordings. The songs are well-chosen and carefully crafted, and the arrangements are done with great care to evoke an intended range of feelings and stylistic changes. The recording begins on the lonely 1960s note of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," and goes on to songs such as "Riverman," "Obsession," and "White Room," which evoke the passionate, obsessive side of love. "Afro Blue/Footprints" evokes John Coltrane's classic in an urbane manner, leading up to "Make This City Ours Tonight," while the remaining songs explore the light and dark aspects of intimacy, always with echoes of Latin genres. The instrumentalists complement Souter's singing with interpretive sensitivity, with Ennis' playing especially striking. Souter stands out in a large field of contemporary jazz vocalists because, unlike most of them, she thinks before she sings and never compromises the music with irrelevancies. She thinks not only of the music itself, to which she brings ample talent and sophistication, but also almost philosophically about what she wants to say. She uses dynamics and inflections to convey a deeper sense of meaning that the songs imply, and she does it with great attention to details that most singers overlook. This contemplative aspect, along with her unique style, precise articulation and her well-trained, stunning voice, make Souter a vocalist to reckon with and one whose development should be followed with great interest. ~ Victor L. Schermer  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/obsession-tessa-souter-motema-music-review-by-victor-l-schermer.php

Personnel: Tessa Souter: vocals; Jason Ennis: guitar; Gary Wang: bass; Conor Meehan: drums; Victor Prieto: accordion; Todd Reynolds: violin; Ansel Matthews: backing vocals.

Obsession

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Charnett Moffett - Spirit of Sound

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:02
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:48)  1. Bassland
(1:28)  2. Seeker of Truth
(3:32)  3. Opera
(4:03)  4. Hope
(4:38)  5. Natural Heritage
(4:53)  6. Swing Raga
(6:43)  7. Blues Walk Groove
(5:30)  8. Overpass
(4:09)  9. Lonely Woman
(3:47) 10. For Those Who Know
(5:26) 11. Spirit of Sound

Bassist Charnett Moffett's first two releases on the Motéma imprint came out two years apart; his third and fourth releases for the same label The Bridge: Solo Bass Works (Motéma Music, 2013) and the outing under discussion here arrive a mere three months apart. His working pace has clearly quickened, but the quality of the music hasn't suffered for it. Both The Bridge: Solo Bass Works and Spirit Of Sound present an artist, interpreter, composer and conceptualist in his prime. Moffett used his first release of 2013 to showcase his virtuosity and skill in delivering songs. His high level bass chops are also on display here, but this album is about creating soundscapes, not out-and-out songs. (Middle) Eastern tinged auras, circling patterns and swirling ideals are all part of this production, and "production" is the key word in that statement; Moffett, label head/label mate/duo partner Jana Herzen and manager/producer Mary Ann Topper shaped the album and gave it a glistening, celestial vibe. The personnel on Spirit Of Sound changes from track to track, as various family members and label mates drop in and out, but the consistent presence of Moffett on bass(es), Angela Moffett on tamboura, and Max Moffett on drums creates a supportive foundation throughout. In a traditional sense, the guests are underutilized, but in the context of this album concept, they deliver what's expected. Amareia Moffett adds some wordless vocals to the underwhelming "Opera," Tessa Souter does the same on the bouncy, hippie-ish "Natural Heritage," and Herzen follows suit on the semi-psychedelic "Swing Raga." Angela Moffett rounds out the vocalist roster, reciting E. E. Cummings' words on "Seeker Of Truth" and Emily Dickinson's work on "Hope." Babatunde Lea adds some percussive coloring on a few tracks, pianist Marc Cary makes an appearance on one piece and multi-reedist Oran Etkin shows up twice, but none of them make a big splash; they simply fit into the overall musical formula of the day. Much of this music is overly repetitious in nature, with vamping patterns aplenty, but Moffett's ever-stupendous bass work is the X factor that brings excitement and a sense of surprise into the picture. His technique, taste and overall conception for construction turns the potentially-bland into a flavorful sonic stew. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/spirit-of-sound-charnett-moffett-motema-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Charnett Moffett: acoustic upright bass, fretless electric bass, piccolo bass guitar, vocals; Angela Moffett: tamboura, spoken word (2, 4); Charnett "Max" Moffett: drums, tabla, vocals (4); Marc Cary: piano (10); Oran Etkin: clarinet (4), tenor saxophone (8); Babatunde Lea: percussion (4, 6, 8); Amareia Moffett: vocals (3); Tessa Souter: vocals (5); Jana Herzen: vocals 6).

Spirit of Sound

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Tessa Souter - Nights Of Key Largo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:05
Size: 144.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:56] 1. The Island
[7:13] 2. Close Enough For Love
[4:15] 3. Moondance
[4:21] 4. So Many Stars
[4:01] 5. The Look Of Love
[4:47] 6. You Only Live Twice
[3:57] 7. Key Largo
[4:35] 8. Slow Hot Wind
[4:25] 9. Moon And Sand
[5:16] 10. I'm Glad There Is You
[4:50] 11. All Or Nothing At All
[4:42] 12. Morning Of The Carnival
[4:40] 13. Imagine

Since arriving in New York City, Tessa Souter has built a dedicated following. She was a relative latecomer to jazz, taking time out to raise a family at a young age and work as a journalist before studying at the Manhattan School of music and privately with vocal great Mark Murphy, though she has developed into a formidable singer in a relatively short time. Souter's gorgeous, natural vocals never show pretension or gimmickry, while her taste in songs is amazingly wide-ranging and occasionally risk-taking. For these 2008 sessions, her accompanists include the brilliant pianist Kenny Werner (who works especially well with vocalists), saxophonist Joel Frahm, Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, veteran first-call bassist Jay Leonhart, and the in-demand drummer Billy Drummond. Souter's lush treatment of "Close Enough for Love" captures the essence of this beautiful standard (a favorite of the late Shirley Horn and many others). The haunting setting of "Morning of the Carnaval" opens with Werner's elegant piano and Leonhart's mournful arco bass, while Souter's spacious, lovely performance is also complemented by Frahm's moving soprano sax. The vocalist uncovered a gem in Benny Carter's neglected "Key Largo," which she casts in a setting that suggests a midnight stroll along the beach with her lover. But Souter is at her most stunning when she tackles songs that one doesn't normally hear in a jazz setting. Her infectious, slinky take of Van Morrison's "Moondance" opens with her sexy vocals over Leonhart's walking bass, with judicious use of reverb that is never overdone. John Lennon's "Imagine" has long been a pop standard, though jazz arrangements have been few and mostly disappointing, but Souter is buoyed by her imaginative rhythm section, though she takes few liberties with it until she is well into the song. Tessa Souter will win you over, as well, if you give her the opportunity. ~Ken Dryden

Nights Of Key Largo

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Tessa Souter - Listen Love

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:26
Size: 102,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. The Peacocks
(4:42)  2. Willow
(3:45)  3. Caravan
(4:03)  4. Listen Love
(4:43)  5. Fragile
(6:15)  6. You Don't Have To Believe
(3:50)  7. Daydream
(3:10)  8. Insensatez
(4:01)  9. Left Alone
(6:06) 10. The Creator Has A Master Plan

"On her amazing album Listen Love, [Tessa Souter] 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." (Phladelphia Inquirer) "Like Norma Winstone whose lyrics for Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" she uses here Souter understands what is needed to deliver a song .... 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." (All About Jazz-New York) ~ Editorial Reviews http://www.amazon.com/Listen-Love-Tessa-Souter/dp/B000CA35BE

"Musical sophistication ... extraordinary authenticity." ~ Los Angeles Times

"On her amazing album Listen Love, ... crystal-clear voice with diamond-cut phrasing and a slight tinge of melancholy. " ~ Philadelphia Inquirer

Listen Love

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Tessa Souter - Beyond The Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:42
Size: 136.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. Prelude To The Sun
[5:42] 2. The Lamp Is Low
[5:00] 3. Dance With Me
[5:27] 4. Chiaroscuro
[4:32] 5. My Reverie
[5:37] 6. Concierto De Aranjuez
[4:39] 7. Sunrise
[4:19] 8. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
[5:50] 9. Beyond The Blue
[5:04] 10. The Darkness Of Your Eyes
[4:38] 11. Noa's Dream
[5:26] 12. Brand New Day

Vocalist Tessa Souter is deservedly becoming treasured among jazz fans and musicians alike. She combines the sonority, vocal range and discipline of a classical lieder soprano with subtle and sultry jazz inflections. Everything she sings is meaningful, well thought out and in good taste. She works with the best instrumentalists and has a consummate grasp of both swing and the modern jazz idiom. All these elements are manifest in her newest album, Beyond the Blue, where Souter takes familiar themes from classical music, adds her own lyrics to most of them, and delivers what are essentially a new set of songs that are poetic in impact. The original melodies are all there to be heard, but the mood and interpretation are totally Souter, and all in the jazz idiom, expressing nuances of romance, love and intimacy. She is helped enormously by her instrumentalists, who play masterfully, supporting and elaborating on Souter's vocalizations with finesse and flair. ~Victor L. Schermer

Recording information: Avatar Studio, New York City (03/27/2011/03/28/2011).

Tessa Souter (vocals); Gary Versace (accordion); Joel Frahm (saxophone); Steve Kuhn (piano); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Billy Drummond (drums).

Beyond The Blue

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