"I’m convinced that she is the most complete singer I have ever heard."
Hi-Fi Answers
“Delivered a set that showed how much beauty, truth, and honest self-expression remain with us.”
- AllAboutJazz (Victor L. Schermer)
New York Times critics pick and two-time UK Sunday Times magazine Top Ten Jazz CD of the Year (2013 and 2018), New York-based critically acclaimed vocalist Tessa Souter is a “beguiling artist who infuses everything she interprets with voluptuous intelligence and keen emotional insight.” (KQED Arts)
“There are many singers who can wow us with vocal prowess, yet there’s something raw and real about hearing Tessa Souter sing,” wrote John Payne in the LA Weekly. “Basically a self-taught musician, she is not afraid to take big risks in her performances with surprising takes on often just as surprisingly un-standard repertoire, from jazz arrangements of ‘Eleanor Rigby, Cream’s ‘White Room’ and Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’ to covers of Brazilian compositions by Milton Nascimento and Dori Caymmi, modern jazz tunes by Wayne Shorter and Kenny Barron, originals such as her own mesmerizing ‘Usha’s Wedding’ and superb arrangements of classical stuff by Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy and others. It’s the sound of an artist doing things her own way.” She has cast an increasingly wide musical net, from her Flamenco-tinged debut, Listen Love (Nara, 2004), to Picture in Black and White (NOA, 2018), a meditative exploration of her bi-racial heritage, to her upcoming release ESP: The Erik Satie Project, her sixth album, due out in May 2025.
“World class Must see, tessa souter, whose musical sophistication gives her a significant advantage in the competitive clamor, seems more focused on exploring the limitless creativity of the art than simply having another go at the Great american songbook. she also has the rare quality of authenticity.” Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
Sample a couple of recent performances by Tessa below