TESSA SOUTER – Nights Of Key Largo (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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  
Tracklist :
1    The Island    5:59
2    Close Enough For Love    7:12
3    Moondance    4:11
4    So Many Stars    4:24
5    The Look Of Love    3:53
6    You Only Live Twice    4:50
7    Key Largo    3:58
8    Slow Hot Wind    4:33
9    Moon And Sand    4:25
10    I'm Glad There Is You    5:18
11    All Or Nothing At All    4:50
12    Morning Of The Carnival    4:40
13    Imagine    4:40
Credits :
Bass – Jay Leonhart
Drums – Billy Drummond
Guitar – Romero Lubambo
Piano – Kenny Werner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Joel Frahm
Vocals – Tessa Souter

TESSA SOUTER - Obsession (2009) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Jazz vocalists have increasingly sought to move away from set lists consisting exclusively of decades-old standards and jazz compositions, though one of the greatest challenges is finding songs with both strong melodies and lyrics in pop and modern theater Tessa Souter has a rich contralto voice and an adventurous spirit, while she is confident enough of her abilities to include three rock songs among the first four tracks of Obsession. Her hypnotic setting of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" has little jazz content, but the novelty of her arrangement, utilizing violin, guitar, and accordion, makes it work. Other jazz vocalists such as fellow Brit Claire Martin have covered Nick Drake's "Riverman," but Souter digs deeper into its lyrics in a sophisticated arrangement. Cream's "White Room" was a hit in the late '60s, and guitarist Jason Ennis' Brazilian-flavored scoring make this once-monotonous piece cook, though its weak lyrics are hardly "poetry" as Souter describes many of the songs on this release. Whatever one thinks of Souter's journeys into rock, there is no room for debate about her handling of jazz material. Her subtle yet sizzling take of Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue" interweaves the bassline of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" (played mostly by bassist Gary Wang, though Ennis also incorporates the latter into his solo), while Souter shimmers in her performance of Kenny Barron's engaging "Crystal Rain" (originally titled "Sunshower" prior to the addition of lyrics), with violinist Todd Reynolds adding rich textures in the background behind the singer and Ennis. Alex North's moving ballad "Love Theme from Spartacus" is forever associated with pianist Bill Evans' overdubbed piano trio recording, though Souter's take on it, backed only by acoustic guitar and bass, proves that less is more. The vocalist also makes a major impression as a composer/lyricist with her wistful "Now and Then" and infectious chanting "Usha's Wedding." While Tessa Souter was well-known to jazz aficionados in New York City for almost a decade prior to the 2009 release of this CD, the free-spiritedObsession should introduce her to many new fans worldwide. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Eleanor Rigby 3:49
John Lennon
2 Riverman 4:57
Nick Drake
3 Obsession 4:19
4 White Room 5:19
P. Brown
5 Afro Blue / Footprints 4:44
Wayne Shorter
6 Make This City Ours Tonight 4:11
7 Crystal Rain (Sunshower) 4:19
Kenny Barron / Teri Roiger
8 Empty Faces (Vera Cruz) 5:35
Lani Hall
9 Now And Then 3:48
Tessa Souter
10 Nara's Song (Little Sunflower) 3:18
11 Love Theme From Spartacus 2:02
Alex North
12 Usha's Wedding 2:59
Tessa Souter
Credits :
Accordion – Victor Prieto (tracks: 2,3,4,6,8,9)
Backing Vocals – Ansel Matthews
Bass – Gary Wang
Drums – Conor Meehan
Guitar – Jason Ennis
Violin – Todd Reynolds (tracks: 1,7)
Vocals – Tessa Souter

TESSA SOUTER – Beyond The Blue (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :

1. Prelude To The Sun (Beethoven's Symphony No.7, 2nd Movement) (3:55)

2. Beyond The Blue (Chopin's Prelude In E Minor, Opus 28, No.4) (6:01)

3. The Lamp Is Low (Ravel's Pavane. Adapted By Peter De Rose & Bert Shefter) (6:42)

4. Chiaroscuro (Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio In G Minor) (5:31)

5. Dance With Me (Borodin's Polovetsian Dances) (5:04)

6. Noa's Dream (Schubert's Serenade) (4:44)

7. En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor (Rodrigo's Concierto De Aranjuez) (7:08)

8. My Reverie (Debussy's Reverie. Lyric: Larry Clinton) (4:37)

9. Sunrise (Brahms' Symphony No.3, 3rd Movement) (4:45)

10. Baubles Bangles And Beads (Borodin's String Quartet In D, No.2, 

      2nd Movement. Adapted By Robert Wright & George Forrest) (4:22)

11. The Darkness Of Your Eyes (Faure's Pavane) (5:08)

12. Brand New Day (Faure's Elegy) (5:26)

Credits :

Accordion – Gary Versace

Bass – David Finck

Drums – Billy Drummond

Piano – Steve Kuhn

Saxophone – Joel Frahm

Vibraphone – Joe Locke

Vocals – Tessa Souter