“The one show not to miss, best of day and best of entire festival. The ethereal vocalist, a hit at previous festivals, is a truly original and artful stylist.” jack garner, ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE JAZZ FESTIVAL REVIEW

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 Anglo-Afro-Caribbean vocalist Tessa Souter /’su:ter/ is a “beguiling artist who infuses everything she interprets with voluptuous intelligence and keen emotional insight.” (KQED Arts) Mentored by jazz legends Mark Murphy, who called her “a true musician and extraordinary talent, remarkable and very moving,” and NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, who commends her “beautiful voice and beautiful soul” and puts her “at the top of my list of great talent,” Souter’s gorgeous voice and penchant for exploring music mostly untouched by other vocalists, has “set her apart as one of the few exceptional standouts in the crowded field of female jazz singers. She also has the rare quality of authenticity.” (Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times)  

From her Flamenco-tinged debut album, Listen Love (Nara, 2004), to Picture in Black and White (NOA, 2018), a meditative exploration of her bi-racial heritage, Souter has cast an increasingly wide musical net, culminating in her upcoming album, ESP: The Erik Satie Project. Featuring Tessa’s long-time core band – Grammy-winning pianist Luis Perdomo, 2025 Grammy nominee, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and legendary drummer Billy Drummond (plus guest artists Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet and flugelhorn and Steve Wilson on soprano saxophone), it pairs chamber jazz interpretations of Erik Satie’s most famous melodies with Souter’s evocative lyrics, along with two complementary pieces from Miles Davis’s seminal ESP album, a Sérgio Mendes/Lani Hall cover and two classic French chansons. Click the album cover below to preview all tracks.

Souter has performed at some of the world’s most notable venues, including Dizzy’s Club, JALC, six tours of the philharmonic halls of Russia, SF Jazz, the Kennedy Center, Mezzrow,  London and Edinburgh Jazz Festivals, and the Blue Notes in New York, Beijing and Shanghai. In 2015, she was the subject of a one-hour WXXI PBS program at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, where she has performed a record seven times. “Tessa Souter has become a favorite of (festival) fans, not only because of her beautiful voice and amazing artistry but because of her warmth as a person. She is a beautiful human being who relates to her audiences as well as any artist we’ve ever presented,” said John Nugent, co-producer and artistic director of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, speaking to The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Shadows & Silence: The Erik Satie Project is due out in May 2025. Tessa is available to tour from May onwards and will have the full PR tour support of DL Media (press) and Groov Marketing (radio). Note: Core band may do live gigs subject to availability. Click the album cover to preview tracks.  Click here for Tessa’s EPK  

“World class. Must-see. Musical sophistication and the rare quality of authenticity.”

Don Heckman, IROM

“The audience gave an extended ovation in appreciation for an afternoon and evening of daring, beautiful jazz.”

BACH DANCING AND DYNAMITE SOCIETY, HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, ALLABOUTJAZZ