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Two by Tessa Souter: Listen Love and Nights Of Key Largo
by Victor L. Schermer
There are two types of fine jazz singers. On the one hand, there are those who take a tune, swing it and play with it in various ways, whether with scat, shifts in accent and harmony, or even with deconstructions that re-interpret the song entirely. The man who started all that was, of course, Louis Armstrong. Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Kurt Elling, in different and more sophisticated ways, also fall into this category. On the other hand, there are ...
Continue ReadingTessa Souter: Nights of Key Largo
by Suzanne Lorge
Tessa Souter excels at creating mood and on her new CD, Nights of Key Largo, that mood is one of a relaxed intimacy: She never strains to emote, never pushes a note, never rushes a phrase. Her material--13 songs about moonlight, sand and romance--lends itself to this kind of laid-back treatment, reminding the listener that there is more to life than hurrying to be somewhere, with the stressful soundtrack that accompanies such a feverish lifestyle playing in one's head.
Continue ReadingTessa Souter: Listen Love
by Donald Elfman
How nice to hear a sophisticated singer who so completely respects the melody, the lyrics, and the moment. Tessa 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 ...
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