“A truly beautiful voice.” —Dermot Hussey, Sirius Radio
“A singer and composer blessed with wide-ranging vocals and a post-bop sensibility, through which she filters sounds from West Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Andalusian Spain.” —London Evening Standard, Jazz Album of the Week
A protégé of jazz vocal legend Mark Murphy, who called her a “true musician,” “very moving” and “an extraordinary talent,” Anglo-Trinidadian vocalist, Tessa Souter has established herself as an uncommonly creative vocalist and songwriter in the past two decades. Heralded by KQED Arts as “a beguiling artist who infuses everything she interprets with voluptuous intelligence and keen emotional insight,” ever since the release of her flamenco-tinged debut, Listen Love, she has cast an increasingly wide net, from contributing original lyrics to instrumental jazz standards, and re-imagining classic British rock on Obsession (Motéma, 2009) to her all-star Third Stream project, Beyond the Blue (Venus-Motéma, 2013). Featuring Steve Kuhn and spotlighting Souter’s own “exhilaratingly mature lyrics” (Chicago Examiner) set to classical gems, it was a London Sunday Times Jazz Record of the Year. Her follow-up album, Picture in Black and White, inspired by the discovery of her Trinidadian black birth father, was also picked as a London Sunday Times Jazz Record of the Year. It is a riveting journey tracing the artist’s “musical DNA” from Africa, the Caribbean, Andalusian Spain and Celtic Britain, via the music of Wayne Shorter (who granted her shared writing credit on ‘Ana Maria’), Ornette Coleman, Milton Nascimento, Ayub Ogada, U2 and more. Jazzwise magazine gave the album 4 out of 4 stars, saying: "It is impossible not to be transfixed by the inventiveness and potency of Souter’s artistry.”
https://tessasouter.com/
LUIS PERDOMO - piano
“A rather amazing improviser, the pianist is making a name for himself by feverishly assaulting the progressive edge of mainstream jazz.” — Village Voice
“Mr. Perdomo plays with deep sonority, rhythmic aplomb and an ear for useful dissonance.” – New York Times
Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo’s lyrical and logical playing embodies Bud Powell’s bop-at-the-speed-of-swing, Oscar Peterson’s technical brilliance, and Ahmad Jamal’s melodic genius. Ever since he came to New York, on a full scholarship to Manhattan School of Music in 1971, he has emerged as a first-class sideman to some of the jazz world's most important artists, including Dave Douglas, David Sanchez, Tom Harrell, Steve Turre, Ben Wolfe, Ray Barretto, Brian Lynch, David Gilmore, Conrad Herwig, Ignacio Berroa, Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye. He was a member of Ravi Coltrane’s Quartet for ten years, and is a founding member of the Miguel Zenon Quartet. Perdomo appears on three Grammy-nominated CD’s: Coltrane’s Influx, and Zenon’s Esta Plena, and Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook. In addition, he has made nine critically-acclaimed recordings as a leader.
https://www.luisperdomojazz.com/
YASUSHI NAKAMURA - bass
“One of the most commanding voices on bass today”
Yasushi Nakamura is praised for imaginative, quicksilver bass lines that deepen the groove. His blend of guitar-like precision and gut-level blues has sparked collaborations with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Hank Jones, Dave Douglas, Steve Miller, etc. With his charismatic stage presence and artful, hard swinging melodic touch, Nakamura is a first-call performer capturing new audiences and fans around the world. Born in Tokyo, Nakamura moved to the United States at age 9, and considers both places home. He began with clarinet and tenor saxophone, but his older brother’s study of guitar and drums drove him to pick up the bass. His love of rock and funk aside, the music of Charlie Parker, Ray Brown, Miles Davis were a potent influence on him. Nakamura received a BA in Jazz Performance from Berklee School of Music in 2000, and was awarded a full scholarship to The Juilliard School for his Artist Diploma in 2006. He credits Myron Walden as an early champion, and keeps close ties to Juilliard mentors Victor Goines, Wycliffe Gordon, and Carl Allen, Ben Wolfe all of whom maintain him in their bands. An important band leader in his own right, in 2016, Nakamura released his first album A Lifetime Treasure and, in 2017, his second album Hometown from Atelier Sawano featuring Lawrence Fields, Bigyuki, and Clarence Penn, which received album of the year in JazzLife magazine.
https://www.yasushinakamurabass.com/
BILLY DRUMMOND – drums
“Fertile, exciting music.” NEW YORK TIMES
“One of the hippest bandleaders now at work.” DOWNBEAT
“Spins jazz on the head of a pin with stunning results.” JAZZ TIMES
Bandleader, composer and sideman, Billy Drummond’s thrilling, powerful and highly musical playing has made him one of the most called-for players of his generation. Mentored in the bands of jazz legends Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, J J Johnson and Sonny Rollins, Drummond has been called on to record over 350 albums as a sideman with a veritable who's who of jazz greats, including Steve Kuhn, Charles Tolliver, Nat Adderley, Charles McPherson, Eddie Henderson, James Moody, Sheila Jordan, Andrew Hill, Carla Bley, Eddie Gomez, Hank Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Konitz, Stanley Cowell, Archie Shepp, and Joe Lovano. Now widely acknowledged as one of today’s most versatile drummers, he is equally at home in the avant garde as well as hard-swinging bop realms. Drummond has made three albums as a leader, including his cult-followed Dubai (featuring Chris Potter, Walt Weiskopf and Peter Washington), which was picked as the Number 1 Jazz Album of the Year by the New York Times when it was released. Dubai was recently honored as one of the “50 Crucial Jazz Drumming Recordings of the Past 100 Years” by Modern Drummer magazine – "distilling to only 50 a century’s worth of drumming on jazz recordings, which by any reasonable guess would comprise tens if not hundreds of thousands of titles.” He has made five albums as a co-leader, including 2016’s We’ll Be Together Again (Chesky), in Three’s Company – a trio with Javon Jackson and legendary bassist, Ron Carter – which made many of the year’s Top Ten lists.