“Exploring her mixed heritage, the expat with a penchant for Wayne Shorter raises songs to the level of poetry.” TOP TEN JAZZ RECORD OF THE YEAR, UK SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE
“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.
Picture in Black and White, a tribute to her hidden ancestors and the second of her albums to be picked as a London Sunday Times Jazz Record of the Year, was inspired by her discovery at age 28 that her birth father was black. 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,”
YASUSHI NAKAMURA
“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.
