Biography

"Daring, beautiful jazz." AllAboutJazz | “Shimmers in the dark.” London Times | “Astute and expressive.” New York Times | “World class.” LA Times Tessa 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,” (Los Angeles Times). “There aren’t many but Tessa Souter is a natural born singer,” says NEA Jazz Master, Sheila Jordan. “She really moves me.” A protégé of jazz vocal legend Mark Murphy, who called her "very moving", a “true musician” and “an extraordinary talent,” Souter knows her way around the American Songbook but the Anglo-Trinidadian has also established herself as an uncommonly creative arranger and songwriter. She has five albums, including two Sunday Times Top Ten Best Jazz Albums of the Year, and performs all over the world, wowing audiences with her striking authenticity, charismatic stage presence and crackling humor. Her 17-year monthly residency at New York’s iconic 55 Bar was frequently SRO, until the pandemic closed its doors, and her Rochester International Jazz Festival debut was so popular, she’s been invited back seven times. “It’s one thing to hear a superb set from a known giant like Randy Brecker, it’s a different, particularly exhilarating feeling to witness a great performance by a newcomer like Tessa Souter. Judging from the ovations she received Saturday night, the entire audience felt the same way