On her stunning third recording, Obsession, to be released by Motéma Music on August 11, vocalist Tessa Souter (soo-ter), born of Trinidadian and English parents, presents a multicultural banquet, that reflects her own conjoined African, Indian, Caribbean, and English bloodlines, as well as her American present. Experiencing Souter, you will hear “traces of Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae in her phrasing, and Julie London and Peggy Lee in her delicate breathing”; you will be treated to “a captivating voice” (Swing Journal Magazine, on Souter’s sophomore release Nights of Key Largo). Souter delivers every word with a “crystal clear voice and diamond cut phrasing”- The Philadelphia Inquirer.  From the opening notes of Obsession she displays the beautiful “ability to see the shape of a tune so the words seem to come from her soul” – All About Jazz New York.

Download Mp3: “Usha’s Wedding”

More info on Tessa Souter
Purchase Obsession

Babatunde Lea’s fourth release on Motema is a tribute to the late Leon Thomas. Umbo Weti features a stellar band of improvisers: Dwight Trible (vocals), Ernie Watts (tenor sax), Gary Brown (bass), Patrice Rushen (piano), and Lea on drums and percussion.

UMBO WETI finds Lea, and his “dream team” of musicians exploring pieces associated with Thomas’ blend of a spiritually passionate and socially conscious worldview with deftly inventive musicality and progressive vision. They re-imagine Thomas’ version of John Lee Hooker’s primal “Boom Boom Boom Boom,” his new lyrics for Horace Silver’s “Song for My Father,” and the timeless “The Creator Has a Master Plan” – the latter which inexplicably turned into an FM radio hit for Sanders and Thomas. “It was the kind of post-bop thing that happened, kind of the spiritual thing that [John] Coltrane started,” Lea explains. “It was a post-bop spiritual jazz that originated with Coltrane in the late ‘60s and that lasted through the ‘70s and early ‘80s,” Lea explains.  “Leon was a big part of that style and really moved it forward.”

In this video Lea and his band perform the material live at Yoshi’s and speak about the process of creating the tribute and capturing the essence of Thomas’ spirit.

More info on Babatunde Lea

Motema artists Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett performed at this year’s Harmony Festival in California. Take a look at some select photos from the event. Charnett and Jana were joined by Will Calhoun on drums and Angela Moffett on the tambour.

[View with PicLens]

 

Live footage of the Antonio Ciacca Quartet performing “Lagos Blues” at the Blue Note, NYC.
Find out more about Antonio Ciacca at Motema.com

No Evidence of Disease (N.E.D.) is the indie rock band formed by six gynecologic cancer surgeons to raise awareness of gynecologic cancer. They recently announced their partnership with Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer non-profit - proceeds from their debut self-titled release will benefit Cancer Schmancer. The album will be out in September on Motema Music. Meanwhile take a sneak peek into one of their rehearsal sessions.

N.E.D. - No Evidence of Disease, the indie rock band formed by six gynecologic cancer surgeons that will release its debut with Motéma in September, has forged a partnership with the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a not-for-profit founded by Fran Drescher to ensure Stage 1 diagnosis for all women with cancer.

N.E.D.’s self-titled debut is a benefit CD of original rock and roll music written by the band and expertly produced by rising-star Mario McNulty (David Bowie/Linkin’ Park/Ziggy Marley, etc.) Proceeds will benefit gynecologic cancer education and treatment and the CD includes an educational pamphlet: “What Every Woman Should Know.”
This Motéma Foundation release will be cross-promoted with a new book by N.E.D. drummer, Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth, titled Music & Cancer: A Prescription for Healing.

With Obsession, due for release with Motéma this August 11th, the New York City-based, Anglo-Trinidadian rising star Tessa Souter delivers a sultry mix of jazz, flamenco, Indian classical, and Middle Eastern stylings. From unlikely covers (”White Room” & “Eleanor Rigby”) to moving originals, the CD is sexy, intelligent, romantic and redemptive. If you’d like to be one of the first to get your copy, pre-order Obsession now at the Motéma store.

Tessa will be holding her release party at Blue Note on August 3rd at 8pm featuring Jason Ennis on guitar, Gary Wang on bass, Conor Mehan on drums, and Victor Prieto on accordion. Click here to make a reservation.

Rochester City Paper said of Souter’s recent performance at Christ Church: “To say that [she] enchanted the audience would be an understatement. At most of the Club Pass concerts I’ve been to, dozens of people leave before the end so they can make it to the next show. With 10 p.m. approaching (starting time for four venues) only a few people in the capacity crowd left. Everyone else seemed to be transfixed by Souter’s gorgeous voice and wonderful personality.”

More about Tessa Souter at Motema

Ben Ratliff, of the New York Times, recently reviewed Oran Etkin’s Kelenia on WBGO’s show “The Checkout,” which is hosted by Josh Jackson. You can listen to their discussion below, which is full of praise for the album and Oran’s talents.

Kelenia continues to receive praise from numerous outlets, such as All Music Guide:

“This recording is excellent through and through, comes highly recommended, and sets a new standard for world music in the decade of the 2000s.”

Read more about what the critics are saying at Oran’s Motema page.