Lynne Arriale, Tessa Souter, Jim Hart Pizza Express Dean Street, Feb 2012. Photo credit Cat Munro

Cat Munro’s picture captures the mood of last Sunday night at the Pizza very well. There may not be another singer who can carry the long arc of a melody with quite Tessa Souter‘s concentration, evenness and control. (Try The Peacocks from her debut album – with the great Sarf London title Listen Love) or Beyond the Blue, the title track of the current one on Motema – here’s Chris Parker’s review.

Lynne Arriale played some fascinating, flawless, less-is-more solos, Jim Hart had the energetic and creative Winston Clifford right behind his jacket-tails (out of shot) and responded in kind, and Alec Dankworth – who has a very big night this Saturday – brought the same melodious completeness of another fine, busy bass player Tessa Souter works with in New York, Sean Smith. Tessa is also a lively writer and  I must get round to reading her book