Neil Tesser (born 1951) is a Grammy Award–winning American journalist, radio host, music critic, and author. In 2015, he received the Jazz Journalists Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Journalism.
Neil Tesser | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 30, 1951 New York, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Author, journalist, radio host |
Biography
editBorn in New York, Tesser grew up on Long Island.[1] He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. Tesser resides in Chicago.
Career
editTesser's career has spanned over five decades, and has included work as a journalist, music critic, radio host and author.
Tesser was a long-time jazz critic at the Chicago Reader, beginning his work there in the 1970s. Earlier in his career he wrote Reader's Hot Type column, covering sports among other topics.[2] As a radio host, Tesser has hosted the nationally syndicated programs Miles Ahead and Listen Here!,[3] as well as Chicago-based jazz shows on WNIB, WBEZ, WSBC, WCFJ.[4][5] He currently hosts the Chicago portion of "Jazz Across America" which airs and streams at KSDS -FM in San Diego.
As an author, Tesser wrote The Playboy Guide to Jazz, published in 1998 by Plume.[6] He has composed liner notes for nearly 600 albums, which have garnered him one Grammy Award and another nomination. Artists for whom Tesser has written liner notes include Blood, Sweat & Tears, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Gil Scott-Heron, Kurt Elling, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Bill Evans and Patricia Barber.[7]
Tesser is a member of The Recording Academy, formerly serving as vice chair of the board of trustees.[8]
Awards and nominations
editTesser received a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for his liner notes to Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered and Expanded) by John Coltrane.[9] He was nominated for a Grammy in 1986 for his liner notes to Stan Getz's The Girl from Ipanema: The Bossa Nova Years.[10]
On June 16, 2015, Tesser was awarded the Jazz Journalists Association's (JJA) Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Journalism.[11] In addition, Tesser received the first JJA award for Excellence in Broadcasting.[12]
He was also a recipient of an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for his work with Rhino Records.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Sonido Isleno". chicagoreader.com. November 4, 2004.
- ^ "Chicago's Neil Tesser wins Grammy". chicagoreader.com. February 4, 2014.
- ^ "Jazz Journalists Association Honors Its Own: Chicago Writer-Broadcaster Neil Tesser Wins 2015 Lifetime Achievement In Jazz Journalism Award". news.allaboutjazz.com. June 19, 2015.
- ^ "Chicago's Neil Tesser wins Grammy". chicagoreader.com.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help); Unknown parameter|He currently hosts the Chicago portion of "Jazz Across America," which airs and streams at KSDS-FM in San Diego. url=ignored (help) - ^ "Neil Tesser, WFMT Radio Network. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Neil Tesser: The Playboy Guide to Jazz". jazztimes.com/.
- ^ "Neil Tesser – Credits". allmusic.com.
- ^ "Chicago's Neil Tesser wins Grammy". chicagoreader.com. February 4, 2014.
- ^ "56th Grammy pre-telecast: Neil Tesser". grammy.com.
- ^ "Chicago's Neil Tesser wins Grammy". chicagoreader.com. February 4, 2014.
- ^ "Jazz Journalists Association Honors Its Own: Chicago Writer-Broadcaster Neil Tesser Wins 2015 Lifetime Achievement In Jazz Journalism Award". news.allaboutjazz.com. June 19, 2015.
- ^ "Nominees 2015". jjajazzawards.org.
- ^ "34th Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Award Recipients". ascap.com.
External links
edit