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 |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupations | 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 degree in journalism. Tesser resides in Chicago.
Career
editTesser's career has spanned more than 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.[2][4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
Tesser is a member of The Recording Academy, formerly serving as vice chair of the board of trustees.[2]
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.[7] He was nominated for a Grammy in 1986 for his liner notes to Stan Getz's The Girl from Ipanema: The Bossa Nova Years.[2]
On June 16, 2015, Tesser was awarded the Jazz Journalists Association's (JJA) Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Journalism.[8] In addition, Tesser received the first JJA award for Excellence in Broadcasting.[9]
He was also a recipient of an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for his work with Rhino Records.[10]
References
edit- ↑ Tesser, Neil (November 4, 2004). "Sonido Isleno". chicagoreader.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Miner, Michael (February 4, 2014). "Chicago's Neil Tesser wins Grammy". chicagoreader.com.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Neil Tesser, WFMT Radio Network. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ↑ "Neil Tesser: The Playboy Guide to Jazz". jazztimes.com/.
- ↑ "Neil Tesser – Credits". allmusic.com.
- ↑ "56th Grammy pre-telecast: Neil Tesser". grammy.com.
- ↑ "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. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ↑ "34th Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Award Recipients". ascap.com.