Bio/History
Bio
Jazz Flutist and Saxophonist in Cincinnati and Tri-State area since 1971
Education
Conservatory of Music- University of Cincinnati
Major in Theory and Jazz performance
Flute and Alto Saxophone
Styles/Collaborations
Classical Jazz and American Roots music – Blues and Folk
Personal
Sandy Suskind was bon in Cincinnati, OH on July 7, 1955. He studied piano, at age 6, with Illona Voorm from Hungary. She introduced him to the music of Bartok, whom she knew personally.
His family moved to Portland Oregon when he was seven and at the age of eight he took up the alto sax and was studying with the legendary teacher Eddy Flenner. By age ten he was performing.
Concurrently Sandy taught himself how to play guitar and later flute.
His first band was three guitarists, himself, Kevin Johns and Joe Vermilya. The first paying gig was at thirteen with The Imaginary line, playing sax.
Returning to Cincinnati at age 14 Sandy began to play guitar and sax with the great blues harp player Steve Tracy and legendary boogie-woogie pianist Big Joe Duskin. Soon after he played in small jazz combos with Fred Hersch, Mark Wolfley, Eric Wolfley, Ed Felson, Eugene Jablonsky.
After High School Sandy went to the University of Cincinnati, majoring in music theory. He also played in a traveling lounge group with a Tower Of Power type horn section, and went on the road playing the then booming hotel club scene. In 1975 he began working working with Ed Moss at the Emanon Jazz club which made him a local favorite. Sandy continued to play with local and visiting performers as you can see listed below.
Perfomances
2008/Current
• 2008 Host of the Blue Wisp Weekly Jam Sessions
• Gypsum Duo concerts around Tri State Area including Columbus, Richmond, IN, and Oxford
• Jazz Nights for Jaspers Restaurant & Nightclub
• Summer Arizona Tour collaborating with Classical Cellist Michael Ronstadt as Gypsum Ensemble
• Alto sax and flute as part of the George Caldwell Quartet show at The Blue Wisp. This show featured pianist George Caldwell and singer Tina Fabrique.
Recent/2007
•Dan Karlsberg Group shows promoting new CD release.
•Dan Karlsberg Group WXIX Channel 19 Christmas Morning featuring singer Mica Darley on Oh Holy Night
Previous
Over the years Sandy has played with all the local jazz musicians in many different forms and formats.
• 1984-85 he was performing six nights a week at the Hyatt Regency Sun Garden with bassist Mike Sharfe, pianist Phil Degreg, drummer Ken Bobinger
• 1981-1983 Groove Organizers featuring Sandy Suskind, Tim Hagans, Pat Kelly,
• In 1981 Sandy co-founded with Pat Kelly a quartet called ‘Structural Functions’, named after the unique music theory text on tonal harmony by Arnold Schoenberg. In 1982 and 83 Sandy and trumpeter Hagans were the front line of a Hammond B-3 group they formed with Kelly called The Groove Organizers. The group played original compositions by Hagans and Kelly, as well as others by Woody Shaw, Monk and Claire Fischer, to name a few.
•In 1979 Ed Moss formed his chamber big band ‘Seven Improvisatori’ in which Sandy held down the original alto/flute chair. They played weekly live broadcasts from Ed’s club Emanon on the legendary but now defunct AM jazz station WNOP. Like Duke Ellington, Ed wrote the parts tailored for his individual players, thus the flute parts are quite challenging. The late great drummer Dee Felice was a member of this original group. Later on, Ed made the band into an eight piece, adding a full time baritone sax chair. He renamed the band The Society Jazz Orchestra. Sandy played with the SJO in 1986 on a series of weekly broadcasts from Bobbie Corbean’s short lived downtown Cotton Club over the Xavier university FM station WVXU.
• 1975-1980 Sandy was a frequent addition to the original Emanon Trio at the Emanon Jazz Club Cincinnati, OH