The Sit-Down Podcast with James Hurt-Susanne Alt-Saxophonist and Composer

04/15/24 • 112 min

German-born Amsterdam-raised alto saxophonist and composer Susanne Alt joins us remotely for the next Episode of the Sit-Down Podcast to share her origins story of becoming an artist beyond compromise. The segment takes us from the earliest beginnings of Susanne as a young child with two educator parents that also happen to be musicians. From early experiences with music in the most holistic way in her home environment, to learning demands and expectations, Susanne takes us through the challenges of being taught by one's parents while also revealing through experience how learning styles can be drastically differ between young girls and boys. The layers continue as we explore the way in which saxophone informed Susanne's interest beyond the canon of classical music and into areas of American music such as gospel and later funk, soul, and jazz. A new recording celebrating Roy Hargrove, Royalty for Real, reveals a heavy influence the trumpeter had on the world, the Netherlands, and Susanne directly. Susanne also shares insights as to how one may realize one's full potential as a person who wears many hats as bandleader, marketeer, booking agent, producer, musician, and indie record label executive. Background music by James Hurt.
© 2024 James Hurt. All rights reserved.

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Previous Episode

The Sit-Down Podcast with James Hurt-Marc Cary-Native New Yorker

Keyboardist, composer, and educator Marc Cary joins the Sit-Down Podcast to discuss his origin story and how the 'district' shaped his musical trajectory. Although his birthplace was Harlem in New York City, Cary spent time in several areas on the Eastern Seaboard to include his parents home state of Rhode Island before relocating to the District of Columbia. Tune in as Marc weaves a thread of all of his earliest experiences from his family of talented musicians to frequent encounters with the progenitors of the Golden Era of Jazz often invited into his home while growing in Washington, D.C. such as Dizzie Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, and Sarah Vaughan. Bassist, arranger, and composer Mickey bass, responsible for several luminaries in Jazz across several generations, is cited as the educator responsible for creating a path to learn the language of Jazz through his diminished-whole-tone concept. Special attention is also devoted to the original indigenous American beat which emerged from the D.C. area known as Go-Go as being instrumental in Cary's development as a young band leader under the direction of Chuck Brown also known as the 'Godfather' of Go-Go. The pivotal moment for Mark was performing in the Dizzie Gillespie Jazz Youth Orchestra which created a path for the younger generation of musicians to cary the music forward. The influence of Cary's breadth of musicianship can be felt through his current unit Focus Trio. Background music by James Hurt.
© 2024 James Hurt. All rights reserved.

Next Episode

The Sit-Down Podcast with James Hurt-Concurrence-The Vision

This episode speaks to the month of June as instrumental in shaping popular culture through the lens of the contributions of pioneers in art and culture. To highlight a unit which is in the process of becoming seemed fitting and no other unit seemed more poised for this than Concurrence-a duo of bassist Greg Bryant and pianist Paul Horton Jr. Concurrence stopped by The Sit-Down to discuss their latest project entitled Indivisible. Follow them on social media and be sure to grab their latest release. Background music by James Hurt.
© 2024 James Hurt. All rights reserved.