Born: January 5 Primary Instrument: Saxophone
Carol Sudhalter, flute, baritone sax and tenor sax, moved to New York from Boston in 1978 to join the first all-female Latin band, Latin Fever, which played the 1978 Salsa Festival at Madison Square Garden alongside Tito Puente. [Another of Carol's 'firsts': she was first graduate of Smith College to become a jazz musician.] In 1986 she founded the Astoria Big Band, in which she plays baritone sax. In its present 13-piece formation, the band plays original arrangements by Charlie Camilleri, Stan Bielski, Mickey Tucker, Ray Loring, Keith Gurland, and Carol. The band has received more than 15 Development and Performance Grants from Queens Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Ms. Sudhalter is written up in Leslie Gourse's “Madame Jazz” (Oxford University Press, 1995), as Chapter 12:'Carol Sudhalter: A Role Model'; in Peter Westbrook's forthcoming “The Flute In Jazz: Window on World Music” (Berkeley Hills Books, 2004); and in W. Royal Stokes' “Growing Up With Jazz”, published in January, 2005, on Oxford University Press.
From 1991 to 2005, Carol played Sunday Brunch at the Cajun Restaurant, first under the leadership of Jimmy 'The Face' Butts; then, on his passing, under Butts' partner Al 'Doc' Pittman; on Doc's passing in January 2003, Carol stepped into the role of leader, until the club closed and the building was demolished. She has performed in New York at Trumpet's, Pumpkins, Birdland, Danny's Skylite Room, Iridium, Flushing Town Hall, Trumpet's, JVC Jazz Festival, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola (Lincoln Center) and more. She regularly tours Italy, Switzerland and England. Jazz festivals include: JVC Festival; Mary Lou Williams Festival (Kennedy Center, Wash., D.C. 2004); Hartford, CT; Buffalo, NY (”Pine Grill Reunion”); Redbank, NJ; Bethlehem, PA Musikfest, and the following in Europe: Perugia; Villa Celimontana (Rome); Bresso, Umbria, Badia Calavena, Assisi, Ascona, Locarno, and Donne in Musica, Frascati. Notable artists with whom she has played include Etta Jones, Sarah Mclawler, Emme Kemp, Jimmy Mcgriff, Jimmy Heath, Chico Freeman, Tony Scott, Jason Marsalis, Rhoda Scott, Henry Butler, and Lino Patruno.
Carol runs her own booking agency, Mix 'n' Match Music, through which she plays chamber music and trio jazz for weddings and other events, and hires various groups for events as well. Mix n Match Music is written up in radio personality JOAN HAMBURG's book, “CITY WEDDING”.
As music producer, she pioneered several jazz series in her home borough of Queens. She founded and developed the Athens Square Park Jazz Mondays series (1998-2001), presenting jazz to local residents. She conceived and pioneered the Astoria/Lic Waterfront Jazz Festival held in four waterfront parks overlooking Manhattan. In 2001 she co-produced this festival with Partnerships for Parks, with financial backing from City Parks Foundation grants. She began a series of Sunset Jazz Concerts at Ralph DeMarco Park in 1998. Special honors include a citation by La Guardia College Performing Arts Center for outstanding contributions to the Queens Jazz Community (2002); and the Reverend John Garcia Gensel Award in 2003, from Manhattan Country School, for distinguished service to jazz. She has spent 30 years teaching private flute, saxophone and piano lessons, including ten years in the New York Pops “Salute to Music” Program. Ms. Sudhalter can be heard with her Quartet, Sextet and the Astoria Jazz Band on several Carolina Records releases, including the band's most recent CD, 'Last Train to Astoria.'
“A musician of the highest order...” Ayana Lowe, JazzNow
“...the fullbodied warmth of her baritone sax is...nothing less than transformational”. Andrew Velez, All About Jazz New York Jan 06
“I was much impressed with Carol's lyricism ...” ”...Carol's polished skills, good taste, and exemplary ability to project her deep feeling for jazz have convinced me that she is one of the strongest players on her instruments currently on the scene”. Jazz author W. Royal Stokes, in liner notes to “Shades of Carol”.
Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes
Alfa Music
2010
Flamingo; Pancake Blues; You Go To My Head; Alice in Wonderland; Nature Boy; Quisiera Ser; Daydream; Cheeseburger Blue; Somewhere Over the Rainbow; It's only a Paper Moon; Crazy He Calls Me; Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!; The Christmas Song
Personnel: Carlo Barile: piano; Joe Vincent Tranchina: piano; Antonio Cervellino: bass; Kaori Yamada: drums; Roberto Pistolesi: drums; Bobby Viteri: Percussion; Charlie Franklin: trumpet; Marti Mabin: vocal; Elena Camerin: vocal; Vito Di Modugno: organ
"Shades of Carol", produced by Alfa Music and RAI Trade, Released in July, 2005 in Rome
"Palace", Nomes, 2005. Carol on tenor sax.
"Swinging the Blues", Minnie Minoprio, Rome, Italy
Carol Sudhalter Discography on Carolina Records:
"Last Train to Astoria", Carol Sudhalter's Astoria Jazz Band, 2002. Carol on baritone sax and flute.
"It's Time", Carol Sudhalter Sextet, 2002. Carol on tenor and bari sax and flute.
"Carol in the Garden of Jazz", Carol Sudhalter quartet, 1999
"Soon", Carol Sudhalter's Astoria Big Band with Myrna Lake (vocals), 1997
"Who Will Buy?" Carol Sudhalter's Astoria Big Band, audio cassette, 1993
"Hey There", LP, Carol Sudhalter quartet, 1985.
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Primary Instrument:
Saxophone
Location:
Astoria, NY
Willing to teach:
Advanced students only.
Credentials/Background:
Faculty member of Salute To Music, NY Pops, for past ten years. Private flute teacher since 1972, sax and piano since 1985. Beginner level on piano, all levels on flute.
Clinic/Workshop Information:
Master class, "English Diction for Singers", for Italian jazz singers who perform in English. Lessons include discussion of meaning of lyrics, proper diction and separation of words, and where to place emphasis in a word or phrase. One to three hours.
