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Richard Sussman

Richard Sussman is an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, synthesist, and educator. His varied career as a performer has included performances and/or recordings with such diverse artists as Lionel Hampton, Lee Konitz, Buddy Rich, Houston Person, Randy Brecker, Steve Slagle, Blood Sweat & Tears, David Sanborn, Marty Balin, Country Joe McDonald, Carly Simon, and Donna Summer. His jazz discography includes six albums of original music as a leader, including the critically acclaimed "Free Fall" (Double-Time Records), “Live At Sweet Rhythm” (Origin Records),“Continuum” (Origin), "The Evolution Suite" (Zoho Records), and "Synergy - Bobby Kapp Plays the Music of Richard Sussman". "Synergy" received a 4 1/2 star review in Downbeat.

“Continuum”, released in June 2012, highlights original compositions by Richard performed by an all-star quintet featuring Randy Brecker-tpt & flg hrn, Jerry Bergonzi-tnr sx, Mike Richmond-bs, Jeff Williams-dr, Richard-pno & synthesizer, with a cameo appearance by guitarist Mike Stern on one tune. Richard’s large-scale jazz and orchestral compositions have been performed by the Village Vanguard Orchestra, the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, the Metropole Orchestra, the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra, and the American Composers Orchestra, to name a few. He has received two NEA grants in Jazz Composition, as well as the prestigious ASCAP Jazz Composition Award in 2008. He was selected to be a participant in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, sponsored by the American Composers Orchestra, in August 2012, and was subsequently selected to compose a new composition for orchestra which was premiered by the ACO in June, 2013. Richard’s original composition “Ivories Tower”, composed for the ASCAP award in honor of jazz legend Hank Jones, was premiered by the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jon Faddis in February 2009. The work was subsequently performed by the Metropole Orchestra (May, 2009) with Hank Jones as the featured soloist. His meeting with Hank Jones led to further arranging work with the maestro, including editing and music preparation for The Hank Jones Songbook of Hank’s little known original tunes (2010). This was to be followed by a studio date of the material with arrangements by Sussman, a project that unfortunately never materialized due to Hank’s untimely passing in the summer of 2010. Richard has an ongoing and active commitment to music education. He has been a member of the jazz faculty at Manhattan School of Music since 1986 where his responsibilities have included private composition lessons, teaching and developing curriculum for jazz arranging classes, as well as managing all aspects of the Electronic Music Technology Studios and related courses for the Jazz Department.

Richard’s book “Jazz Composition and Arranging In the Digital Age”, co-authored with Michael Abene (Oxford University Press, 2012), has been hailed as a comprehensive and trend-setting text for jazz composers in the 21st century. Richard continues his commitment to education as a member of the Jazz Education Network, College Music Society, and frequent clinician at national conferences by IAJE, JEN, CMS, TI:ME, CMS-NAMM Generation Next, and at many schools around the world. Richard has directed much of his creative energy over the years towards exploring ways of integrating elements of jazz improvisation, contemporary classical compositional techniques, electronics, and contemporary pop music. In 2014 he received a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Award to create a new composition for jazz group, string quartet, and electronics, providing an opportunity to further explore this ongoing interest. He also received the College Music Society Fund Technology Award in 2013 for developing a two-year Masters degree program in Music Technology and Contemporary Media at the Manhattan School of Music. Richard continues to build a presence in the avante-garde, hybrid world of New Music, with recent appearances at the Tribeca New Music Festival, Composers Concordance Festival, and Tania Leon’s Composers Now Festival in New York. His extensive work in the field of film and television scoring has included projects for ABC, NBC, CBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney, as well as numerous independent films and videos. Richard Sussman is a skilled and experienced clinician, and is available for master classes and residencies in the areas of jazz composition, arranging, theory, improvisation, and many areas of music technology, including film scoring. He has traveled to China twice, performing and teaching master classes at major conservatories there. For his most recent trip to China in May, 2014, he authored the book "Jazz Theory and Improvisation", translated to Mandarin and targeted specifically to the Chinese students and educators.

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Bobby Kapp: Synergy

by Jack Bowers
September 7, 2023

The subtitle of Synergy is “Bobby Kapp plays the music of Richard Sussman," which is true to some extent. To be more precise, drummer Kapp is at the heart of a septet, conducted by Scott Reeves, that features composer Sussman at the piano. So, while “Bobby Kapp plays" is technically correct, it does not represent the whole picture. What is more, this is a group with a rather unusual front line of violin, clarinet, tenor sax and French ...

Album Review

Richard Sussman: The Evolution Suite

Read "The Evolution Suite" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
October 10, 2016

On this ambitious recording, keyboardist Richard Sussman draws together several seasoned jazz veterans with the Sirius Quartet for a stimulating, genre-defying album of music. Built around Sussman's five-part “Evolution Suite," the record's guiding theme is also a gesture toward the transcendence of stylistic boundaries that animates Sussman's music. By utilizing conventional jazz, fusion, contemporary classical and a good dose of computer-generated electronics, Sussman is clearly making a statement about the importance of moving beyond pre-established categories in the quest to ...

Album Review

Richard Sussman: The Evolution Suite

Read "The Evolution Suite" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
October 4, 2016

Arranger/conductor Gunther Schuller coined, in 1957, the term “Third Stream," to describe a musical synthesis of jazz and classical music. Early examples of this sound include Miles Davis/Gil Evans' Sketches of Spain (Columbia Records, 1961), saxophonist Stan Getz' Focus (Verve Records, 1961), and the Dizzy Gillespie/J.J. Johnson collaboration, the oddly overlooked and excellent Perceptions (Verve Records, 1961). Pianist/composer Richard Sussman takes that Third Stream idea a step further with The Evolution Suite, by combining jazz, classical and ...

Live Review

Richard Sussman Quintet: Nyack, NY, July 22, 2012

by David A. Orthmann
August 21, 2012

Richard Sussman QuintetNyack Jazz Week at the Turning Point CafeNyack, NYJuly 22, 2012Unlike the performance of certain forms of popular music, in which musicians dutifully strive to reproduce perfect versions of tracks from a record, a jazz CD release party proceeds from entirely different expectations. Befitting the music's emphasis on improvisation and the element of surprise, a live set of previously recorded compositions serves as a jumping off point for differences born in the heat ...

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Album Review

Richard Sussman: Live At Sweet Rhythm

Read "Live At Sweet Rhythm" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 18, 2010

Life has few certainties, but the constant and ever-moving nature of time is one of them. Events, both miniscule and monumental, pass by and usually leave nothing more than a memory or, in the case of music, a record. Such was the case with pianist Richard Sussman's Free Fall (Inner City Records, 1978). Joined by some burgeoning young talent in 1978, Sussman's album became an underground classic and that seemed to be the end of it. All the players involved ...

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Album Review

The Richard Sussman Quintet: Free Fall

Read "Free Fall" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
March 1, 2002

The re-release of a classic...

Formerly released on Inner City records in 1979, Richard Sussman's Post Bop masterpiece Free Fall languished for several years before being revived by Jamey Aebersold and Double Time Jazz Records. It is odd that as fine a recording as this is, Sussman recorded only once more for Inner City Records ( Tributaries, 1980).It is a pity, because this maiden voyage smacks of subtle brilliance. Sussman was savvy enough to bring on board a young and ...

Performance / Tour

The Richard Sussman Ensemble Performs "The Evolution Suite" - World Premiere Concerts on December 20

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations
October 15, 2015

December 18 Union Arts Center (Sparkill, NY) World Premiere! December 19 Arts Westchester (White Plains, NY) December 20 Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space New York City Premiere! A Compelling Integration of Jazz, Contemporary Classical Music & Electronics Featuring: Scott Wendholt, Rich Perry, Mike Richmond, Anthony Pinciotti, the Sirius String Quartet and special guest Zach Brock. Master of Ceremonies Todd Barkan. “The Evolution Suite by Richard Sussman and the Richard Sussman ...
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Performance / Tour

Richard Sussman Duo July 12 at L'Artista in Orangeburg

Source: All About Jazz
July 10, 2006

JAZZ at L'Artista

Wednesdays in July, 7:30 - 10:30 PM

July 12: Richard Sussman - Piano Mike Richmond - Bass

July 19: Jay Azzolina - Guitar Bass - TBA

July 26 (Nyack Jazz Festival Week): Richard Sussman - Piano Andy McKee - Bass

L'Artista 500 Rte 303 Orangeburg, NY 845-359-0779 Call for Directions & Reservations (about 1 mile ...
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Performance / Tour

New Jazz Venue in Rockland County! JAZZ at L'Artista Featuring Richard Sussman - Piano & Andy McKee - Bass Wed. May 24 7:00 - 10:00 PM

Source: All About Jazz
May 17, 2006

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Performance / Tour

JAZZ @ L'Artista with Richard Sussman - Piano & Andy McKee - Bass Wednesday's May 10 & 24 7-10 PM

Source: All About Jazz
May 10, 2006

JAZZ @ L'Artista Wednesday 7-10 PM May 10 & 24, 2006 Richard Sussman - Piano Andy McKee - Bass L'Artista 500 Rt. 303 Orangeburg, NY 10962 To make reservations, Call Arens after 2 PM 845-359-0779 (about 1 mile North of Exit 5 on Palisades Pkwy & 3 miles south of Rt. 59) Hi Folks - I want to thank all of you ...
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Performance / Tour

Richard Sussman Quintet Celebrates the Re-release of "Free Fall"

Source: All About Jazz
August 9, 2002

Richard Sussman Quintet Performing at...

August 9, 2002 Trumpets 6 Depot Square M ontclair, NJ 973-744-2600 8:30 - 1:00AM August 10, 2002 One Station Plaza 38 N. Division St. Peekskill, NY 10566 914.736.1053 9:00 - 12:00

Richard Sussman Quintet features...

Richard Sussman - Piano, Scott Wendholt - Trumpet , Steve Slagle - Alto Sax, Mike Richmond - Bass, Jeff Williams ...
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Performance / Tour

The Richard Sussman Trio The Hudson House of Nyack Thursday nights in April

Source: All About Jazz

JAZZ at The Hudson House of Nyack featuring The Richard Sussman Trio

Thursday nights in April - 9:30PM - 1:00AM April 3, 17 - Richard Sussman - piano, Mike Richmond - Bass, Jeff Williams - Drums April 10, 24 - Richard Sussman - piano, Mike Richmond - Bass, + Special Guests TBA

The Hudson House of Nyack 134 Main Street, Nyack, NY 845-353-1355 Great Food! Great Music!
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