Trumpet Player, USF Alumnus, and Adjunct Professor James Suggs Brings Global Performance Experience to Students
Wednesday, December 04, 2019
Professional trumpeter and USF music alumnus James Suggs is in his second year of
teaching as adjunct professor of trumpet at the USF School of Music.
Suggs brings 30 years of experience as a trumpet player, having played in professional
big bands, popular music groups, cruise ship performances, and, most recently, as
a recording artist with his solo album. This rich experience, combined with lessons
learned from his teachers, informs his teaching style today.
鈥淚 try to approach it from both sides, from what my teachers taught me鈥攁ll the great
lessons I learned from all the teachers I鈥檝e had鈥攁nd also my life, putting it into
action,鈥� said Suggs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to say 鈥榦k I studied this, I鈥檓 good at this,鈥�
in the practice room. But it鈥檚 another thing to be like 鈥榦k, I鈥檝e done this one the
road 鈥� I did this last night on the gig.鈥欌��
Suggs blends his lived experience with the lessons learned from those who taught him,
providing a narrative perspective to students that goes beyond technique and theory
alone. He directs the Jazz Ensemble 2 and Jazz Combo groups at USF in addition to
teaching jazz trumpet lessons鈥攁 class open to USF students of all majors.
He is an introspective and experienced mentor for students eager to improve their
playing.
Some of the best advice he gives students is to step away from their instrument and
listen critically to the music.
鈥淎ny chance you can get to listen鈥攔eally listen to music鈥攖hat is the most important,鈥�
said Suggs.
He recalls the listening sessions he had with friends while he was in college. They
would put in a CD and listen to the same track repeatedly, each time listening to
a new minute detail of the music: the drummer鈥檚 right hand, the drummer鈥檚 left hand,
the pianist鈥檚 right hand. This type of critical listening, Suggs says, is what musicians
need to do to take their playing to the next level.
鈥淎nd immediately you start hearing these nuances, these amazing things that are happening,鈥�
said Suggs, 鈥渁nd those are the things that separate an average musician鈥攁 mediocre
musician鈥攁nd a really good musician. Those little things.鈥�
Suggs road to being a professional trumpet player began at the age of 9. At the age
of 10, he met trumpet legend Wynton Marsalis backstage at a gig in Carlisle, Pennsylvania,
where he received an impromptu music lesson from the jazz great. Determined to become
a jazz trumpet player, Suggs went on to take trumpet lessons and attend jazz seminars
throughout his youth. At the age of 13, a private teacher introduced Suggs to the
music of all the jazz greats鈥擜rmstrong, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy G, and Mile Davis鈥攁nd
to transcribing music.
He attended Ohio鈥檚 Youngstown University to study jazz for his undergraduate degree.
Upon graduating, Suggs worked as a performer on cruise ships traveling to destinations
such as the Caribbean and Hawaii. He worked on six cruise ships altogether.
鈥淭hat was the first moment that I actually felt like a working musician,鈥� said Suggs.
鈥淧eople were going on vacation to hear me play, basically. I was a part of their vacation.
鈥� I felt like I had made it.鈥�
Around the same time, Suggs began to play with renowned big bands the Glenn Miller
Orchestra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. With these ensembles, Suggs experienced
the demands of working in a professional touring band. He took on all the duties of
playing with a high-caliber professional group: preparing music, waking up early,
and preparing his lips.
鈥淚t was a good moment to be thrown into the fire,鈥� said Suggs.
Suggs then changed things up by moving to Argentina, where he reconnected with friends
who introduced him to the local music scene. He performed with numerous pop groups,
most notably Los Pericos, a popular ska and reggae-influenced Latin rock band. He
toured internationally with the band, performing in Portugal, London, and all over
South America and the United States.
In 2014, Suggs felt the level of his musicianship beginning to plateau. He was busy
as a full-time musician in Argentina, however, he yearned to keep growing.
鈥淚 felt like I needed to move on. 鈥� I wasn鈥檛 being pushed anymore,鈥� said Suggs. 鈥淚
wasn鈥檛 feeling challenged anymore. I was having a great time in Argentina, but I wasn鈥檛
feeling that push. Plus, I was missing my family. I missed speaking English.鈥�
After 8 years of living in Argentina, Suggs decided to move back to the United States,
settling in St. Petersburg, 91社区. He connected with the musicians of the Tampa
Bay scene, immersing himself in the music opportunities of the area and gradually
building up his reputation in the new city.
You can hear about how he established himself in a new city in this interview with
fellow USF music alumnus and jazz musician Paul Gavin.
Suggs connected with USF professor and director of jazz studies Jack Wilkins and jumped
at the chance to continue his education, completing his graduate studies at USF and
receiving his master鈥檚 degree in jazz studies in 2018.
In 2018, he also released his debut album, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Gonna Hear from Me,鈥� a recording
project of jazz charts and three originals produced by legendary saxophonist and record
producer Houston Person. The project came to be after Suggs met Rachel Domber of Clearwater
jazz label Arbors Records at a music festival. She liked his sound and wanted to record
him. Suggs was interested, but he didn鈥檛 realize the scope of this opportunity until
later.
He exchanged emails with Domber as they planned the recording project. An important
part of the project was deciding which musicians to bring on as collaborators in the
project.
鈥淪he told me 鈥榯he sky鈥檚 the limit,鈥欌�� recounts Suggs. 鈥淚 said 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what that
means.鈥� She said, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 exactly what you think it means. The sky鈥檚 the limit. You
can call anybody that you want.鈥欌��
He started by writing a list of all the jazz musicians he would like to work with.
Big names in jazz鈥攈is childhood heroes鈥攑opulated the list. The rare opportunity he
had was beginning to sink in.
Person, 84, was one of his heroes to sign on to the project. He became the expert
mentor Suggs was looking for, happily taking on the role of producer for the project.
Together, they selected music to record, and Person curated an expert band of musicians
from the New York scene鈥擫afayette Harris on keys, Peter Washington on bass, and Lewis
Nash on drums. Person also contributed his saxophone playing to the record.
They recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studios, the place where Miles Davis, John
Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and Herbie Hancock recorded some of their
greatest works.
鈥淭rying not to get freaked out鈥攖hat was my biggest goal those few days,鈥� said Suggs.
The recording process itself matched the old-school heritage of the recording space.
Suggs and the ensemble recorded the whole album in about seven hours, with only a
day of rehearsal the day beforehand. This pace of recording, Suggs says, is in line
with how Houston has always recorded.
While musicians today might get a week or more to record their project, Suggs felt
the fast pace of the recording project to be ideal for him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 less stress when it comes down to it. 鈥� It鈥檚 all raw,鈥� said Suggs.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e Gonna Hear From Me鈥� quickly found its way to the JAZZIZ Magazine鈥檚 list 鈥�10
New Jazz Albums You Need to Know About鈥� for December 2018. He held a well-received
album release show at the Palladium in St. Petersburg in March and has continued playing
shows locally and around the country. Tracks from the album has been broadcast on
radio stations around the U.S. and Canada.
The unexpected opportunities surrounding the album has opened up new doors for Suggs.
From playing at large jazz festivals to playing with top-tier jazz professionals,
Suggs has learned to trust himself while stepping into the unknown.
鈥淚n those moments, you have to step up,鈥� said Suggs. 鈥淭hose are the learning moments
where you can鈥檛 think about theory, you can鈥檛 think about technique, you just have
to trust what you鈥檝e done, what you鈥檝e worked on to this point. It鈥檚 scary, but it鈥檚
also a natural high.鈥�
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