James Suggs
James Suggs began playing the trumpet at nine years of age. At fifteen, he started playing professionally with jazz groups in the Northeast Ohio area. At sixteen, James was selected to tour with THE CONTINENTAL SINGERS where he toured Switzerland, Holland, Germany and the US. James attended Youngstown State University in Ohio. In his junior year, he was selected to perform with a jazz quintet at three conservatories in Beijing, China.
Between 2000 and 2006, James was employed for six contracts with Norwegian and with Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
In 2005 he toured and recorded with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and then with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Later that year, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where he played professionally, taught privately, and toured all over the world with Argentine bands for 8 years.
Throughout his career, James has had the distinct honor of sharing the stage with such musical legends as Kenny Burrell, Jason Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Rosanno Sportiello, The Emmet Cohen Trio, Maria Schneider, Sean Jones, Billy Hart, Frank Foster, Allen Vizutti, Robin Eubanks, Eric Alexander, The Jeff Hamilton Trio, Chuck Mangione, John Lamb and Bob Brookmeyer among others.
He has performed for audiences in notable venues such as The House of Blues in Orlando, FL., B.B. King’s in New York City, Yoshi’s in San Francisco, The Howard Theatre in Washington D.C., Thelonious in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and at Ronnie Scott’s and The Clapham Grand both in London, England.
In 2015 he was awarded the Best of the Bay’s “Best Jazz Transplant”. In May of 2018, James received a Masters Degree in music- jazz performance from the University of South Florida.
His first album under his name, was recently released on Arbors Records. “You’re Gonna Hear From Me”, was recorded in the summer of 2018 at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey and features jazz giants- Lafayette Harris, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, and jazz legend Houston Person on saxophone as well as album producer.
James Is currently a professor at the University of South Florida, where he teaches jazz trumpet and leads jazz ensembles.