Carol Stearns Sudhalter (January 5, 1943) is an American Jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Sudhalter grew up in a musical family: Her father Albert played the alto saxophone in the New England area with the bands of Herbie Marsh, Eddy Duchin, Bobby Hackett and others. Her brothers and other relatives were also musicians. Richard Sudhalter, nicknamed "Dick", the oldest brother, played trumpet/cornet and wrote award-winning books on Jazz history. Middle brother James played baritone saxophone and formed and ran a ’twist’ band.
Musical career
In the early nineteen-sixties Sudhalter began to play flute while majoring in biology at Smith College. She continued to study flute with private teachers in Washington DC, New York, Boston, Israel and Italy until 1978. She studied theory and Third Stream music with Ran Blake and Phil Wilson at the New England Conservatory of Music. From the nineteen-seventies on she has been teaching piano, saxophone and flute privately, at Mannes College, and for the New York Pops Salute to Music Program.
In 1975 she decided to take up saxophone, and in 1978 relocated from Boston to NYC to join the first all-women Latin band, Latin Fever, produced by Larry Harlow (salsa). In 1986 she founded the Astoria Big Band.New York Big Band Caroling by Roy Fox, Queens Q-guide, April 15, 1999. She has performed with Sarah McLawler, Etta Jones, Chico Freeman, Jimmy McGriff, Duffy Jackson and other celebrities, and played in renowned NYC Jazz clubs as well as domestic, ItalianCarol Zittisce Tutti by Beppe Montresor, Il Giornale D Verona, December 29, 2002 and British Jazz festivals. She initiated the ‘Jazz Monday’ concerts at Athens Square Park between 1989 and 2001, along with several other local festivals in Queens, NY, where she resides. Sudhalter is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association.Jazz Journalists Association.
She was written up in Leslie Gourse's MADAME JAZZLeslie Gourse's MADAME JAZZ.Review by Nancy Ann Lee, from Jazz Notes, February 2, 1995. (Oxford University Press, 1997) as Chapter 14: "Carol Sudhalter: A Role Model" as well as in W. Royal Stokes' "Growing Up With Jazz"Bridget Arnwine’s Review of Growing Up With Jazz .Review by Janine Coveney. (Oxford University Press, 2005). More articles were recently published in THE HUFFINGTON POST,Astoria Characters: The Sax Player. The Queens Council on the Arts Artist Pick of the Month – Carol Sudhalter and on local802afm.org.Carol Sudhalter’s Jazz Narratives by Todd Bryant Weeks.
In 2012 Carol Sudhalter was nominated for the 2012 International Down Beat Readers’ Jazz Poll, and was voted 9th place in the category "best Jazz Flutist".Queens Chronicle, November 15, 2012 by Josey Bartlett.
Discography (as a leader) Title Format & Year Label Hey There LP - 1985 Carolina Records Soon CD - 1997 Carolina Records Carol in the Garden of Jazz CD - 1999 Carolina Records It's Time CD - 2002 Carolina Records Last Train to Astoria CD - 2002 Carolina Records Shades of CarolThe Washington Post, May 12, 2006 by Mike Joyce.. CD - 2005 Alfa Music The Octave TunesReview on JazzSaints. CD - 2010 Alfa Music Carmelo and Carol Remember: The Great Film Music of the Sixties CD - 2011 Geco Records with special permission from Alfa Music
Discography (as a "sideman") Title Format & Year Label Sarah McLawler - Under My Hat CD - 2010 MVD Entertainment Group
External links Official Website & Blog all.about.jazz Women in Jazz jazz.com
References