Part 1

Name: Jonathan Suazo
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Occupation: Saxophonist, composer, improviser
Current release: Jonathan Suazo's new full-length album Ricano Vol.2 - Fruto de mi Corazón is out now via Miel.  

If you enjoyed this Jonathan Suazo interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and bandcamp.



When did you first consciously start getting interested in musical improvisation? What was your first improvisation on stage or in the studio and what was the experience like?

I started getting interested in improvisation when my dance band director, Mariano Morales, took me to my 1st jazz concert in Rio Piedras, PR. The band: Miguel Zenón, Ricky Rodriguez, and Henry Cole.

Miguel hosted concert / jam session during the holidays in December for a number of years. Thankfully, I caught the last 5 or 6 he did. For the folks that knew about jazz, this was a BIG event, a place where the heavy hitters and the beginners would get a chance to share what they had to bring to the table … A really powerful gathering for sure … They’d play the music of a specific album, open the jam session, and then close it out with one last tune by the MZ trio.

Something changed in me after this night for sure. I was amazed at how that trio was able to lift the energy in the entire room with their interactions. My thoughts towards the end of the night were “How are they doing this? I’d like to be able to do THAT someday.”

That night, I also experienced my 1st jam session and got a chance to feel what it was like to interact with other musicians in a small club setting. I was definitely nervous as I walked on stage and later shook the hands of the house band. But I was willing to try some notes even though I didn’t know much. I remember the exact moment where I felt driven to try my best to learn how to do this improvisation thing …

After the session ended, I went to shake Miguel’s hand and thank him for the time. We said goodbye, and as I was turning away to leave, he was still holding on to my hand … he pulled me in just slightly to get my attention, looked me right in the eye, and said: “Oye, cógelo en serio” (which translates to: “Hey, take it seriously”).

I wouldn’t say that music started occupying a super big place in my life right at that moment, but this was definitely an inspirational moment that initiated my journey on this musical path … it motivated me to take some action, listen more closely, and buy my 1st standards book to continue feeding that interest.

Tell me about your instrument and/or tools, please. What made you seek it out, what makes it “your” instrument, and what are some of the most important aspects of playing it?

My horn is the voice that enables me to express myself when words fall short. I recall the moment when I understood that.

I had just gone through my 1st heartbreak, and you know, as a teen, this felt like the end of the world obviously ... I had a recital coming up I was looking for a piece to perform in duo with piano for that. I remembered one of the tunes that was called during one of those MZ jam session, “You don’t know what love is”. I looked for a version of it on one of my JAZZIZ compilation CDs, I located the chart in my book and started getting into it.

Because I was going through a rough time dealing with all these new emotions, I found that the lyrics just made so much sense, I resonated with the melody in such a strong way, and playing through it felt like I was able to get everything out. I felt at peace with my feelings for that moment. Powerful stuff …

How would you describe your own relationship with your instrument – is it an extension of your self/body, a partner and companion, a creative catalyst, a challenge to be overcome, something else entirely?

It’s a challenge I’ve accepted. It’s turned into a responsibility … when I deliver, it delivers back.

The dynamic I have with my instrument influences the other areas of my life. It really does serve as a blueprint for achieving what ever you wish to accomplish. Input equals output, straight up, no grey areas. I gave my word to myself, and to my dad when he passed that I’d give this my all … I’m committed to continuing to grow musically through this instrument … I feel off when I don’t …

I’ll put it this way, If you’re just practicing to maintain and get through gigs, my personal opinion is that you really don’t understand what it is to try to dig into this music … and no matter how much I try to explain, you won’t get it … You’re either on this path, or you’re not.

I respect all paths, but I don’t have the time or energy to invest in all paths, you know what I mean? I have no time for the usual: “why do you have to practice everyday?”, or why are you brining your horn everywhere? Bullshit … As soon as I detect that vibe, I respectfully deflect and focus on the task at hand. Music is super fun but it’s also super serious.

There are way too many people that contributed to this art form, the material is endless. We must be humble enough to understands that this is a life long student hat we’re wearing. I’d love for my instrument to feel like an extension of my body one day … for sure! It takes time.

I’ll keep reaching, and even if I don’t feel like I’ve done it I’ll give it my all.

Derek Bailey defined improvising as the search for material which is endlessly transformable. What kind of materials have turned to be particularly transformable and stimulating for you?

That gets me thinking about the thousands of melodies + rhythmic and harmonic implications that we all receive when listening to this music … that’s the material that makes black American music such an amazing art form. Depending on where you are, certain materials will get your attention more than others.

I can definitely say that the material that have marked my path come from folks like: Sonny Rollins, Kenny Garrett, David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, John Coltrane, Lennie Tristano, Lee Konits, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Benito Gonzalez, Zaccai Curtis, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeremy Bosch, Oben Calvaire, Paoli Mejias, Charlie Sepulveda, and many more.

But I always say that if I get lost in the deep forest, all you need to do is play me some heavy McCoy Tyrner improvisations and I’ll find YOU!

Do you feel as though there are at least elements of composition and improvisation which are entirely unique to each? Based on your own work or maybe performances or recordings by other artists, do you feel that there are results which could only have happened through one of them?

Interesting question … if I think about each discipline separately I can definitely see some obvious similarities.

For both composition and improvisation you have to listen and gather a lot of material that we could call a “library” or “menu” to then combine it in a specific way, and then serve it in a way that makes sense or conveys the message you want.

It’s been said before, improvising is like composing in real time,  yes. I guess with a composition you really just have so much more time to fine tune your art before you share it …

When you're improvising, does it actually feel like you're inventing something on the spot – or are you inventively re-arranging patterns from preparations, practice or previous performances? What balance is there between forgetting and remembering in your work?

BOTH, it goes by seasons in my particular experience.

My opinion is that the tradition is made up of a super large catalogue of melodies (including solos) that we must analyze and play through to be able to communicate within the music … During this or that season I’m reaching for a certain way of playing over harmony, or time feel, or articulation … all that may be linked to a particular period of time in the history of the music or a certain player.

I organized this into a certain set of materials that I assign for myself for daily practice in order to get the vibe I want in my sound and in my solos. I do it similarly for composition. It changes every so often. It takes time for me to digest something enough to have it come out organically in my playing, so I’ll stick to a limited group of ideas and play around with that for some time.

The interesting thing is that you can revisit all of these “seasons” or periods of your practicing and rediscover many things. Each season builds on the other and things continue to make a bit more sense as they merge with you forever.

As someone who wasn’t raised with this music yet has such a passion for it, it’s even more pressing to continue this process diligently.

Artists from all corner of the musical spectrum, not just “free jazz” have emphasised the importance of freedom in their creativity. What defines freedom for your improvisations?

That can go a few different ways for me. On one hand, I find that creative freedom comes from the way you have your day to day organized so that you always have time to focus on your craft Meaning: Working on new ideas for compositions, or just practicing things you know you gotta get down to move forward.

I feel It’s also that precious balance of listening and contributing to the point where you connect to your band on a much deeper level. You need a certain amount of mastery over your axe to free up your creative mind, and you definitely need the right people to perform with …

The best things happen when people are invested in reaching that freedom together. It’s less about what you want to add to the mix, and more about adding to what the mix needs based on the established goal, you feel me? Sometimes it takes a second to find that freedom … some days it doesn’t arrive, because we fail as a unit to surrender to the moment completely and we let our minds interfere a bit too much.

I guess that freedom means a few things for me, the freedom that comes from working the music out and connecting with the band; and the freedom that you feel when you’re prepared and confident that your band has your back no matter where the music goes.