Jazz at the J: Susie Thorne

Thursday, February 2nd 2023 at 7:30pm

Early Bird: $20  Day of: $25

Drink Tickets (2 Soft Drinks, or 1 Alcoholic Drink):

One $4 Drink Ticket if you buy today!

Additional $5 Drink Tickets Available Day of at Box Office

“She hails from Nebraska, but swings like a “big city girl”! That’s what critics say about Susie Thorne, a Nebraska native that’s carrying on the tradition of jazz in her family.

Thorne is usually seen fronting a band that includes some of the area’s best jazz musicians. Tonight those musicians are: Dr. Darren Pettit – tenor saxophone; Doug Montera – drums; Andy Hall – double bass and Ron Cooley – guitar.

A Hastings, Nebraska native, Thorne was first inspired by the music of her childhood through her classically trained mother and the jazz played by her trumpeter father, who played as a sideman with greats such as baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, among others. “Music was a huge part of my family life; we were always playing and singing or hosting music jam sessions of some kind or other!”

Susie studied piano performance and voice at the University of Colorado at Denver, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha where she has a BA in Jazz Performance. She has studied vocal improvisation with renowned singer/educator Rhiannon (of the Bobby McFerrin Group “Voicestra”) and is a private vocal coach, as well as, a Workshop Facilitator for Sonex, a team-building workshop using elements of rhythm, voice and percussion as elements of creativity and improvisation. When asked about her unique vocal style, Thorne said she draws inspiration from a myriad of genres blending them to create her own unique sound and arrangements.

Thorne now makes Omaha her home, but she has received acclaim on the national and international jazz scenes. She’s been nominated for both a United Kingdom Indie Award and an Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award. Thorne was recently inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame. Susie has two recordings to date: “Love for Sale” and “Blue Skies, Clear Day”.

“You swing right from the first note – I dig that!” Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services, New York.