September 2019 Featured Artist
Three-Time Blues Music Awards Nominee
Alexis P. Suter
Photo Credit: Laura Carbone
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Alexis P. Suter was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where she was exposed to gospel music from an early age. In 1990, her dance song “Slam Me Baby” put her on the map, and she became the first African American woman to sign with Epic/Sony Japan.
When the late blues legend B.B. King first heard Alexis sing, he was visibly impressed and said so after her opening set for him at B.B. King’s in NYC. Shaking his head in wonder, he remarked, “It’s a rare thing to share the stage with great talent like that young lady.” Today, Alexis and her powerful and unique ensemble, the Alexis P Suter Band (APSB), artfully blend the lines between blues, soul, roots and rock music. Alexis was a regular performer at Levon Helm’s legendary “Midnight Rambles” held in Woodstock, NY. Levon was captured by what he called Alexis’s wonderful spirit, and she and the band opened for him nearly 100 times. As special guest openers for The Levon Helm Band, they played to sold-out audiences at the Beacon Theater, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, The Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ and Central Park’s SummerStage. |
In addition to being a featured artist in over 50 blues and roots festivals nationwide, Alexis and her band have been the opening act for the following artists: B.B. King, Etta James, Bo Diddley, Trombone Shorty, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dickey Betts, Coco Montoya, Buddy Guy, Allen Touissaint, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Winter, Elvis Costello and for the 20 year reunion of the Muddy Waters Band.
Alexis has been nominated three times for the prestigious Blues Music Awards, presented by The Blues Foundation: Best Soul/Blues Female Vocalist (2013), Koko Taylor Award - Best Traditional Female (2015), and Contemporary Blues Female Artist (2017).
Television appearances include Legends, Imus in the Morning and The Artie Lange Show.
The APSB has 9 full-length releases to date. The recordings have received acclaim from radio and publications alike, including Blues Music Magazine, Blues Revue, Living Blues, Downbeat, Elmore, Blues Blast, Blues Matters, Blues 411 and Big City Rhythm and Blues.
The latest album, Be Love (Hipbone Records), hit the streets on May 18, 2019.
Alexis has been nominated three times for the prestigious Blues Music Awards, presented by The Blues Foundation: Best Soul/Blues Female Vocalist (2013), Koko Taylor Award - Best Traditional Female (2015), and Contemporary Blues Female Artist (2017).
Television appearances include Legends, Imus in the Morning and The Artie Lange Show.
The APSB has 9 full-length releases to date. The recordings have received acclaim from radio and publications alike, including Blues Music Magazine, Blues Revue, Living Blues, Downbeat, Elmore, Blues Blast, Blues Matters, Blues 411 and Big City Rhythm and Blues.
The latest album, Be Love (Hipbone Records), hit the streets on May 18, 2019.
Photo Credit: Samuel Snow
Alexis P Suter Band - Core Members:
Alexis P. Suter - Lead vocals Ray Grappone - Drums Michael Louis - Guitar Vicki Bell - Vocals |
"I honestly have never heard any female artist who sounds just like Suter, and that is why you need to discover her for yourself as soon as you can!" ~ Rhetta Akamatsu, Seattle PI |
Several weeks after attending a live performance by Alexis and her band at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY, Myrna Beth Haskell, managing editor, spoke with Alexis about her musical roots, her most memorable moments, and her new album, Be Love.
How long have you been singing?
My mother* was a great influence on me. I grew up singing in church. From the time I was about four years old, my mother would put me in the holiday programs and recitals. My mother was a very accomplished singer. She performed with Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick…she sang with a lot of people.
Both of my parents pushed me to be as great as I could be. My father [Albert Suter] told me, “You have the voice to be a public speaker.” I guess I’ve found a way to incorporate some of the skills a public speaker needs into my performances. You have to be clear to get your message across.
*Carrie Suter (now 97 years young) was an artist and a teacher for many decades. She sang with Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Mahalia Jackson, and many other accomplished, well-known artists.
Did you take professional voice lessons?
In the early 1970s, I went twice to The Little Children’s Theatre on Church Avenue in Brooklyn for voice lessons. My father didn’t care for how they were keeping me back because they seemed more focused on the older students. Anyway, I had my mother for inspiration, and I also got great experience from singing in several different choirs – these choirs had many accomplished singers and musicians, and I learned a lot from them.
What instruments can you play?
I play a little piano, and I played the sousaphone in school.
Can you tell me about a special mentor early in your career?
I have several. My sister Andrea…God bless her…she’s gone now. My first influences were from watching my sister and seeing her do so many different things. She was an actress, a singer and a model. She was into all kinds of music. She introduced me to new genres…Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream…the kinds of bands we didn’t listen to at home. I was expanding my horizons beyond Gospel.
Another mentor for me was James R. Drayton [band director]. He was a mentor for me with music…but also for life in general. Pastor Frank A. Haye [choral director] also influenced me and believed in me.
Are there any female vocalists who have been an inspiration for you?
Miche Braden.* She was also one of my mentors in performance and vocals. She did a lot of Off-Broadway musicals and received a Drama Desk Award [in 2012 for Outstanding Actress in a Musical].
Of course, there’s my talented friend, Vicki Bell.** Well…we’re greater than friends…we call ourselves sisters. I’ve known her a long, long time…even before I had my daughter. I was singing background for a friends’ band at the Sound Factory in Manhattan, and we met through him.
*Alexis joined a group of artists known as the “Performance Art Chorale” (PAC) under the direction of Miche Braden. Braden’s coaching deepened her knowledge of performance art and expanded her vocal repertoire.
**Vicki Bell is a vocalist for the Alexis P Suter Band and co-founder of Hipbone Records.
Besides blues, what are some other genres that you have performed?
House music!* I was singing dance music before I was doing the blues. My song ‘Slam Me Baby’ [1990] propelled my career. Not too long afterward, I became the first African American woman to sign with Epic/Sony Japan.
*House music is a genre of electronic dance music created by club DJs and music producers in Chicago in the early 1980s. Early house music was generally characterized by repetitive 4/4 beats, rhythms provided by drum machines, off-beat hi-hat cymbals, and synthesized basslines.
How long have you been singing?
My mother* was a great influence on me. I grew up singing in church. From the time I was about four years old, my mother would put me in the holiday programs and recitals. My mother was a very accomplished singer. She performed with Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick…she sang with a lot of people.
Both of my parents pushed me to be as great as I could be. My father [Albert Suter] told me, “You have the voice to be a public speaker.” I guess I’ve found a way to incorporate some of the skills a public speaker needs into my performances. You have to be clear to get your message across.
*Carrie Suter (now 97 years young) was an artist and a teacher for many decades. She sang with Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Mahalia Jackson, and many other accomplished, well-known artists.
Did you take professional voice lessons?
In the early 1970s, I went twice to The Little Children’s Theatre on Church Avenue in Brooklyn for voice lessons. My father didn’t care for how they were keeping me back because they seemed more focused on the older students. Anyway, I had my mother for inspiration, and I also got great experience from singing in several different choirs – these choirs had many accomplished singers and musicians, and I learned a lot from them.
What instruments can you play?
I play a little piano, and I played the sousaphone in school.
Can you tell me about a special mentor early in your career?
I have several. My sister Andrea…God bless her…she’s gone now. My first influences were from watching my sister and seeing her do so many different things. She was an actress, a singer and a model. She was into all kinds of music. She introduced me to new genres…Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream…the kinds of bands we didn’t listen to at home. I was expanding my horizons beyond Gospel.
Another mentor for me was James R. Drayton [band director]. He was a mentor for me with music…but also for life in general. Pastor Frank A. Haye [choral director] also influenced me and believed in me.
Are there any female vocalists who have been an inspiration for you?
Miche Braden.* She was also one of my mentors in performance and vocals. She did a lot of Off-Broadway musicals and received a Drama Desk Award [in 2012 for Outstanding Actress in a Musical].
Of course, there’s my talented friend, Vicki Bell.** Well…we’re greater than friends…we call ourselves sisters. I’ve known her a long, long time…even before I had my daughter. I was singing background for a friends’ band at the Sound Factory in Manhattan, and we met through him.
*Alexis joined a group of artists known as the “Performance Art Chorale” (PAC) under the direction of Miche Braden. Braden’s coaching deepened her knowledge of performance art and expanded her vocal repertoire.
**Vicki Bell is a vocalist for the Alexis P Suter Band and co-founder of Hipbone Records.
Besides blues, what are some other genres that you have performed?
House music!* I was singing dance music before I was doing the blues. My song ‘Slam Me Baby’ [1990] propelled my career. Not too long afterward, I became the first African American woman to sign with Epic/Sony Japan.
*House music is a genre of electronic dance music created by club DJs and music producers in Chicago in the early 1980s. Early house music was generally characterized by repetitive 4/4 beats, rhythms provided by drum machines, off-beat hi-hat cymbals, and synthesized basslines.
Alexis Performs "Let it Be"
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Your audience rapport is simply phenomenal! When I saw you live at the Falcon, your performance of “Let it Be” blew me away. I wasn’t alone. As I looked around, I saw others with tears in their eyes and some were just swaying to the music with their eyes closed. Your passion for the music is tangible, and you have an intimate connection with your listeners. That being said, when you look back to your first time or two on stage, did you ever experience stage fright…or were you always a natural? You know, I still get nervous before performances! My energy is SO high. I usually can’t eat before I go on stage. I want to show the audience that they’re getting the best of me. I’m hoping that people will understand it’s real…that it’s coming from deep down…from the best I can give. |
What is your most memorable performance?
The first time I opened for B.B. King in New York City. After I sang, he wanted to talk to me, and I was brought to his dressing room. I was so nervous that I was tearing this napkin I had in my hand while he was talking to me. He said that he loved my ‘Precious Lord’ rendition. He told me that it really touched him. He said, ‘Young lady, you are the real deal.’ Then later, I heard him tell the audience, ‘How ‘bout that young lady? I never heard a voice like that.’
The first time I opened for B.B. King in New York City. After I sang, he wanted to talk to me, and I was brought to his dressing room. I was so nervous that I was tearing this napkin I had in my hand while he was talking to me. He said that he loved my ‘Precious Lord’ rendition. He told me that it really touched him. He said, ‘Young lady, you are the real deal.’ Then later, I heard him tell the audience, ‘How ‘bout that young lady? I never heard a voice like that.’
I always enjoyed Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles* out at his house in Woodstock, too. We opened for him over 100 times. She laughs. We called ourselves his generic Mavis Staples singers.
*Levon Helm welcomed various artists to his home (a.k.a. The Barn) in Woodstock, NY for what he called “Midnight Rambles” (intimate concerts) – a gathering of artists who wrote music, participated in recording sessions, and played for small, private audiences, etc. |
“She is one of those wonderful spirits…she's got her arms around you…you can feel that.” ~ Levon Helm, musician (The Band) |
Tell me about your relationship with your core band members (Vicki Bell, Ray Grappone and Michael Louis). How did you all come together?
This is really a fairly new band. We had to reconstruct after 12 years or so. Vicki [vocals] and Ray [drums] were performing with me before we even had a ‘band.’ We were doing House music way back. Michael is lead guitar. The bass player is an ‘open seat.’ We’ve had several amazing bass players. Daniel A. Weiss plays keys for us.
It’s been a beautiful journey. We have a good management team and a new booking agency. Things are going really well.
This is really a fairly new band. We had to reconstruct after 12 years or so. Vicki [vocals] and Ray [drums] were performing with me before we even had a ‘band.’ We were doing House music way back. Michael is lead guitar. The bass player is an ‘open seat.’ We’ve had several amazing bass players. Daniel A. Weiss plays keys for us.
It’s been a beautiful journey. We have a good management team and a new booking agency. Things are going really well.
Be Love is your latest album. How would you describe the collection of songs? Is there a fabric that holds it all together?
Click above image to purchase "Be Love"
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I think this CD tells a story. It’s all connected. It’s not your average blues CD. There are a couple of blues tunes, but it’s really a music CD – it’s for everybody. There’s a little bit of everything [an eclectic mix of genres]. We’re trying to reach as many hearts and minds as we can. Each of the songs is about a real life situation…about life’s complications. But they all have a message of love…even if it’s tough love. There’s also a little comedy. All those things that get a good, emotional reaction.
We all collaborated on this one…we dug from deep parts of our lives – both past and present. These are songs about our life lessons. It’s a musical, emotional journey. “Loaded with original music and a few well-chosen covers, ‘Be Love’ takes the listener on a journey through betrayal, self-doubt, reflection and ‘Empty Promises.’ But nestled deep within those 12 tracks, you’ll find there’s an underlying resolve to speak out, to be yourself, and if all else fails, recognize when it’s time to cut your losses and simply walk away.” ~ Journalist T.E. Mattox (Traveling Boy) |
You’ve opened for many iconic performers and have shared the stage with incredible musicians. Is there anyone you would love to perform with in the future if the opportunity strikes?
Warren Haynes!!*
Wow…that didn’t take long. I thought you’d have to think about it for a minute.
Alexis starts to laugh.
No…that’s it, baby!
*Haynes is a musician and singer-songwriter, well-known for his guitar work with the Allman Brothers Band.
Where do you find sanctuary?
In my family…my mom, my daughter, my son…my whole extended family. Being with my family gives me a special sense of peace. If they weren’t here, I’d miss that connection.
Photo Credit: Vicki Bell
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Upcoming Performances:
Thursday, Sept. 5 - Sunday, Sept. 8 Big Blues Bender Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Sept. 14 John Brown Museum Lake Placid, NY Friday, Sept. 20 WAMC - THE LINDA Albany, NY Saturday, Sept. 28 Roy's Hall Blairstown, NJ Saturday, Nov. 9 Milford Arts Center Milford, CT Saturday, January 11, 2020 Cooperstown Concert Series Cooperstown, NY |