The Mancuso-Suzda Project, an adventurous local avant-garde jazz duo, is currently serving as artist-in-residence at Strathmore. The program selects a different local performer each month and provides educational and performance opportunities in order to cultivate local talent in the fine arts. Previous artists-in-residence include Laura Burhenn of Georgie James, jazz harmonicist Frédéric Yonnet, jazz percussionist Kush Abadey, singer/songwriter LEA, and Celtic harp player Lily Neill.
Like so many groups these days, the Mancuso-Suzda Project came together through a mutual friend, CraigsList. This rather banal start belies the diverse backgrounds of its members. Chicago native Jeff Suzda studied with respected jazz educator David Baker at Indiana University. While a student, he received a 2005 award from Downbeat Magazine for leading the nation’s top college jazz combo. Suzda can be heard on recordings with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lew Tabikin, Byron Stripling, and the Brooks Tegler Big Band. Locally, he plays baritone saxophone in the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and is a regular performer in the D.C. jazz circuit.
Born and raised in Italy, Simone Mancuso received his Master’s Degree in Percussion in 2000 from the top music conservatory in Sicily. He then moved to Switzerland where he specialized in contemporary music as a solo percussionist. In 2003 he received the Solisten Diplom (Doctorate) from the University School of Music in Lugano, Switzerland. During his time in Switzerland, he founded the Lugano Percussion Group, which currently performs in Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Romania, and Switzerland.
The duo’s playing is highly interactive and unconventional. They are in the process of recording their first album, and the initial tracks we heard are dark, textured, and open. It is clear that the two musicians are fluent in established musical styles, but they are trying to depart from the standard conventions of any particular genre. While the music may not fit in the typical U Street jazz club, it is ideal for a more formal chamber ensemble setting that offers a concentrated listening experience.
