Salt Peanuts (DK) 02-24

TranslationSUSANNE ALT – Completely in the Groove At some point, she had enough. Not of jazz, but of the jazz business. Back then, Susanne Alt took a different direction. That was quite a turning point, the German saxophonist, who currently lives in Amsterdam, says today. An important one! After an excursion into funk/R&B, she immersed herself in the electro-dance world—performing as a DJ with saxophone. Meanwhile, jazz is allowed back into her life—but please, with soul-infused energy.By Arne Schumacher for Jazzthetik 07/08-2026, Germany Right now, I’m having an incredible amount of fun again. Susanne Alt does not necessarily want to talk about a comeback or a return to the jazz world. After all, she has continued to play jazz gigs. However, the impression of a recent, thoroughly fundamental change in her perspective is supported by the release of two albums. Ten years ago, Saxify was released, an album with which she confidently started a whole series of jazz productions. The funk plate of my dreams is how the Würzburg-born musician, who moved to the Netherlands at the age of 18 to study jazz, describes the album. Saxify featured legendary US funk and soul veterans. However, there had already been signs of a radical change—musically speaking. In her classically cast jazz quartet, Alt had always shown a sense of soul-jazz and a passion for grooves, which she says is in her blood. Parallel to my jazz education, I was always interested in other music: pop, funk, dance. When I brought my first band to an end, I was already appearing as a guest with house DJs. These electronic things were viewed with quite a bit of suspicion in jazz circles. For me, it felt entirely natural. Especially in a city like Amsterdam. There was always this vibrant club scene here, where instrumental electronic music was also played. That really appealed to me. This shift was preceded by a years-long struggle for recognition, gigs, appropriate payment, and ultimately, economic survival as a jazz musician. In 2003, after a three-year study phase in Berlin, she had returned to the Amstel River, bringing with her—besides her highly developed craftsmanship—an artistic maturity and an individual expression. And she knew she absolutely wanted to be independent. A year later, the saxophonist (who plays soprano as well as flute alongside alto) released her debut album on her own label, Venus Tunes. With each subsequent production, her career advanced. On the other hand, she had to realize that achieving a better status in the jazz world did not automatically translate into appropriate financial compensation for concerts. The frustration grew—in many respects. As a bandleader, always having to drag everyone along under the old model, and just trying to make it work, was extremely exhausting and ultimately really annoying. Looking back, she has to laugh, even when thinking about the sometimes lethargic band memebers. Even with all the pressure and stress, I was still in a relatively good position, despite the cultural-political conditions in the Netherlands, which have worsened since 2010. But I felt a musical stagnation. I just didn’t want to keep repeating myself. The transition with Saxify reshuffled the cards. After Alt was booked more and more as a soloist for DJ sets, people began asking her if she would like to DJ herself. She took the step. And she gradually established herself as a DJ, with her sax always a key part of it. It was just a breath of fresh air. Sometimes it’s healthy to do something else. I wanted to see how it would develop. Meanwhile, tracks from Saxify were making the rounds in remixes by respected club producers. To bring everything back to the stage, she founded her all-female trio Venus Tunes Live. Soon it became clear that all of this was also economically highly rewarding. Whether she missed jazz during those years? No, not really, she smiles. That changed slowly in the wake of the Corona crash. The result: a whole new series of compositions—and an incredibly well-cast studio production in February 2022 in New York City, featuring James Hurt (keys), Gerald Cannon (b), and Willie Jones III (dr). This session yielded enough material for two albums at once. Royalty for Real is an homage to trumpet player Roy Hargrove. With Dark Horse, she recently followed up with an album that emphasizes the groove side through a strong use of keyboards. Her alto sax sound is better than ever. You can hear that Susanne Alt feels completely comfortable in this context, which unites different aspects of her journey. She also speaks of a new focus. And she is once again leading a live band, a six-piece working band. Does she feel a new inner balance? I feel completely in motion right now! As you change, you see everything as an enrichment, because you stay active and grow. You look at things and think: What is my role in the grand scheme of things, what can I contribute? I don’t want to hear the endless complaining anymore. Part of this mindset includes her teaching activities; alongside sharing her broad experience at the University of Arts in Arnhem, she is involved in targeted cultural-political engagement. This includes strengthening the network of jazz communities to help jazz advance even in difficult times. Under the banner of a good groove! Current Albums:Susanne Alt: Dark Horse (Venus Tunes) - Salt PeanutsTranslationWhen you hear the surname Alt, it might not be surprising that you become a saxophonist. Susanne Alt is a saxophonist, composer, DJ, and producer based in Amsterdam. She was born in 1978 in Würzburg, Germany, into a musical family. She studied classical saxophone at Meistersinger-Konservatorium Nürnberg (1993-1996) and won the Siemens Prize for young talents in 1996. At the age of 18, she moved to the Netherlands to study saxophone at the conservatories in Hilversum and later Amsterdam (1996-2000). She continued her studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin (2000-2003).Since 1999, she has had her own quartet, but she was also one of the first musicians to perform live with DJs in Amsterdam's nightlife. In 2004, she made her debut as a producer with the release of Nocturne on her own record label, Venus Tunes, followed by several albums. In 2015, she was asked by a booker if she could also be a DJ, and as a joke, she said yes. To her surprise, this answer had consequences, and she just received her first booking as a DJ! This led to an expansion of her career, and her DJ sets (without saxophone) also became in demand. Her experience in dance music inspired the creation of Venus Tunes Live, a live act exclusively for women featuring musicians who were also DJs.From 2016 onwards, she focused more on dance releases on her label and has since delivered a monthly guest mix on Freak31 radio. In addition to her own projects, she is a sought-after guest and session musician, collaborating with artists such as Fred Wesley, DJ Spinna, Opolopo, Johan S, Hardsoul, DJ Maestro, Wicked Jazz Sounds, and many more. As a saxophonist deeply rooted in jazz, funk, and soul, she embraces the various musical possibilities of a DJ/producer, venturing into electronic music, especially anything soulful, funky, and deep.So here we meet a saxophonist with many irons in the fire. On her new album, she plays alto and tenor saxophones plus flute, James Hurt plays Fender Rhodes and piano, Gerald Cannon plays bass, and Willie Jones III handles the drums. Additionally, Robert Glass contributes percussion on a couple of tracks. Of the seven songs, five are composed by Alt, while the opening track, Roy Allan, is written by trumpeter Roy Hargrove, to whom the album is also dedicated. The second-to-last track, The Nearest Of You, is composed by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington.Right from the start, we understand that this is jazz music that lies on the outskirts of what we usually spend time on here at salt peanuts*. The fact that one of her previous releases was titled How To Kiss doesn't exactly suggest that this is a record for us. However, Alt has chosen to challenge us and send us the release, so we approach it with freshly cleansed ears and an open mind.The first track, Roy Allan, is a decent composition, receiving a somewhat funky and pop-oriented treatment here. However, there's something about the production that I can appreciate. With the double bass prominently featured in the sound, and with fine and creative bass playing, we accept the somewhat smooth Fender Rhodes playing, which does its best to push the music into a somewhat light landscape.And this continues through much of the release. I don't know how many remember the Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer from the 90s. But if you do and liked what she delivered, Alt will certainly be something for you.Personally, I find the music too smooth for my taste. However, Alt is a decent saxophonist within the music she performs. Especially, I think the bass playing and the production, with the bass so prominently featured in the sound, work well. And it sounds best in the tracks where Hurt plays piano (Bel Air Bop and The Nearest Of You). In these songs, I think the band sounds as it should, proving that they can play proper jazz at a very respectable level. But in the other tracks, I find the music a bit too simple, and it leans too much towards pop and slightly lightweight funk for me to fully embrace what is served.Jan GranlieSusanne Alt (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute), James Hurt (Fender Rhodes, piano), Gerald Cannon (bass), Willie Jones III (drums), Robert Glass (percussion)