Don Suhor spent all but two of his 55 years as a jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist in his native New Orleans, playing Dixieland and modern jazz in a remarkable variety of bands at scores of settings. As his brother, I’m both the most expert and most suspect of Don’s admirers, so a sample of comments by fellow musicians will serve as quick introduction:
Clarinetist Tom Sancton: “Don Suhor remains a legend among musicians who knew and worked with him.”
Amy Sharpe, banjoist: “Everyone—from the hard core traditional jazz player to the most far out bebop player—thought the world of him and his talent.”
Tom Jacobsen, clarinetist and historian: “Don Suhor always distinguished himself with his inventiveness and musicianship. He worked with the city’s best and in virtually all of the local venues.”
Wendell Brunious, trumpeter: “Don is a player who never got his due. I admired the way he could go from style to style seamlessly and flawlessly.”
The Suhor family at St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedic
