S&S Afro-Caribbean Collective brings together Jonathan Suazo and Alejandro Salazar in a new Chicago-based jazz project, rooted in the musical traditions of Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Following in the footsteps of musical geniuses like Miguel Zenón, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdéz, and David Sánchez, S&S’ mission is to combine these sounds with the ever expanding landscape of Jazz, by sharing and celebrating an essential part of Latine culture via concerts and workshops that will promote intercultural dialogue.
Alejandro Salazar
Alejandro emphasizes love, peace, and unity to audiences through unique performances, education, and the cultural study of Afro-Cuban and Black-American Music. Chicago’s own rising star, Alejandro Salazar, is deeply rooted in the tradition, yet he likes to explore new ways to help people groove and dance more to his infectious swing feel.
Alejandro has had the pleasure of playing at clubs, venues, and festivals all over Chicago and the world like The Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Jazz a la Villette (Paris), Primavera Sound Barcelona, Munch Museum (Oslo), Bourse de Commerce (Paris), Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, The Jazz Showcase, Andy’s Jazz Club, DuSable Museum, The Green Mill, Constellation, and Dorian’s to name a few.
During such engagements, Alejandro has shared the stage with master musicians such as Bobby Watson, Jon Faddis, Robert Irving III, Emmet Cohen, Willie Pickens, Angel Bat Dawid, Marques Carroll, Junius Paul, Dennis Carroll, Alexis Lombre, Tito Carrillo, Victor Garcia, Rajiv Halim, Ernest Dawkins, Coco Elysses, Senabella Gill, Anthony Bruno, and Ira Sullivan.
Jonathan Suazo
Award-winning saxophonist / composer / cultural seeder and educator who also leads his own project entitled RICANO, a unique Afro Caribbean Jazz concept that blends the sounds of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Jonathan was named one of the top ten emerging Jazz artists of 2023 by the GRAMMYS and his debut album “Ricano” (Ropeadope Records) was listed at #6 in the best Jazz albums of 2023 by The New York Times.
A Berklee Global Jazz Institute graduate, he’s received many honors including the 2024 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant, The WBUR Makers Series Award for generating impact in the Boston’s community, The Winter 2023 South Arts Jazz Road Tours Grant, the 2023 New Music USA Creator Fund Grant, A full tuition Scholarship to attend the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Masters Program, The Project Support Grant for Program Alumni by the Fundación Banco Popular for his Ricano album, and the Berklee Urban Service Award for using the arts to support humanitarianism.
In connection with his Ricano project, Jonathan has become an ally of several organizations like Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, Escuela Libre de Música San Juan, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, El Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Fundación Banco Popular, and Music Project to impact more that 600 student since 2023.
Catalina Maria Johnson of Downbeat Jazz Mag describes his music as “a soundscape propelled by lyrical sax playing” and Giovanni Rusonnello from the New York Times describes his music as “richly built, written from the heart and packed with complexity, always seeking the next level of altitude.”
Suazo’s resume includes collaborations / performances with Miguel Zenón, Terri Lyne Carrington, David Sánchez, Charlie Sepúlveda, Gonzalo Grau, Danilo Perez, Ricky Rodriguez, Ileana Cabra (iLÉ), Calma Carmona, Rakalam Bob Moses, Joe Lovano, Paoli Mejias, Humberto Ramirez, David Rivera, Tito Matos, Ricardo Pons, William Cepeda, Jon Secada, Pedro Capó, Obie Bermudez, Hans Glawischnig, Humberto Ramirez, Silverio Perez, Tony Escapa.
