SongVault Artist Profile

Suzanne Brooks is a vocalist, leader of her own band—The Jazz Generation, writer, hula dancer, speaker, activist, educator, recording studio owner, and entrepreneur. A singer since early childhood, she spent many years in church choirs and remains fond of all kinds of religious music, from hymns and chants to gospel. She credits her vast repertoire in jazz, pop, R&B, folk and country to exposure to many kinds of people in many different religious environments. She has studied with an array of vocal coaches and in numerous vocal workshops including Seth Riggs (Speech Level Singing), Reinhardt Krekow, Chris Beatty (The Vocal Coach), Bobby McFerrin and Richard Smallwood in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Nashville, and New York.

Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Brooks has worked/recorded with an array of talented musicians, including Reggie Graham, noted Sacramento jazz/Gospel musician and good friend who co-wrote “Lasting Impression,” the song about meeting Miles Davis." In 2003, she formed the Jazz Generation, adding a unique style to the Sacramento scene. She has five CDs currently on sale, including “Great Women of Jazz: A Tribute” (based on her original show , "Great Women of Jazz," about women jazz singers from 1890 to 1990) and “Listening To The Radio," a single about a 98 year old Louisiana sharecropper in a nursing home.

Currently based in Sacramento, she owns Creative Concepts Systems and the International Association of women of Color Day. She is multi-lingual in English, Spanish, French, Latin, Hawaiian and American Sign Language. A former Philadelphia, PA police officer, she has administered university affirmative action and science educational equity programs and a university multi-cultural center. Brooks earned the B.A in education and English; M.A in English/Creative Writing and completed all but her dissertations for doctorates in adult education at Penn State University and Educational Leadership and Change at the Fielding Institute.

Brooks has been active in a variety of university and community service organizations. She is currently a member of American Federation of Musicians Local 12, ASCAP (Songwriters) and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys).

She has traveled widely throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Internationally, she has visited Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, New Zealand, United Kingdom (England), Uruguay and Venezuela.

She and the rest of The Jazz Generation are preparing to record an R&B CD as well as new work in Jazz. She is working on her 3rd book, "Loveletters, Hatemail and Other Messages."
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