Norbert Susemihl

Norbert Susemihl (born August 26, 1956) is a German trumpeter, drummer, singer, and bandleader.

He is a promoter of New Orleans Jazz and New Orleans Music.

Susemihl grew up in Hamburg, Germany.

He started playing music at the age of 14 on guitar with his first band "The Shepherds", which he co-founded with Thomas l'Etienne.

This was a vocal group which sang Spirituals and Gospel-Songs, inspired by the "Golden Gate Quartet".

After a year, in 1971, Susemihl started to play trumpet, and the band changed its name to "Papa Tom's Lamentation Jazzband" playing and studying Traditional Jazz from then on.

In 1978 and 1979 Susemihl made his first trips to New Orleans.

In 1980 he lived there for a year to study New Orleans Jazz and the lifestyle and culture that made and shaped this music.

Through all of the 80s, Susemihl lived in New Orleans for 4 months each year and studied and played regularly with almost all of the local musicians, from the older traditional players to the younger generation, covering all styles of New Orleans Music.

He has made recordings in New Orleans with among others Willie Humphrey, "Father" Al Lewis (banjoist), Fred Lonzo, Lars Edegran, Orange Kellin, Frank Fields, Ernie Elly, "CoCoMo Joe" Joseph Barthelemy, Jason Marsalis, Louis Ford, Daniel Farrow, Kerry Lewis, Seva Venet, and vocalist Wanda Rouzan.

Since 1986 he has been leading his Hamburg based bands "Norbert Susemihl's Arlington Annex" and Norbert Susemihl's Arlington Brassband".

His main formation today is "Norbert Susemihl's Joyful Gumbo" which was formed in 2002 and is based in Denmark.

Susemihl tours and performs with his own bands, and as a guest with different bands in Europe and New Orleans.

He is considered as one of the leading contemporary trumpeters in the New Orleans style.

As his most important influences on trumpet Susemihl cites: Louis Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, De De Pierce, Alvin Alcorn, Jack Willis, Thomas Jefferson (musician), Wynton Marsalis, Kid Thomas Valentine, and Percy Humphrey.