Rich Syracuse, Bassist

Hudson Valley-based musician Rich Syracuse spoke with host Xara Wilde following a gig with the Chuck Lamb Trio at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Syracuse, who plays the string and electric bass, has been a mainstay in the area’s jazz scene for more than three decades. He began his jazz career at the age of 13 in New York City and received his bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

After moving to Upstate New York in the 1980s, Syracuse played regularly with Nick Brignola, a baritone saxophonist from Troy, N.Y., and Lee Shaw, a pianist and composer who was nicknamed the “First Lady of Jazz,” among many others.

Syracuse shares about his long-standing friendship with Lee, who was inducted into Oklahoma's Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993, and the documentary that featured her life and career.

Syracuse teaches string and electric bass studies at Skidmore College and The Hotchkiss School, and is a bass professor and ensemble coach at SUNY New Paltz.

Learn more about Syracuse.

Music: “Evie’s Theme” and “When You Were There,” by Jeff "Siege" Siegel and Rich Syracuse.

Note from the host: Special thanks to Caffè Lena for the help in facilitating this interview. The listening room, located in downtown Saratoga Springs, is widely known as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. Both the Library of Congress and The GRAMMY Foundation have recognized Caffè Lena for its contributions to the development and preservation of American music.

Learn more about the venue’s history.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

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