Sue Terry

Who is Sue Terry?

"Sweet" Sue Terry is a jazz saxophonist and composer.

While a student at the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, Terry was a protégé of saxophonist Jackie McLean. McLean encouraged her to move to New York City, where she was later mentored by Clifford Jordan, Junior Cook and Barry Harris, who collectively gave her the nickname "Sweet Sue". Upon her arrival in New York in the eighties, Terry became a featured soloist with bands led by Charli Persip, Clifford Jordan, Walter Bishop, Jr. and Jaki Byard. She went on to work with others such as Dr. Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, George Duke, Barry Harris, Hilton Ruiz, Irene Reid, Juan Carlos Formell, Dr. John, Teri Thornton, Mike Longo and Howard Johnson.

Terry's discography of more than forty recordings includes her as leader/composer on "Gilly's Caper", "Pink Slimy Worm", and "Bandleader 101", and as co-leader/composer on "The Troubadours" and "The Blue.Seum Project." Other artists whose recordings have featured her playing and writing include Charli Persip, Clifford Jordan, Joe McMahon, Derwyn Holder, Bobby Sanabria, Mini All Stars, Jaki Byard, Ricardo Franck, Fred Ho, and DIVA.

Terry is also the author of "Practice Like the Pros" and several other instruction books.