Norbert Susemihl

Who is Norbert Susemihl?

Norbert Susemihl is a German born New Orleans style musician.

Norbert Susemihl, born 1956 in Hamburg, began to play at the age of 14, as the co-founder of "Papa Tom's Lamentation Jazzband". First he played the guitar and sang Spirituals and Gospels, inspired by the Golden Gate Quartet. In 1971 he began to play trumpet. Later he also started using the Flugelhorn in order to be able to use a wider spectrum of sounds. Occasionally he can also be heard playing the drums. All the early members of Papa Tom's Lamentation Jazzband were still attending school, while the band started making a name for its self and played the local clubs in Hamburg and North Germany.

In the late 70s and early 80s, Susemihl started to perform regularly with other local bands, like the "New Orleans Quarter". There was a wealth of engagement possibilities, as traditional jazzband were in high in demand in Hamburg, also for private and corporate events. This paved the way for Susemihl to consider becoming a professional musician, although he began studies at the Hamburg University in 1977, the subjects being mathematics and geography.

The first tours abroad with "Papa Tom's Lamentation Jazzband", and as guest soloist took him to Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium. In 1977/78 he toured with Sammy Rimington, one of the leading European New Orleans style clarinet and saxophone players. This co-operation inspired him to take his first trips to New Orleans in 1978 and 1979.