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Audrey Sundstrom

Longtime Jazz and Blues lover thanks to early exposure.

About Me

Dad and Mom played albums on the turntable frequently. Dad especially loved Swing! He'd be tapping his foot in the off beat and smile from ear to ear! My musical tastes were definitely influenced by my childhood exposure to Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Barbara Strisand, Tony Bennett and others. I took guitar and flute lessons and realized, I'm not a musician. I respect the craft and am awed by the talent of many. I founded a jazz festival (free to the public and family- friendly) in 2012. Doing my part to keep jazz alive and well in Grand Rapids, MI. GRandJazzFest- grandjazzfest.org Thank you, Dad! Wish you were here to share it with me... In my heart you are.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because I grew up listening to Swing, Big Band, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass. My "rock and roll" choices included lots of brass, horns and interesting riffs— Chicago, Yes, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Blood, Sweat and Tears to name a few. I re-embraced Jazz in my late teens and discovered Blues. I wish there were still Jazz and Blues radio stations in Michigan. We were fortunate to have public and some corporate radio stations with jazz programming in Grand Rapids, MI until recently. In 2012, I founded GRandJazzFest (grandjazzfest.org), doing what I could to keep Jazz alive and well, for future generations. I retired in 2020 and passed the torch to a GR and Jazz Board member and Jazz Saxophonist, Mike Frost.