One of the few violinists who specializes in playing Latin jazz, the talented Susie Hansen works frequently with both her jazz and salsa bands in the Los Angeles area. Her father, James Hansen, was with the Chicago Symphony for 37 years and was her first teacher. Susie studied jazz in Boston with Charlie Banacos, sat in often with Cedar Walton in Chicago, and moved to L.A. in 1988. She has led her own bands since 1989, debuting on the Jazz Caliente label in 1993 with Solo Flight. ~ Scott Yanow