Black Box Duo

Song List:

1. I Wish You Love - Lyrics by Albert Beach; original music by Charles Trenet, Leo Chauliac

2. Night and Day - written by Cole Porter

3. Crazy He Calls Me

4. When Sunny Gets Blue - Marvin Fisher, Jack Segal

Personnel:

Vocals - Suzanne Lucas

Piano / Bass - Rafael Silva Ruffus

Drums - Ray C. Williams

Camera/Editing - Warren Buchholz

Assistance/Setup - Andy Harrison

Sound - Jackson Harpe

Jazz on Arts Axis Florida: What message do you hope to resonate with your audience when they hear your music?

Suzanne Lucas: When our audience listens to our renditions of jazz standards from the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, I hope they feel a profound connection—not just to the rich history and timeless quality of these songs but to the emotions and stories that are as relevant today as they were back then. By reimagining these classics in a new way, in a more contemporary style, we strive to bridge generations, celebrating the “living of life" with love, loss, joy, and resilience that resonate across time. It's not about us or our interpretations; it's about honoring the legacy of these great artists and the shared human experiences their music captures. We want each performance to be a reminder that, though times change, our core emotions do not. Through our music, we aim to bring people together, offering a sense of belonging and understanding, and highlighting the enduring power of these songs to touch hearts. It's our hope that listeners, no matter their age or background, will find something in our music that speaks to them, comforts them, and reminds them of our shared humanity.

How do you choose what songs to play live?

The songs that I choose have to move me. They have to tell a story that I can relate to. I have to have a stirring in my soul because I can’t perform every song well. I perform songs that make me feel deeply. And i give that emotion to the audience so they can stir deeply inside.

Who are your musical inspirations?

My biggest inspiration is my mother. She was a jazz singer. She started in NYC and played all over the north east. She was even offered to play with Cy Coleman and his big band, and she turned it down to be a mother.

I was not raised by my birth mother, although I did have a relationship with her in my 40s until she died in 2017. When I was cleaning out her house, I found a whole bunch of recordings that she had done and many of my songs, I learned just by listening to her sing them to me. Many of those songs are in my Setlist and some cases I’ve never even heard the originals. I just heard her do them, and fell in love with them.

What is your favorite song or musical memory?

I was in a situation where I did not have contact with my birth mother; however, she somehow got a court order for my foster mother to let me hear her sing on a radio station out of DC. And never knowing her or how she felt about me, the song that she chose to sing on the radio told me that she loved me. I do this song now but it’s always a tearjerker for me. It’s just super raw emotion when I perform that song, and it always takes me back to the day I first heard her sing it to me. It was a Rolling Stones song called "As Tears Go By."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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