APRA Music Award winner Continental Robert Susz (Dynamic Hepnotics) was interviewed by Ana Ramos & Boston Rodriguez.
Robert was born in Hungary & emigrated to Sydney Australia as a small child with his family. As a teenager, in the late 1960s, he started collecting Soul & Blues records from artists like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding (on the Soul side) & Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy & Jr Wells, Little Walter, BB King on the Blues side. He even got to see many of these greats perform live, when they toured Australia in the 1970s & was blown away by their music & powerhouse performances!! Deciding he wanted to play this kind of music that he loved so much & after years practicing & jamming, he became the lead singer, harmonica player & songwriter of:
– The Dynamic Hepnotics. Between (1979-1987) they dominated the national charts. In the mid 80s with Robert’s composition the SMASH HIT “Soul Kind Of Feeling”& toured extensively, playing to packed houses all around the country!
– The Mighty Reapers. The Mighty Reapers (1987 – 2000 & still occasionally when all the members are in the same city). A funky blues & soul band who put out a series of award winning albums in Australia & the USA. The Reapers also had a big live following around Australia. They have opened the show for greats like BB KIng, Buddy Guy, Albert King & were the band of choice to back touring USA Blues & Soul artists like Lucky Peterson (organ/guitar/vocal prodigy), Louisiana Red (down home Blues guitar & vocal master), Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf’s longtime, genius guitarist)…… as well as Big Jay McNeely (honkin’ saxophone legend) & Margie Evans (powerhouse Soul, Blues, Gospel singer) both of whom the Reapers have recorded albums with.
– The Continental Blues Party. Now Robert has assembled his latest soul/blues/down home funk combo “THE CONTINENTAL BLUES PARTY” who have been turning on audiences with their electrifying, soul charged, R’N’B workouts. Mixing “Continental” Robert’s own blues & soul compositions (including “SOUL KIND OF FEELING”) with show-stopping versions of tunes from the greats like – RAY CHARLES, MUDDY WATERS, JAMES BROWN, JOE SIMON, CURTIS MAYFIELD, BB KING to name a few!! They have released an album “On The Soul Side” on Vitamin Records. The Continental Blues Party features “Continental” Robert Susz – lead vocals & harmonica And hotshots like; “Hit Single” Adam Pringle – guitar & vocals Illya “Cossak” Szwec – guitar Clayton “Teenager” Doley – organ Robert “The Hungry” Woolf – organ, electric piano & vocals Vito “Mr Showbiz” Portolesi – bass & vocals Rowan “Express” Lane – bass Antero “Skinny Jr” Ceschin – drums & vocals
– Soul Kinda Feeling Revue. Robert also puts together, on special occasions, The “Soul Kind Of Feeling Revue”a big 8 piece band featuring a combination of the above musicians with a 3 piece horn section, including Bruce Allen the original saxophonist of The Dynamic Hepnotics, playing a selection of The Dynamic Hepnotics hits & crowd favourites plus the best of The Mighty Reapers & Continental Blues Party soul stirrers!