$10 Cover @ the Door / Start 7:30pm / Doors 7pm / Seated Show
Bruce's new solo recordings are like meditations that vibrate in the solar plexus and resonate through your being. His command of the instrument and imagination are an elixir for being transported to the pure music channel. Bravo Bruce - Jerry Bergonzi
Every morning, world-renowned jazz bassist, composer, and educator, Bruce Gertz, makes himself a cup of coffee and sits at the baby grand piano of his Melrose, MA living room. Surrounded by quirky plants, records of his esteemed inspirations, and albums of his own, Gertz composes something every day, regardless of the day’s events ahead. He says, "Sometimes I only get a short idea but that can be the seed of a beautiful composition." His counterparts applaud him for his restless commitment to self-improvement.
Gertz is known for his superb mastery of the upright bass and was named “Outstanding Bassist” by Boston Music Awards. What some fans don’t know is that he grew up playing electric bass from the age of 14 and still plays (and teaches) the electric quite often. His extraordinary contribution to music education has earned him multiple recognition awards from The International Association of Jazz Educators and the Jazz Education Network. He has been serving as a Professor of Bass at Berklee College of Music since 1976. Additional educator credits include serving on the advisory board of the International Society of Bassists and as an adjudicator at the Clark Terry UNH Jazzer's Festival.
Gertz has performed and recorded with such artists as Gary Burton, Jerry Bergonzi, John Abercrombie, Joey Calderazzo, Kenny Werner, Mick Goodrick, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Billy Hart, Bill Frisell, Bob Berg, George Cables, Gil Evans, Tom Harrell, Jon Hendricks, Diane Schuur, Dave Brubeck, George Garzone, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, Joe Lovano, Cab Calloway, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie and many others.
He is an author of six books and contributing editor to Bass World Magazine. As a bandleader, Gertz has recorded more than twenty albums. His latest quartet release received four stars in Downbeat, December, 2017.
Phil Grenadier, trumpet
Jerry Bergonzi, sax
George Garzone, sax
Austin McMahan, drums
Bruce Gertz, bass