International Archives For The Jazz Organ (IAJO) - The Jazz Organ Scene USA

Bruce Bears

Fascinated by R&B and jazz as a child, Bruce began searching for the sources of American music in his late teens. Researching backwards from influential 70's band Little Feat, to New Orleans masters James Booker, Professor Longhair, and Chicago blues master Otis Spann, his influences run the gamut from jazz greats Oscar Peterson and Gene Harris, funk and soul master Sly Stone, New Orleans organ great Art Neville, jazz organ masters Shirley Scott and Jimmy Smith, to raw blues men Pinetop Perkins and Roosevelt Sykes. In addition he has played with a wide variety of performers and musicians including: "Little Milton" Campbell, Jon Pousette-Dart, Sherman Robertson, Ronnie Earl, Sugar Ray Norcia, J. Geils, Susan Tedeschi, James Harman, Nicole Nelson, Junior Watson, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, "Sax" Gordon Beadle, Amyl Justin and Kid Bangham, and producer/percussionist Lorne Entress, just to name a few.

In the late 70s, Bruce began playing in various rock bands and R&B/Jazz groups in Upstate New York. In 1983, he moved back home to Massachusetts and began working in Top 40 groups; he eventually wound up in his first, serious Boston based group, The Motor City Rhythm Kings. After playing keyboards for "The Kings" for several years, he played in various local Boston based blues groups, and he eventually formed and currently leads five time Blues Music Award (aka WC Handy Awards) nominated and Best of Boston winner, The Toni Lynn Washington Band.

I'm Movin' In JSP Records JSPCD2149	Destini Rawls, vocals Bruce Feiner, tenor sax, piano Robert Feiner, baritone sax Jamie Finegan, trumpet Phil Guy, guitar Johnnie Marshall, guitar Johnny Rawls, guitar, vocals Bruce Bears, organ Jason Arnold, drums
Groovin' In The Mood Room Sweetspot 6602 recorded December 2005 in Pawtucket, RI/USA	Al Basile, cornet, vocals Duke Robillard, guitar, piano Bruce Bears, organ Marty Ballou, bass Mark Teixeira, drums, tambourine Doug James, vocals
Guitar Groove-A-Rama Stony Plain Records SPCD 1316 recorded in Pawtucket, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Doug James, baritone sax, harmonica Al Basile, cornet Bruce Bears, Hammond organ Marty Ballou, bass, percussion Jesse Williams, bass Mark Teixeira, drums, percussion
Duke Robillard's World Full Of Blues Stony Plain Records SPCD 1323 recorded December 2006 to January 2007	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Gordon Sax Beadle, tenor sax Doug James, tenor sax, baritone sax, bass clarinet, harmonica Scott Aruda, trumpet Al Basile, cornet Fred Bates, guitar John Packer, guitar Paul Kolesnikow, guitar Bruce Bears, Hammond organ, piano Lonnie Gasperini, Hammond organ Sugar Ray Norcia, harmonica Tim Taylor, harmonica Marty Ballou, bass John Packer, bass Mark Teixeira, drums
Finger In Your Eye Southwest Musical Arts Foundation 05 recorded in Tempe, AZ/USA	Big Pete Pearson, vocals Doug James, baritone sax Billy Flynn, guitar Chris James, guitar Johnny Rapp, guitar Duke Robillard, guitar Eddie Taylor jr., guitar Bruce Bears, organ, piano Matt Bishop, piano Pinetop Perkins, piano Michael Kocour, organ Henry Gray, piano Patrick Rynn, bass Brian Fahey, drums Mark Teixeira, drums
Passport To The Blues Stony Plain Records SPCD1349 recorded in West Greenwich, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Doug James, tenor sax, baritone sax, harp Bruce Bears, organ, piano Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums
Independently Blue Stony Plain Records SPCD1364 recorded in West Greenwich, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, tenor banjo, vocals Doug Woolverton, trumpet Billy Novick, clarinet Brad Hallen, guitar Monster Mike Welch, guitar Bruce Bears, piano, Hammond organ Mark Teixeira, drums, percussion
Calling All Blues! Stony Plain Records CD1374 recorded in Pawtucket, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Rich Lataille, alto sax, tenor sax Mark Earley, tenor sax, baritone sax Doug Woolverton, trumpet Bruce Bears, Hammond organ, piano, vocals Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums, tambourine Sunny Crownover, vocals
The Blues Soul Of Billy Boy Arnold Stony Plain Records CD1378	Billy Boy Arnold, harmonica, vocals Rich Lataille, alto sax, tenor sax Mark Earley, tenor sax, baritone sax Doug Woolverton, trumpet Duke Robillard, guitar Bruce Bears, Hammond organ, piano Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums
Blues Full Circle Stony Plain Records SPCD 1392 recorded in Pawtucket, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Sax Gordon Beadle, tenor sax, baritone sax Doug James, baritone sax Jimmie Vaughan, guitar Bruce Bears, piano, Hammond organ Kelley Hunt, piano, vocals Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums Sugar Ray Norcia, vocals
Ear Worms Stony Plain Records SPCD 1403 recorded in West Greenwich, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Klem Klimek, tenor sax, vocals Doug James, baritone sax Jeff 'Doc' Chanon, trumpet Mark Cutler, guitar, vocals Baxter Hall, guitar Bruce Bears, Hammond organ, piano, vocals Marnie Hall, violin Marty Ballou, bass Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums, percussion, vocals Sunny Crownover, vocals Julie Grant, vocals Dave Howard, vocals
Viva Las Vegas Live Cleopatra Blues CLO 1308	Joe Louis Walker, guitar, vocals Bruce Bears, piano, organ, vocals Lenny Bradford, bass, vocals Dorian Randolph, drums, vocals
Last Hand Sweetspot 9927 recorded in West Greenwich, RI/USA	Al Basile, cornet, vocals Bruce Bears, organ, piano Brad Hallen, bass Mark Teixeira, drums
Blues Bash! Stony Plain Records SPCD 1423 recorded in West Greenwich, RI/USA	Duke Robillard, guitar, vocals Rich Lataille, alto sax, tenor sax Sax Gordon, tenor sax, baritone sax Greg Piccolo, tenor sax Doug James, baritone sax Al Basile, cornet Bruce Bears, Hammond organ, piano Mark Braun, piano Bob Welsh, piano Mark Hummel, harmonica Marty Ballou, bass Jesse Williams, bass Marty Richards, drums Mark Teixeira, drums Chris Cote, vocals Michelle Willson, vocals
Black Crow Moan E-H Records LLC 051497162986 recorded in Marlboro NY; Ferndale MI and Nashville TN/USA	Eliza Neals, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, vocals Howard Glazer, guitar Derek St. Holmes, guitar Mike Puwal, guitar, bass Joe Louis Walker, guitar, vocals Jim Alfredson, Hammond B-3 organ Bruce Bears, Hammond B-3 organ John Abraham, bass Chuck Bartels, bass Lenny Bradford, bass, tambourine Jason Kott, bass Brian Clune, drums Jeff Fowlkes, drums John Medeiros, drums, congas Demarcus Sumter, drums Skeeto Valdez, drums

contact:	bearszac@earthlink.net
homepage:	brucebears.com
	Click on the logo to see Bruce's tour dates.

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