Bruce's Bio

His work with blues and jazz master Duke Robillard, uptown blues and soul queen of Boston Ms. Toni Lynn Washington, gospel star Mavis Staples, masterful songwriter and soulful singer Martin Sexton, raw bluesman "Big Jack" Johnson, singer-songwriter Mark Erelli, and many others have made Bruce's skills as a keyboardist and musician as diverse as they are in demand.

Native Sons
>Marty Ballou, Bruce Bears, Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards, Pinetop's Guitarist Frank Krakowski, Big Jack Johnson, Bobby Rush, Sam Carr, and Super Chikan (during filming of "Native Sons" for Mississippi Public Television) August 10, 2005 in Clarksdale, MS Photo By Dick Waterman all rights reserved
Bruce is currently touring and recording with world renowned guitarist Duke Robillard and appears on his 2007 and 2010 Grammy Nominated CDs "Guitar Groove-a-Rama" and "Stomp the Blues Tonight", the release "World Full of Blues", his 2010 release "Passport to the Blues" and his latest un-released CD. He also produced Toni Lynn Washington's award-winning fourth record, "Been so Long", with Duke and has played on many of the recordings Duke has produced since 2006. His latest producing effort for Toni Lynn Washington, "Favorite Flower, Toni Lynn Washington Live", was released on June 23rd, 2007. Bruce is available as producer, arranger, or as studio talent for your project too. (You can e-mail Bruce at bearszac@earthlink.net).

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.

Bruce also has a musical collaboration and recording project with fellow sidemen Jesse Williams and Mark Texeira called 'threadbear fynn' which focuses on instrumental music with influences from styles including New Orleans piano and funk, the soul jazz exemplified by masters such as piano great Gene Harris, organ great Jimmy McGriff, and "Jam" Music.

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.