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 and 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 is currently touring and recording with world renowned guitarist
Duke Robillard and appears on his 2007 Grammy Nominated CD "Guitar
Groove-a-Rama" as well as his current release "World Full of Blues".
He also helped produce Toni Lynn Washington's award winning 4th
CD "Been so Long" with Duke. His latest producing effort "Favorite
Flower, Toni Lynn Washington Live" was released on June 23rd 2007.
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 and organ great Jimmy
McGriff and "Jam" Music.
In the late 70's Bruce began playing in various rock bands and
R&B/Jazz groups in Upstate NY. In 1983 he moved back home to Massachusetts
and began working in Top 40 groups eventually winding 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, eventually forming
and leading 5 time Blues Music Awards (aka the WC Handy Awards)
Nominee and winner of Best of Boston Toni Lynn Washington's band.
The following reviews are collected from Bruce's work with The
Toni Lynn Washington Band:
Essence Magazine
CD Picks October 2003
"Been so Long" Toni Lynn Washington
Kind of sounds Like: Your grandmother (if she were Shug Avery
from The Color Purple).
Why you should buy her CD: Hearing the Blues should never be this
much fun.
Best listened to: While playing spades.
Steve Morse, Boston Globe, August 1, 2003
Toni Lynn Washington does herself proud with another sterling
effort, this time co-produced by Duke Robillard. He and Bruce
Bears (Washington's pianist and music director) bring out enough
soulful style to render comparisons to one of Washingtons idols,
Ruth Brown. Washington shows great range, moving from the piquant
jazz of the Little Jimmy Scott-identified "Angel Eyes" to the
steamy boogie-woogie of "It's Been a Long Time" (Been So Long),
with Bears kicking it to life on the ivories. The dizzying range
feels seamless, though, whether its a sweet cover of "Willow Weep
for Me" (learned from a Nina Simone record) or the more modern
swamp-rock of the Cate Brothers' "Are You Happy Now?" or the funky
rock of "Shake Me", penned for her by Jon Pousette-Dart, former
leader of Bostons Pousette-Dart Band.
P. Kellach Waddle/ BluesWax
Trying to analytically explain why this CD ("Been so Long") is
so wonderful is like trying to explain why God is God or why water
is wet.
You are doing yourself a disservice if you dont go and get this
album, now.
From the New York Blues and Jazz website:
BEEN SO LONG TONI LYNN WASHINGTON
Take a seasoned veteran, give her one of the best producers, the
best musicians, release it on a brand new label and you have another
W.C. Handy Award nomination. Duke Robillard is the guitarist/producer,
Bruce Bears is the keyboardist/co-producer, and Scott Aruda, Gordon
Beadle, Chuck Langford and Doug James are the horn section, add
Kevin Belz on guitar, Jesse Williams and Lou Ulrich on bass, and
Mark Texeira , Dave Jamrog and Warren Grant on drums and you have
an instant classic. If you were never a fan of this woman you
will be. This is one for eternity.
I'm pleased to report that All Music Guide has assigned a 4 1/2
Star rating to Toni Lynn Washingtons "Been So Long". The disc
has also been designated an "AMG Pick".
Best regards,
Tracy
Gary von Tersch
Big City Blues (August/September 2003)
The good times continue on Toni Lynn Washingtons NorthernBlues
debut project that brilliantly teams her up with ace guitar slinger
Duke Robillard and his hip-bumping, horn-studded band, singing
a slew of covers on her bluesiest outing to date, especially on
shouters such as Bessie Smiths rousing "Back Water Blues", the
devilishly stomping Gamble-Huff title tune and deep-soulers "Are
You Happy Now" (great distraught guitar), Earl King's forlorn
"Three Can Play the Game" and Ruth Brown's ballsy "Its Love Baby
(24 Hours of the Day)." More modern efforts like "Take Me to the
Basement" and a Washingtonian interpretation of the smooth soul
classic "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday" are also impressive.
Recorded live at a pair of New England locales - the notorious
Duke's Mood Room in Pawtucket, RI and Sudbury, MA, the laid back
Club 39. Produced by Robillard and versatile keyboard player Bruce
Bears with track-by-track commentaries from Washington. An impressive
outing."
2003 Best Blues Release (Canadian Label/U.S. Artist)
3 Way Tie: Toni Lynn Washington: Been So Long (Northern Blues)
Ronnie Earl (Stony Plain)
Snooky Pryor (Electro Fi)
2003 Best Blues Artist (Female Artist)
Toni Lynn Washington: Been So Long (Northern Blues)
Best Regards,
Cheri Wilhelm
Editor/Publisher
Real Blues magazine
By MICHAEL MILLER
The State - daily paper of Columbia, SC
Toni Lynn Washington, "Been So Long" (NorthernBlues Music) - Slide
the furniture to one side of the room and get ready to do some
slippin and slidin in your sock feet. Big-band, bar-room blues
hasnt sounded this sweet in a long time.
Leroy Alvarez WNMC 90.7
Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you that we got the Toni
Lynn Washington-Been So Long release in our current rotation and
its just great! We love it here at the station and were doing
all we can to promote it and spinning it heavy. Anyhow, hope you
have a great summer and keep up the good work at NorthernBlues!
Gypsy
http://www.NothinButDaBlues.com
Ive been listening to "Been So Long". Bruce, You and the backing
band are awesome! Im one of the few non-guitar folks, can take
it or leave it. But, as for keys (and sax), thats my cup of tea
and you . . . over-filled my cup!
Terry Odom BLUES-L
I remember reading something about the Toni Lynn Washington CD
(Been so Long) on Blues-L, so I just now put it on and the band
backing Toni is KILLER!!! Pull out the liner notes and that tasty,
tasty keyboard is Zeller Bruce Bears! Hey, nicely done Bruce.
This is a really good CD!! I can hardly wait to dive into some
of the others now.
Other Stuff:
English: At this years Gaildorf Blues Festival the Sherman Robertson
Band was flown in as a last minute replacement for Clarence Spady.
At the time it wasn't known which Musicians Sherman would bring
with him. Then out of the bus stepped...an old Friend from the
last Bluesfest: Toni Lynn Washington's genius piano player Bruce
Bears, who immediately said how glad he was to be playing in Gaildorf
again.
"Toni and her band continue to be one this part of the country's
best kept secrets for 5 years in a row they've been nominated
for Handy Awards (with the likes of Etta James and others), and
we all feel that when folks come to hear this soulful and personable
singer do her material and that of greats like Ray Charles and
Earl King, she'll be at the top of the heap. Till then well just
have to enjoy her right here at home."
Johnny Ds,
Somerville MA
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