The Ultimate Guide Series

 
 
 

Dix Bruce, a musician, composer, and writer from the San Francisco Bay Area, was born and raised in the Midwest. His interest in American folk music, jazz, and original composition are blended into a unique vocal and instrumental sound. His compositions are fresh and his energetic, exuberant stage personality, along with his driving rhythm and lead work, set the tone for a warm and exciting performance.

He began playing guitar at age twelve. After college, he relocated to the Bay Area where his interest in hybrid acoustic string music led him to David Grisman's prototype quintet in the mid-1970's. Bruce eventually teamed up with the mandolinist and edited the magazine Mandolin World News from 1978 until 1984.

In 1978 Bruce formed the band Back Up and Push to explore the emerging possibilities of swing and jazz on acoustic stringed instruments. The band toured the west coast throughout the 1980s and accompanied Bruce on his release of Tuxedo Blues, which features many of his original instrumental and vocal compositions.

He currently plays guitar and banjo in "The Royal Society Jazz Orchestra," a 10-piece big band which performs traditional jazz from the 1920s and 1930s. He continues to perform with several other grups in the Bay Area, write music, and record, and has been a frequent contributor to "Frets," "FIGA," and "Bluegrass Unlimited."