Pianist Bruce Dudley leads an extraordinary quartet featuring saxophonist Jeff Coffin, bassist Jack Aylor and drummer Danny Gottlieb for an evening showcasing exceptional musicianship, deep interplay and decades of collective experience. Together, the group brings remarkable versatility, spontaneity and a shared commitment to creative expression to the Rudy's Jazz Room stage.
Bruce Dudley is a Steinway Concert Artist and has been performing jazz piano for over 40 years on concert stages, in clubs, and private residences throughout North and South America. He specializes in the Great American Songbook, as well as in the rich history of American jazz styles, from Ragtime and Stride to Modernism, Post Modernism, and performance of original music. In addition to his work as a solo artist, he leads a trio, quartet, and larger ensembles, with horns and/or strings, while also enlisting the award winning voice of his wife, Sandra Dudley. An active educator, Dudley has presented clinics across Canada, the United States, and in Colombia, South America. His recordings as a leader include DPSW Quartet - Live at the Cave (2019), The Solo Sessions (2012), Mostly Monk (2010), and Semblance (1997). Dudley has also performed with artists Aretha Franklin, Crystal Gayle, Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Herb Ellis, Randy Brecker, Little Anthony and the Imperials, the Ink Spots, and has played keyboards for over 35 touring Broadway shows, including Beautiful, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Guys and Dolls, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Legally Blonde, among others. Bruce Dudley has published articles for Downbeat magazine and presented scholarly research at conferences in the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States. His book 25 Piano Etudes in Idiomatic Styles was published in 2021 by Keuka Waters Music. Dudley is Associate Professor of Music at Belmont University. He has a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado, a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Business and Technology from New York University.
"As the leader, Dudley set the evening's tone with a supple, rich blend of assertive melodic statements, delightful accompaniment, first-rate phrasing, counterpoint and harmonizing." - Ron Wynn - ArtsNash
"Dudley, whose fluent lines jet around the keyboard, absorbing motifs into the stream, without a split second of hesitation, at any point of rhythm in the bar, are stunning to listen to…" - Halifax Chronicle Herald
"Dudley plays the piano with such grace and authority that he has quietly become the pianists that other pianists go to hear." - Houston Post
Jeff Coffin is a globally celebrated saxophonist, composer, educator, and is recognized for his breathtakingly singable and enigmatic compositions, his searing improvisations, and his very unusual facial hair. He is a member of the legendary Dave Matthews Band, and you may also know him from his 14 year tenure, and 3 GRAMMY® Awards, with the genre-defying Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. In October 2024, Dave Matthews Band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Jeff will be one of a handful musicians to attain this incredible musical honor! Jeff is also a Yamaha Performing Artist & Clinician, a Boston Sax Shop Ambassador, & a JodyJazz Artist. He teaches improvisation and directs the top combo at the prestigious Vanderbilt University, has written over 10 music books, authored a children's book, produces, engineers, mixes, draws, and continues to be recognized for his musical passion, his deep commitment to music education, and his tireless dedication to improvisational music. Jeff Coffin's 2022 GRAMMY® nominated release, Between Dreaming and Joy, was a stunning display of Coffin's boundless compositional impulse and eclectic sonic arrest, and was released on his own Ear Up Records. With over 23 solo releases (and 45+ overall) on Ear Up Records, Coffin is proud to celebrate, but not get stuck in, his independent label's first GRAMMY® nominated recording - an impressive feat for the seasoned woodwind player! Check Ear Up Records for all the latest releases.
Nashville bassist Jack Aylor has established himself as one of the city's premier jazz accompanists, admired for his lyrical playing, unwavering groove, and musical sensitivity. After studying in New York with bass legends Ron Carter, Ben Wolfe, Ugonna Okegwo, and James Genus, Aylor returned to Nashville, where he has performed with an impressive roster of internationally acclaimed artists including Jason Moran, Delfeayo Marsalis, Dave Kikoski, Oz Noy, Chester Thompson, Rahsaan Barber, Roland Barber, Don Sickler, Luther Allison, Tim Green, and Alex Hoffman. Whether anchoring a swinging quartet or navigating modern jazz, Aylor brings a deep sense of melody, interaction, and rhythmic authority to every performance. He also serves as a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University, helping mentor the next generation of jazz musicians.
Danny Gottlieb is one of the most popular drummers in jazz and contemporary music. Although best known as the drummer in the original Pat Metheny Group, during the past 30 years Danny has performed and recorded with some of the world's greatest musicians. They include: Bobby McFerrin, Sting, John McLaughlin, Gil Evans, Gary Burton, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, David Byrne, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Al Di Meola, The Blues Brothers Band, Booker T and the MGs, Jeff Berlin, Lew Soloff, Michael Franks, Mark Egan, Mike Stern, Dr. John, the NDR Big Band, WDR Big Band, HR Big Band, GRP Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, and many more. He is featured on more than 300 CDs to date, including four Grammy Award Winners.
