Born into a musical family, Jeff Brueske began his unofficial musical career singing the liturgy in church from the front pew at age 2 1/2 years. He took up the guitar at age twelve, and continued formal studies in high school. At college he majored in classical guitar, and eventually completed a Master's degree in performance and pedagogy from the University of Minnesota. He performed and composed for several classical, jazz, fusion, gospel and pop ensembles from 1988 on, recording a CD in 1994 featuring several of his own compositions.
GUITARIST
After completing his Master's degree studying under Jeffrey Van, Jeff studied jazz improvisation from local guitarists Kevin Daley and David Singley. He began to gig around the Twin Cities at various clubs and in private venues, and developed a reputation as an excellent teacher. He has appeared in performances at the Great American History Theater, School Sisters of Notre Dame Arts Festival, the 318 Cafe (with Reynold Philipsek), and numerous solo recitals throughout Minnesota including the Passport to the Arts Series in Woodbury, MN. He draws on all these experiences in his current guitar playing, focusing on solo jazz performances with a distinctly Latin flavor on the nylon string guitar, often featuring his clear tenor voice.
BASSIST
In the late 1990's, inspired by jazz greats such as Charles Mingus, Charlie Haden, and Ray Brown, he took up the double bass, receiving private jazz instruction from Anthony Cox, and briefly from Rodney Whitaker and the late Dennis Irwin. He also explored the world of the classical bass under the tutelage of Robert Anderson of the Minnesota Orchestra. He was jam session bassist for the short-lived but musically fertile venue Brilliant Corners, and began to
be a sought-after freelance bassist.
He has performed with Wessel Anderson, Marcus Printup, Dennis Spears, Debbie Duncan, Connie Evingson, Patty Peterson, Pete Whitman, Sophia Shorai, Christine Rosholt, Rick Carlson, Carei Thomas, the Twin Cities 7, Chris Lomheim, JoAnn Funk and the late Bobby Peterson. Jeff has collaborated in modern dance premieres with Alvin Ailey alum TUDance and in "Empire at Twilight" music/dance series at the Southern Theater. Jeff can be heard currently playing with three projects: the Small City Trio, with New York composer and pianist Jeremy Walker and Twin Cities drummer Tim Zhorne; the Gypsy jazz trio Sidewalk Cafe which he co-leads; and a longstanding weekly duo with pianist/vocalist JoAnn Funk at the historic St. Paul Hotel.
