This October marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the bulwark of the upright bass, Ray Brown. Born in Pittsburgh on October 13, 1926, Brown began his professional career early, riding the 1940s wave of bebop that reshaped American music. His post-war success began in 1946 as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's Jazz Orchestra, quickly followed by the formation of his trio with pianist Hank Jones and Charlie Smith in 1948. Perhaps his most commonly known accolades emerged that same year when he married the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald and became her musical director until their separation in 1952.

The year prior, Brown joined forces with Montreal's own Oscar Peterson and ushered in a gold standard for the piano trio sound, eventually joined by Ed Thigpen on drums and cymbals. Records such as Night Train, We Get Requests, and Live in Chicago are but a few samplings of the tour de force that was the Oscar Peterson Trio.

As his time with Oscar drew to a close in the mid 60s, Brown reunited with another alum of the Dizzy Orchestra, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, with whom he had played in the Milt Jackson Quartet, a precursor to the Modern Jazz Quartet, and collaborated on records such as Ray Brown / Milt Jackson and Memphis Jackson. Shortly following this collaboration, Brown assumed the helm of his own trio in the 1970s, which continued for the remainder of the 20th century and featured a rotating cast of characters including pianists Gene Harris and Benny Green, as well as drummers Jeff Hamilton and Gregory Hutchinson. Some of the most cherished work of his later years came in the 1990s, with a record series known as Some of my Best Friends Are... which brought together the multitude of players who had shared the bandstand with Brown. Though Brown passed away in 2002, his leadership and intensity are still heard through the playing of his protégés John Clayton and Christian McBride, who themselves have assumed prominence on the global jazz stage.

Hailing from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Leland Nelson has developed an impressive body of work as a bass player in the Nashville area. As a former NYC resident his primary focus is jazz and jazz-adjacent styles, having worked alongside New York musicians such as pianist Matt Baker and tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm. His focus on these styles continues in Nashville, as shown through his work with The Sofia Goodman Group, Trulah, Josh Karas, Ted Ludwig, Marc Payne, Liz and Cynthea Kelley and Marguerite Beane. He is the proud host of The Spotlite Sessions at Living Waters Brewing, and is also a founding member of one of Nashville’s newest jazz fusion bands, Gratuitous Mr. Mayo!

Pianist Bruce Dudley leads a stellar quintet featuring vocalist Sandra Dudley, with saxophonist Don Aliquo, bassist Roger Spencer and drummer Larry Aberman.

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

Jazz vocalist Sandra Dudley is a versatile, award-winning singer that has entertained audiences in clubs and concerts for more than three decades. Sandra has sung with numerous small groups, big bands, orchestras, and studio orchestras, including the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman Studio Orchestra, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and more, performing with artists such as husband, Bruce Dudley, Fred Hersch, Lori Mechem, Duffy Jackson, Bobby Militello, Marvin Stamm, Dave Catney, Barney Kessel, Jeff Hamilton, and many others.

Besides being a seasoned jazz artist, Sandra is an educator as well, having served on the faculty of Belmont University teaching commercial voice and jazz for over 25 years. She has presented lecture/performances on great jazz vocalists, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae, singing the songs they popularized. She has appeared on many nationally recognized albums, including her own album Close To You, a duo album with pianist Lori Mechem called All of My Life, a tribute album of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and with the dynamic vocal quartet Third Coast Vocals on their album 3CV. She can also be heard singing on The Jazz Orchestra of the Delta’s Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter.

Rudy's hosts the official pro jazz jam. Come out and experience some of music city's best as they take the stage with Nashville's next generation of jazz performers! You will hear a variety of young, old, new and undiscovered players showing what they can do on stage. Part of the jazz tradition and what jazz embodies is the unknown and spontaneous exploration of new musical territory with new musicians sitting in live on stage; you never know who or what to expect other than the unexpected!

We welcome all ages to this show and have a $10 food or beverage minimum.