Voted 2019's "Best Jazz Vocalist" in the Nashville Industry Music Awards, Abigail Flowers captures the golden age of jazz with her smooth and precise vocals. Drawing inspiration from vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Nat King Cole, Abigail honors the Great American Songbook while adding her own artistic voice to the mix. Enjoy an evening of iconic melodies from France, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States while learning about the songwriters and musicians who brought them to life.

Pianist Pat Coil has toured Japan, South America, Europe and the U.S. with such artists as Michael McDonald, Carmen McCrae, Olivia Newton John, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Woody Herman and many others. Pat has recorded with many artists including Natalie Cole, Trisha Yearwood, Ernie Watts, Carmen McCrae, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt, Peter Cetera, Woody Herman, Scott Henderson, and Michael McDonald.

During his L.A. years, Pat played on many movie and TV scores, including Star Trek - Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Murphy Brown, Dionne Warwick & Friends, Growing Pains, Major Dad, Spencer For Hire, The Grammy Awards and many more. He played for various artists on the Tonight Show, Arsenio Hall, & Conan O’Brien. Living now in Nashville TN, Pat continues his successful career composing, recording, performing, producing, arranging and teaching. He has composed, produced and performed on hundreds of underscores heard on a variety of media all over the world. Pat taught jazz piano, combos, and improvisation at Middle Tennessee State University, and was an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the University Of North Texas.

Pat has recorded six solo jazz albums of his own, the third one being a collaboration with Lyle Mays. “True North” and his new album “Birdhouse” are available at patcoil.com, cdbaby.com and I-Tunes. Pat currently tours with Michael McDonald and Lynda Carter. He also makes numerous appearances with his own group. Pat has a new release of his original music, “Music For Humans….and Other Species”. For more information, please visit patcoil.com.

For nearly 30 years, Joel Frahm has lived in New York City, working in jazz clubs, collaborating with other musicians, and honing his craft. His bold, inventive tenor sound has won fans in the U.S. and across the world. He has worked alongside Betty Carter, Kenny Barron, Freddy Cole, Dianne Schuur, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, Bill Charlap, Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Cyrille Aimee, and many other top artists. He has played as a leader or sideman on more than 100 recordings and has appeared at jazz festivals in the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada and South America. In addition to his work as a performer, he has taught jazz classes in clinics at the University of North Carolina, the University of Connecticut, New York University, Wichita State University, the University of North Texas, Baylor University, Colorado State University, Furman University, the University of Toronto, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Manitoba and others. He also has worked at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation program; the Sant Andreu Youth Jazz Orchestra in Barcelona, Spain; the Dave Brubeck Institute in Stockton, California; the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory in Tel Aviv; the Czech Jazz Workshop in Prague; and the Siena Jazz Workshop in Italy. Joel grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and moved to West Hartford, Connecticut as a high school freshman, where he became part of the acclaimed Hall High School jazz band. It was there he developed a passion for jazz, exploring the music of jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver and Wayne Shorter. In 1992, he received a bachelor's degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

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.

Jim Ferguson is a vocalist, double bassist, educator, and luthier. He has had a long professional career in the Nashville music industry. In 1999 he returned to his roots and released his first jazz CD, Not Just Another Pretty Bass (a quartet with saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Pat Coil, and drummer Jim White). That was followed by Deep Summer Music (same lineup with the exception of pianist Stefan Karlsson ), and Haunted Heart (a duo recording with guitarist Mundell Lowe). The quartet recordings were released on A-Records, and the duo recording on Lily's Dad's Music. Jim has been a featured guest on Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, a guest on NPR's Morning Edition with Bob Edwards and on The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius-XM Radio. Additionally he has been featured on Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson. He is currently at Middle Tennessee State University where he taught jazz voice and bass since 1998 and maintains a double bass repair shop in Nashville, Tennessee.

Join us for Sully's Swingin' Sunday Supper, where one of Music City's top jazz and instrumental bassists Jimmy Sullivan leads a swingin' band with different special guest artists and Rudy's serves up a unique and delectable supper special just for the show!

Harmonic adaptability and rhythmic flexibility are the key attributes of any first rate bassist. Though a native born Virginian, Jimmy Sullivan has ascended to the top ranks of Music City's rhythm section comrades, proving himself a versatile and imaginative bassist on multiple occasions. He's excelled in numerous idiomatic sessions, though jazz remains a priority and key musical love. Still, he's flourished while working, recording and/or performing with such top country, rock and pop stars as Lee Ann Womack, Mandy Barnett, Mark Collie, Jason Petty, Becky Warren, Anne McCue. Calbe Caudle and Ben De La Cour among others. But most recently he's become an area favorite backing one of Nashville's most popular and beloved jazz vocalists, Stephanie Arlington.

Sullivan grew up in Reston, Virginia. Despite not having any musicians in the family, Sullivan still became enamored with music at an early age. Teaching himself to play by ear, his early apprentice came as both a singer and instrumentalist. He performed in a choir while also playing piano and clarinet. But his primary instrument became bass at 15, where he began on electric. Soon came formal jazz studies at Northern Virginia Community college, where he obtained a two-year degree before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

At VCU not only did Jimmy receive the seasoning and grounding from an exceptional program founded by the late, great, pianist/composer Ellis Marsalis, he was required to master the acoustic. That was the final step in Sullivan becoming a full-time bassist. Over the next six years, while living in Richmond, he worked in multiple settings and with a host of bands playing the full musical spectrum from classical and jazz to soul, gospel and hip-hop.

Interestingly, upon initially moving to New York, Sullivan didn't initially immerse himself in jazz like many new arrivals. Instead, folk and the gamut of styles known as Americana were how he made his livelihood for much of the next decade, while also getting married. It wasn't util 2017 that he arrived in Nashville, still married and not really even contemplating being a full-time musician much longer. But while his then wife was pursing a singer/songwriting career, a funny thing happened to Jimmy Sullivan. He moved from trying to decide whether to sell his bass to attending jam sessions, meeting fellow players and re-discovering his love for music. The flexibility that he had previously acquired made it easy for him to fit into all the contexts and situations that one encounters in a city like Nashville. Not only did he begin attracting attention from the country and western swing world, but also discovered a growing and intense jazz scene.

While he's now working regularly with Stephanie Adlington, he's also played with other Music City jazz stalwarts like Annie Selleck, Laura Mayo and Jamie Paul as well as international artists Laila Biali and Carol Welsman. He's become good friends and consistently shared the bandstand with Andy Reiss, Marcus Finnie, Geoff Pfiefer and Don Aliquo.

Jimmy Sullivan's now acclaimed not only in Nashville but throughout the region and state as a topflight player. He's already won one Nashville Music Industry Award as Best Jazz Instrumentalist in 2018, and others are sure to follow. But most importantly, Jimmy Sullivan's ferocity on the bandstand, and joy and love of playing music are infectious, and anyone who sees and hears him will immediately discover it as well as the inspiring and motivational power of great performance.

"Thanks to a dynamic style that can shift from the whispered beauty of Bill Evans to the percussive flights of McCoy Tyner, Nardone has emerged as one of Nashville's preeminent jazz pianists. His reputation is also blowing up nationwide, where he is receiving raves in Downbeat and Jazziz for his role in the Crimson Jazz Trio, a Nashville-to-L.A. combo led by former King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace and former Vital Information bassist Tim Landers."

-Michael McCall, Nashville Scene

Greg Robbins is a jazz vocalist, composer, and lyricist who recently transplanted to Nashville from Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Greg was trained formally in Vocal Performance at Berry College in Rome, GA. He went on to receive a robust vocal and compositional training on the Atlanta jazz scene from mentors Kermit Walker, Kevin Bales, Delbert Felix, and many more. After going full time for a few years in Atlanta, he moved to NYC where he learned from legendary artists such as Sachal Vasandani, Johnny O’Neal, and Marc Cary, while performing at various venues like the Manderley Bar in Chelsea, Gin Fizz in Harlem, and The Back Room speakeasy in lower Manhattan.

Greg returns to Rudy’s on August 7 melding outlaw country and folk music with contemporary and traditional jazz sounds. He will be joined by Nashville guitarist Adam David Davis, Louisville’s Kendall Carter (organ), and Atlanta’s Larry Wilson (drums).

Paying homage to one of the group's greatest inspirations, Oracle Blue will be performing an entire evening of music by Erykah Badu. The set will feature well-loved classics such as "Window Seat", "Next Lifetime" & "Tyrone", while digging further into her catalog with lesser-known deep cuts.

Nashville-based group Oracle Blue blends elements of Neo-Soul, electronic music and #BAM (Black American Music) to create a newfangled soundscape with a sullen danceability. The group is fronted by producer Liz Kelley on guitar and effected vocals, supported by playback engineer Zach Douglas on trumpet and electronic sampling, and rounded out by a rotating cast in the rhythm section. Influences include artists ranging from Hiatus Kaiyote to Sylvan Esso, while creating a sonic culture that is uniquely their own. Occasions of note include multiple opening performances for five-time Grammy Award-winning artist Lalah Hathaway, endorsements from Traveler Guitar and Aston Microphones, a performance at NAMM, and a recent listing on DownBeat's "What to Stream This Week". The group has spent recent months collaborating on music with producer Justin Trout and bassist MonoNeon (Prince, Mac Miller, Ne-Yo), which released in spring of 2021.

Bizz is an accomplished artist and songwriter who has played on Nashville stages and shows around the country and Canada for more than 20 years. The eldest son of Nashville legend Jimmy Church, Bizz has opened up for The Godfather of Soul James Brown, The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The King of Rock and Roll, Little Richard and many more.

“I remember when I was 4 or 5 years old my grandmother would let me stay up and watch my dad on ‘Night Train’. I said to myself then “I want to do that, that looks like fun’”. He started his first group at 9 doing Jackson 5 covers while in middle school and winning most of The High School talent shows they entered. He then realized he was actually pretty good at this.

Bizz developed several bands while in high school, and after college, he put a band together called “Bizz and The Crew”. They gained local popularity in local clubs while he was honing his skills and writing songs.

While running lights in his dads’ band, the lead singer got sick, and his dad asked him could he fill in for a show or two. Those two shows turned into 5 years. They traveled the country playing, from Clint Eastwood’s home in Carmel, California, to Diana Ross’s in Greenwich, Connecticut. That year they were also named "The #1 Wedding Band in America" by Vouge magazine. “Those were the best 5 years of my life”, says Bizz. I learned so much about business, showmanship, and the importance of branding”.

About 6 years ago, he started a cover band called "Bizz and Everyday People” that has become one of the premier cover bands in Nashville and the country, but his first love has always been to create and perform program music. His first project, ‘Love Izz” has been critically acclaimed by the music community as well as the general public.

Bizz currently works with multi Grammy award winning producer and writer Tommy Sims on a yet entitled EP. “These songs are special because they are mostly about what we’re going through as a country and our struggles as a nation dealing with its past and looking to is future, and the growing pains associated with all that. They are just my thoughts, my feelings and a few emotions put into song. Sort of a catharsis for me. Of course, there’s a love song in there’. I’ve always believed that if you write from your heart, your truth, it will touch someone’s heart as well. I just wanna…. make a difference. Leave it better than I found it.”

The Bruce Dudley Quintet features Bruce Dudley on piano, Jamey Simmons on trumpet, Don Aliquo on saxophone, Jim Ferguson on bass and Marc Widenhofer on drums.

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.

He 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 and adjunct teacher of jazz piano at Vanderbilt 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.

"Dudley’s well-schooled piano style is guided by dominant but subtle right-hand figures that galvanize one of the most cohesive trios in town." THE NASHVILLE SCENE

"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

"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

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.