"Highlighting and celebrating the distinct, nimble and crisp voice of mallet percussion, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music faculty member Rusty Burge assembles a first-class collection contemporary classical chamber works as well as a wide-ranging palette of jazz that dances from clever, frolicking, light-footed numbers to explorative, resonant and reflective pieces, revealing the exceptionally dynamic possibilities of marimba and vibraphone." - Tamara Turner, CD Baby

Extend your weekend with the CAC's Monday Lunchtime Creative Arts Series 44. Rusty Bruge Quartet brings the vibraphone to Kaplan Hall Lobby at the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art Jun 23.

Please tell us about your latest work. What inspired it?

My latest recording is a collaboration of many different types of musicians and music. Influences are drawn from classical, contemporary music, world music and jazz. The CD is meant to give an accurate view of my musical life.

Tell us about artistic influences upon your work.

My main jazz influences are Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. Also many classical composers like Bartok, Mahler and Stravinsky. Modern composers like John Cage and Steve Reich are also part of the picture.

What impact would you like for your work to have on the audience?

To show that jazz can be fun and engaging to listen to when presented in a way the listener can relate to.

What is the biggest challenge to your art or to being an artist today?

There is very little support for jazz in today’s society, so we do it for the love of the music…..and so the art form will survive.

Favorite art/ artist:

Jazz favorites are Herbie Hancock and Geoffrey Keezer…pop music favorite is Jason Mraz

Bad stage moment that you cannot forget?

When I forgot the bottom cross bar to my vibraphone which holds it together. I had to play the whole night with the instrument propped between two chairs. During solos I would stop and pull the chairs back together to keep the instrument from falling over. It was a long night!

Contact:

E-mail: 44@cacmail.org
Tel: 513 345 2941

44 is the Contemporary Arts Center's new creative arts series at the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art.

Artists of every discipline and genre - poets, musicians, dancers, playwrights, actors, performers, filmmakers - are invited to demonstrate their craft every Monday in the Center's Kaplan Hall Lobby.

44 celebrates all forms of art and all stages of artistic practice. From dramatic readings to rehearsals to full-scale performances, 44 provides a dual experience - to artists seeking new audiences and venues, and to the downtown community seeking creative interaction.