"...Groove is in his heart and horn" Kathy Y. Wilson, Cincinnati City Beat
Saxophonist Bruce Menefield is an outstandingly creative musician. He has developed a unique style of playing a variety of musical genres: jazz, gospel, blues, R&B and world music. Menefield has performed professionally for 35 years where his sweet sound has been heard in top venues, churches and concert halls. He has performed with and among some of the best in jazz such as Billy Harper, Clark Terry, Bennie Maupin, Ronnie Laws and John Blake. Bruce is best known for his big bluesy sound, but he has morphed into a highly spirited improviser, able to create new music on the spot and in the height of the moment. "From the beginning of my explorations in music, I believed music was an indispensable part of life. I’ve believed this for a long time; music is to be used to celebrate profound events of the day: birth, harvest, marriage, family and the community as a whole. Anything I do includes this sentiment. The emphasis is on how I play a song, not the written composition of it. I can’t put this into words, it is just there… that is part of the connection that I have from the unseen to what you see." Menefield is also a leader and a producer. His career is marked by his ability to mix talented musicians into exciting ensembles. The groups he has developed are known to keep a "hard groove" and to deliver a strong musical message. Bruce has produced many live concerts including the "It's Commonly Jazz" series. Bruce highlighted this series with the likes of McCoy Tyner and Hank Crawford. He has written, recorded and produced his own music. His latest CD is entitled "My Steps". "I play to encourage people in their pursuit of love, joy and hope. When performing, my goal is to communicate that by our continued determined effort, WE can achieve anything, overcome any obstacle, solve any problem and exceed self imposed limitations.” A native of Cincinnati, Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Xavier University and studied music at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He and his wife Ena Nearon Menefield work together as a team to bring his music to the stage. "Just today, a jazz lover and friend of mine said these exact words to me, “You saved my life many times!” He didn’t have words to describe what it was in the music that accomplished this other than to say that “there is just something about it”. “When I hear “thank you’ coming from a listener’s heart, I truly feel that my music has fulfilled its purpose.” |
|
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ena Nearon, PR 859-360-4955 nearena2@menefieldmusic.com Bruce Menefield, Cincinnati's Contemporary Jazz Saxophonist Saxophonist, Bruce Menefield has always been considered a quiet man. Metaphorically he doesn’t “toot his own horn”. Quietly though, behind the scenes he influences change in the jazz music field for Cincinnati, Ohio. A native of Cincinnati, born to a family of 6 brothers, he grew up in one of the hard core West End neighborhoods, Over the Rhine. His father, unable to work having acquired lung cancer in the coal mines managed the home. Daily life was often a struggle for his family. A product of the Catholic School system, at his mother’s insistence, he became a graduate of Xavier University who majored in Economics. He was the only one of his family to attend college. He went on to attend Cincinnati University Conservatory of Music where he pursued his love of the saxophone. Early on he knew that he was destined to lead bands. He can be found in many well known spots in Cincinnati; the Blue Wisp, The Bankers Club, The Hyatt Regency, Sawyers Point, to name a few. His love for improvisation in music, though not always rewarded financially, motivates his choices. He married while in college to a woman who also had a love for music. They had three children; one received the reputed Duncanson Award for his musical accomplishments, one majored in opera at CCM, while the third has become a very successful international IT specialist based in Europe. Quietly Bruce plays on supporting their efforts. When “Doc” Broadnax began the “Jazz in Cincy” project, Bruce Menefield was there. When the Blue Wisp began to integrate its jazz sound with African American artists, Bruce Menefield was asked to perform. He has performed among some of the best in jazz such as Billy Harper, Clark Terry, Bennie Maupin, Ronnie Laws and John Blake. His career has been marked by his ability to mix talented musicians into exciting ensembles. The groups he has developed are known to keep a “hard groove” and to deliver a musically strong message. He has produced many live concerts including a three year run of the “It’s Commonly Jazz” series at Jordan Crossing. He was the first to consistently present national and internationally renowned jazz artists with local talent of the same caliber on stage together. He highlighted his run of “It's Commonly Jazz” series with the likes of McCoy Tyner and Hank Crawford. Still influencing the jazz scene, he has chosen to provide practical business services as well. Bruce Menefield has quietly gone about his way to place musicians in small, private venues and specialty platforms that feature jazz throughout the Tri-State. In so doing, he has been responsible for creating opportunities that showcase jazz musicians on TV, on stage, and in educational facilities. Bruce Menefield identifies with quality in musical sound. He is acquainted with and respects the artists that produce it. He doesn’t have to “toot his own horn”, he is measured by his actions. His activist approach to continuing the legacy of jazz in Cincinnati is what Bruce Menefield believes in... While performing onstage or behind the scenes, he himself represents the most original American art form of all… improvisational and always contemporary, jazz music. |
|
