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Brian Cruse

Bassist-Composer-Teacher based in RVA

About Me

While the musical setting around him frequently varies, versatile bassist Brian Cruse provides a solid harmonic & rhythmic foundation through his contributions in a diverse range of ensembles.

In addition to leading his own ensemble, B-Snaptet, Brian is currently an active member of Richmond, VA based bands Fado Nosso The Larri Branch Agenda, Luray, quux, Afro Zen Allstars, The J.Smith Trio, The River Trio & Super 64. These groups cover a vast array of genres including Jazz, R&B, Portuguese, Ethiopian, Americana/folk, Singer-Songwriter & 20th Century.

Performing such a variety of music has allowed Brian to perform in an equally wide array of venues & locations. These include The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage & the historic Twins Lounge in Washington DC, as well as on NPR's Mountain Stage. In Richmond he has performed at many well known venues such as The National, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Dogwood Dell, The Richmond Convention Center & Balliceaux. You can also find Brian performing in the pits of Richmond's theaters, restaurants, clubs, bars, churches, and other Richmond venues. On tour, Brian has performed in many US cities, including NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta & Nashville.

Brian has also participated in a number of eclectic festivals, including the Endless Mountain Music Festival, Baltimore Folk Festival, The Vans Warped Tour & Richmond's own 2nd St, Watermelon, Jazz on the James, Beer & Wine, Italian, & Music Circus festivals. He has also enjoyed performing on Richmond's CBS 6 “Virginia This Morning” & Richmond radio stations WRIR, WDCE & RadioRubberRoom.

Over the years, Brian has been able to share the stage with many wonderful musicians. He is grateful to have worked alongside local Richmond & VA greats such as Steve Kessler, Charlie Kilpatrick, Kip Williams, James Gates, Weldon Hill, Hodd O'Brien, Dave Triplett, Adrian Duke & Bill Evans. Recently, Brian has shared the bill and opened for international touring bands including The National, Tortoise, The Whigs & Tune Yards. He has also had the opportunity to perform as a member of The Upper East Side Big Band, Gypsy Roots, The Rhythmasters, Bossa Brava, The Butterbean Jazz Quartet & The Kip Williams Quartet.

While continuing to compose music for various ensembles that he is a member of, Brian has maintained a steady studio schedule, appearing on 6 records, 2 of which he produced. Under his leadership, Brian has brought two projects into the studio to record 2 albums of original music: B-Snaptet, & Con Legno. These albums are currently available on a variety of platforms, including Bandcamp, iTunes & Amazon.

In addition to performing, Brian shares his love of music through education. He currently maintains a private studio teaching upright & electric bass, guitar, piano & music theory lessons. As an instructor Brian also leads group master classes & clinics at schools in the Richmond area. In 2012 he joined the faculty of the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.

Brian grew up in Arlington, VA and first began playing the bass at the age of 13. At 14, he began studying electric bass, guitar & music theory with John McCain. During high school he was a drum major in the marching band and member of the Concert & Jazz Bands. While pursing his degree at Virginia Commonwealth University Brian studied classical and jazz double bass under the direction of Kelly Ali and Victor Dvoskin. Also studying under Doug Richards & Skip Gailes, Brian graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's degree in Bass Performance with a concentration in Jazz Studies.

In addition to music, Brian enjoys catching up on some of his other interests including rooting for his favorite sports teams: FC Barcelona & The Washington Redskins, hanging with his pets, watching an episode of Seinfeld, traveling to other countries & on a nice day, doing some gardening.