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Bruce Guthrie
Bruce Guthrie is a musician and citizen of the jazz music universe.
About Me
Bruce Guthrie has an over 30-year music business and performance experience. While
attending college
he won the regional
championship of the National Collegiate Talent Search.
Bruce has sung jazz professionally in the “west coast cool” tradition pioneered by Oklahoma-
born international jazz icon
Chet Baker for many years; as well as working with Chet’s late wife, Carol, and Chet's son,
Paul, serving as business
representative of all of the heirs of
the Chet Baker estate for 14 years arranging deals from film to new music offerings and the
collection of global royalties, and the sale of Chet's catalog;
and he was the co-founder of the Chet Baker Foundation 501 ( c ) 3, based in Tulsa whose
honorary board included Sharon
Stone, Hugh Hefner, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, the late Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner,
Astrud Gilberto …and many others.
In 2005 Bruce founded the annual Chet Baker Tribute concert that has been staged at
numerous places in Oklahoma, The
OK Mozart Festival, The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, The National Press Club in Washington,
DC, and other venues. ; and was recently asked to help develop the Chet Baker exhibit for
the OKPop museum in Tulsa (scheduled to open in late 2026)
He was also the founder and organizer of the Chet Baker Jazz Festival held in Yale, Oklahoma
(Baker’s home town) that spanned 5 years.
In 2025, Bruce was named as Executive Producer on Chet Baker film projects in the US and
Italy.
He has also worked with the estate of iconic jazz pianist Bill Evans on specified business
projects.
One of eight children Bruce received degrees from The University of Tulsa and Tulsa
Community College. He was once the teaching tennis professional at The Candlewood Club
in Tulsa. He studied journalism, international business communications and he speaks
German as a second language, as well as moderate Spanish; and taught German for 5 years
beginning the
German language program at Will Rogers HS in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bruce’s mother, Helen, served on the White House West Wing staff of President Ronald
Reagan.
