Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
We knew! Now, all of Central Illinois knows. Soon, in February, the nation and the world will find out: Bruiser and the Virtues are outstanding jump, blues and swing musicians! Fresh from a win in the International Blues Challenge Regional held in Bloomington-Normal in October against some 13 other bands, Bruce “Bruiser” Rummenie, John “J.T.” Tubbs, Neal Robinson, Peter Roubal, Bruce Bethell and Jeff Magby are flying with excitement. “We’ve run out of CDs!” lamented Bruiser with gratitude two weeks later. In review of their winning performance, J. Balmer, president of the Blues Blowtorch Society located in Bloomington-Normal and a major sponsor of the Regional Challenge, along with the other clubs in the Central Illinois Blues alliance, said, “...lotta jump, pretty tight band. Great stage presence!”
Join the fun at the Cowboy Monkey, and expect a live performance with the sincerity of a baby being delivered. The all-original songs they play from their CD were created from the inventive mind and deep soul of Rummenie, a cat so talented he is in three bands (Virtues, Impalas and Javelinas). Arrangements are a group effort made easy by knowledgeable and experienced cohorts like J.T.
--James Walker - The Hub, Oct. 28-Nov. 4
Discography
2001 "From Vice to Virtue and Vice Versa" - full length CD on Bruisermusic label.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The house of blues has a lot of nooks and crannies after all these years, and Bruiser and the Virtues live in the party room. Shunning the power-trio fad, the band returns to earlier, bigger forms: jump blues, hot swing, and all the other dance-oriented genres that flowed into what was then called race music.
Performing a mix of original compositions and classic tunes from Americans icons such as Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker, Bruiser and the Virtues are guaranteed to get the crowd off their asses and onto the dance floor. Then, with the timing born of years of onstage experience, theyll slow it down with a smoky torch song, a slow blues, or a smooth ballad to let the people get cozy with each otheror drink some beer.
Their debut CD, From Vice to Virtue (and Vice Versa), showcases Bruisers writing talents and the bands considerable musical talent. With ten original songs and touches of everything from jump to jazz, mambo to Mississippi blues, its guaranteed to please.
The house party starts when these six sharp-dressed cats hit the stage and rip into a fast-as-lightning instrumental, and it doesnt stop until the last encore. But dont take our word for it. Heres what others have to say:
Outstanding jump, blues, and swing musicians . . . flying with excitement (James Walker, The Hub [central Illinois]).
Its hard not to get caught up in the fun. The musicality of the band is unquestionable and impressive (Cody Sokolski, the Champaign-Urbana Octopus).
The bands debut disc . . . admirably tills the fertile soil of a genre steeped in the American jazz, swing, and blues tradition and is a noteworthy addition to any record collection (Don Gerard, the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette).
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