Bruce Purse is an American musician, composer, producer, vocalist, bandleader, arranger, performer, music educator, and guest lecturer. Proficient at various wind instruments, including the trumpet, pocket trumpet, bass trumpet, and

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

, Purse has performed with many well known artists, such as

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

, and

Johnny Kemp Jonathan "Johnny" Kemp (August 2, 1959 – April 16, 2015) was a Bahamian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a songwriter in late 1979 and is perhaps best known for his solo work, including his single " Just Got Pai ...

. He has also assembled large ensembles from a 11-piece bands to 30 piece orchestras, including his premiere ensemble called Bruce Purse and the Pocketbooks. The band performs originals in various genres such as; jazz, reggae, R&B, and heavy blues. Purse describes himself as a sound mentalist. A mentalist practices

Mentalism Mentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Performances may appear to include hypnosis, telepathy, clairvoyance, divination, precognition ...

one who creates sound vibrations, music, and frequencies that create music. He creates music acoustically and digitally. In addition, he writes stories and plays. Purse is the president of bcpurse music.

Early life

Purse was born in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. He grew up listening to music on the radio, television, and in church. Bruce was exposed to gospel music, jazz, spirituals, rhythm and blues, and country music. He moved to St Louis as an adolescent. Bruce was introduced to the trumpet and instrumental music at an assembly performance at his Middle School in St Louis, Missouri. Purse started at an early age in his teens at Sumner High School in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Missouri with William Paul Overbey. He attended

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a public university in Edwardsville, Illinois. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.Butler 1976, p. 18 It is the younger of the two major inst ...

for his Baccalaureate Degree. He completed Masters work at Columbia University, ultimately receiving his Master's degree from

Lehman College Lehman College is a public college in the Bronx borough of New York City. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within CUNY in September 1967. The college is named after Herbert H. Lehma ...

in music education in New York City. One of his earliest influences in music growing up was

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

, who he heard on the radio and television and who inspired his fascination with the trumpet.

Career

Purse has performed as musician with

's Brass Fantasy. His band called Bruce Purse and the Pocketbooks and other ensembles such as his 11-piece big band with members that has included

Vincent Henry Vincent Henry (born November 1953) is an American saxophonist and guitarist who plays jazz and R&B. Career Henry was born in New York and grew up in Harlem. He started venturing out to concerts and clubs on his own when he was 14. In the early 1 ...

Tyrone Jefferson Tyrone Jefferson (born July 5, 1953) is an American trombonist, composer, arranger and producer. Over the course of his career he has collaborated with acts such as James Brown, Public Enemy, LL Cool J and others. Early life and education Tyron ...

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Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing both ...

, and

Frank Lacy Frank Lacy (born August 9, 1958, Houston, Texas) is an American jazz trombonist who has spent many years as a member of the Mingus Big Band. Career Lacy's father was a teacher who played guitar with Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, and Eddie Clea ...

. He has written, arranged and performed for

, Peter Brown,

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (May 7, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a f ...

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Olu Dara Olu Dara Jones (born Charles Jones III, January 12, 1941) is an American cornetist, guitarist, and singer. He is the father of rapper Nas. Early life Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III on January 12, 1941 in Natchez, Mississippi. His mother, El ...

, Stanton Davis,

Malachi Thompson Malachi Richard Thompson (August 21, 1949, Princeton, Kentucky — July 16, 2006), was an American avant-garde jazz trumpet player. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Thompson was known for his work in the brass ensemble led by fellow tr ...

Noel Pointer Noel Pointer (December 26, 1954 – December 19, 1994) was an American jazz violinist and record producer, whose life inspired a music foundation. Career Pointer made his solo debut at the age of 13, performing Vivaldi with the Symphony of the N ...

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

P-Diddy Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...

, Erica Badu,

Zap Mama Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Mam ...

Garland Jeffreys Garland Jeffreys (born June 29, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter in rock and roll, reggae, blues, and soul music. Career Jeffreys is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. He majored in art hist ...

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Sybil (singer) Sybil Lynch, known simply as Sybil,(14 May 1992Celebrating with Sybil Up-And-Coming Pop Singer's a Familiar Face to Local Folks ''News & Record (Greensboro)'', Retrieved October 28, 2010 is an American R&B and pop singer–songwriter. Sybil ga ...

Alison Hinds Alison Amanda Hinds (born 1 June 1970) is a British-born Bajan soca artist based in Barbados. She is one of the most popular soca singers in the world. Biography Alison Hinds was born in London on 1 June 1970 and grew up in Plaistow.Batey, A ...

Anthony Hamilton (musician) Anthony Cornelius Hamilton (born January 28, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album '' Comin' from Where I'm From'' (2003), which featured the title track single ...

Pete Brown Peter Ronald Brown (born 25 December 1940) is an English performance poet, lyricist, and singer best known for his collaborations with Cream and Jack Bruce.Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), , p. 80 Bro ...

, Stanton Davis,

Vincent Chancey Vincent Chancey (born February 4, 1950) is an American jazz hornist. Early life and education Chancey was born and raised in Chicago. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the SIUC School of Music in 1973 and studied under Julius W ...

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

Phillip Wilson Phillip Sanford Wilson (September 8, 1941 – March 25, 1992) was an American blues and jazz drummer, a founding member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Uni ...

Salaam Remi Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...

Joseph Bowie Joseph Bowie (born October 17, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist and vocalist. The brother of trumpeter Lester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk group Defunkt and for membership in the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Career Bowi ...

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

The Blind Boys of Alabama The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a changing roster ...

. He has composed for the anthologies for the

Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little ...

. Bruce is a music educator and guest lecturer. He has been an artist-in-residence with the New York City Board of Education, with Lincoln Center Jazz with Wynton Marsalis, LaGuardia Performing Arts High School, New School for Social Research, and

the Harlem School of the Arts Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is an art school in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. Harlem School of the Arts was founded in 1964, by soprano Dorothy Maynor. Maynor was succeeded by mezzo-soprano Betty Allen as President in 1979, when a new 3 ...

. In 2018, Bruce portrayed himself in the Classic Albums (TV Series documentary) Amy Winehouse: Back to Black. In 2016, Purse wrote the play "The Band Room" about his musical educational experience at Sumner High School, in St. Louis, Mo. His teachers were William Paul Overbey and Ken Billups. The play was produced and directed by the Susan Watson Turner, and performed at Lehman College, in the Bronx, New York City. The play takes place in the late 1968 in St. Louis during the Civil Rights Movement. In 2019, Bruce Purse composed and produced the music for the narrative film entitled Rapid Deployment 'We Belong Network'. It was screened in 2019 at the Black International Cinema in Berlin, Germany. He is a member of

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

known as ASCAP.

Instruments

Trumpet,

pocket trumpet 250px, Pocket trumpet in B-flat, with a standard size bell and medium-large bore The pocket trumpet is a B♭ trumpet that is constructed with the tubing wound into a much smaller coil than a standard trumpet, generally with a smaller diameter ...

flugel horn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some a ...

, baritone horn, bass trumpet, French horn

Discography

As a composer, producer, arranger & musician

* 2018 The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Associated Ensembles * 2017 Elaborations/Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk * 2005 Just Got Paid - Johnny Kemp * 2001 Up Close and Personal; Angie Martinez Guitar, Horn, Keyboards, Horn Arrangements, Keyboard Arrangements, Guitar Arrangements * 2000 Privacy Ophélie Winter Producer * 1998 Logic Pride, Vol. 1 * 1990 Vincent Vincent Henry * 1990 Thirsty Janice Dempsey * 1990 My Way Lester Bowie * 1999 Inside My Mind DJ Ernie * 1998 Logic Pride, Vol. 1 * 1993 Never Lose Your Heart - Noel Pointer * 1993 F Stops - Craig Harris * 1993 Doin' It Now! Sybil Producer, Arranger, Composer * 1992 The Fire This Time - Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy * 1987 Secrets of Flying - Johnny Kemp Producer, Arranger, Trumpet, Keyboards, Programming, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Composer * 1987 Pale Fire - Alithea / Gust William Tsilis * 1996 Lay Down - Nalini; Producer, Programming * 1996 Case - Case

Case (singer) Case Woodard (born October 4, 1975), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Case, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for the 1990s hits "Touch Me, Tease Me" (featuring Foxy Brown (rapper), Foxy Brown a ...

* 1987 Secrets of Flying - Johnny Kemp Producer, Arranger, Trumpet, Keyboards, Programming, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements * 1985 I Only Have Eyes for You - Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy - Trumpet

Side man

* 2015 Amy Winehouse he Original Soundtrack instruments - Trumpet, Flugel horn, Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass) * 2012 The Album Collection: Amy Winehouse; instruments - Flugel horn, Horn (Baritone), Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass) * 2011 Lioness: Hidden Treasures: Amy Winehouse; Trumpet * 2011 It's Not the Same: Liam Bailey; Trumpet * 2011 I Remember Me: Jennifer Hudson; Bass, Trumpet * 2011 Back to Love: Anthony Hamilton; Flugel horn, Trumpet * 2010 Mind, Body & Soul/The Soul Sessions: Joss Stone; Flugel horn, Trumpet * 2009 Got the Bug, Vol. 2 : Bugz in the Attic; Flugel horn, Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass) * 2009 2 Sides of My Heart, Vol. 1 - Gramps Morgan; Horn * 2008 Remixed Alicia Keys - Trumpet, Flugel horn * 2008 Nas - Nas; Horn, Vocals (Background) * 2008 Better in Time - Leona Lewis; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2007 Throwback: Harlem 1979–1983; Leroy Burgess; Trombone (Tenor), Trombone (Bass) * 2007 Spirit - Leona Lewis; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugelhorn * 2007 Soca Queen - Alison Hinds; Main Personnel, Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2007 I Am - Chrisette Michele; Trumpet (Bass) * 2006 Reflections (A Retrospective) - Mary J. Blige; Main Personnel, Trumpet * 2006 Hip Hop Is Dead - Na; s Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2006 Back to Black - Amy Winehouse ; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2004 Take the Box - Amy Winehouse; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2004 Street's Disciple - Nas; Trumpet, Flugel horn * 2004 Mind, Body & Soul - Joss Stone; Trumpet, Flugel horn * 2004 In My Bed - Amy Winehouse; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2004 Got the Bug - Bugz in the Attic; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn * 2004 After the Sunset - Horn * 2003 Stronger Than Me - Amy Winehouse; Trumpet, Flugel horn, Bass * 2003 Frank - Amy Winehouse; Trumpet, Trumpet (Bass), Flugel horn, Horn (Baritone) * 2002 Selected Recordings (Rarum VI) - The Art Ensemble of Chicago; Trumpet * 2002 Selected Recordings (Rarum I-VIII); Trumpet * 2002 A Little Deeper Ms. Dynamite; Horn * 2001 FB Entertainment Presents: The Good Life; Horn * 2000 Listening Room Jenjii; Trumpet * 1997 Wildlife Dictionary - Garland Jeffreys; Featured Artist (Trumpet) * 1997 Sweet Emotions - Trumpet * 1997 Light in the Dark - 4PM (For Positive Music); Remix Vocals Arranger * 1996 Movin' in the Right Direction - Count Basic; Trumpet * 1995 Faith - Faith Evans; Trumpet * 1994 My Life - Mary J. Blige; Trumpet * 1993 The Four Horsemen - Ultramagnetic MC's; Main Personnel, Saxophone, Horn * 1991 Bruce Purse - Bruce Purse; Primary Artist, Trumpet * 1990 Gramavision 10th Anniversary Sampler; Trumpet * 1989 Works - Lester Bowie; Trumpet * 1989 Time Peace - Al MacDowell; Trumpet * 1986 Too Strong - Lazet Michaels; Trumpet, Trumpet (Pocket) * 1983 James White's Flaming Demonics James Chance / James White - Member of Attributed Artist; Trumpet

Record Labels

* CBS * RCA * Warner Brothers * Atlantic Records * Polygram * BMG * Purse was a staff writer for Warner Chappell Music Publishing

Quotes

Soundscapes of Music for the Heart, Mind, and Soul. *"It is Inspirational, Calming, Meditative, Promotes Inner peace, and the Healing Arts of Health and Wellness. *I use the Sounds of Musical Storytelling by Engaging Global Digital Expressions of New Jazz, World Beat Music, Organic Digital Dance, and Peacefulness with Silence. *This Opens the Door to a New World of Sound Mentalisms such as Rhythm and Blues,New Age, Electronic Music, Ambient, Electroacoustic, Intelligent Dance Music,Blues, and Classical Symphonic Digital Music". --Bruce Purse

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purse, Bruce African-American jazz composers 20th-century jazz composers Living people 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century jazz composers 21st-century American musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz composers American jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century trumpeters 20th-century American composers American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American male jazz musicians Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama Musicians from New York City Musicians from St. Louis Year of birth missing (living people) Jazz musicians from New York (state) 21st-century African-American musicians