Bruce Purse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Purse
Background information
Birth name	Bruce Clayton Purse
Born	Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, soul, R&B, blues, avant-garde jazz, hip hop soul, urban, reggae
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, writer, artist, producer
Labels	Next Plateau

Bruce Purse is an American musician, composer, and producer. He also works as a music educator and guest lecturer. Bruce is skilled at playing many wind instruments. These include the trumpet, pocket trumpet, bass trumpet, and flugelhorn.

He has performed with many famous artists. Some of these include Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, and Nas. Bruce also leads his own band, "Bruce Purse and the Pocketbooks." This band plays original songs in different styles like jazz, reggae, and R&B.

Bruce calls himself a "sound mentalist." This means he creates music using different sounds and vibrations. He makes music both with instruments and on computers. He also writes stories and plays. Bruce runs his own music company called bcpurse music.

Early Life and Education

Bruce Purse was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up listening to many types of music. He heard gospel, jazz, R&B, and country music on the radio and TV. He also heard music in church.

When he was a teenager, Bruce moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He discovered the trumpet at his middle school. He started playing the trumpet at Sumner High School in St. Louis.

Bruce went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for his first degree. Later, he earned his Master's degree in music education. He studied at Lehman College in New York City. One of his earliest musical heroes was Louis Armstrong. Bruce heard him on the radio and TV, and Armstrong inspired him to play the trumpet.

Music Career

Bruce Purse has performed with many well-known musicians. He played with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy. His own band, Bruce Purse and the Pocketbooks, is an 11-piece big band. Famous musicians like Vincent Henry and Lonnie Plaxico have played in his band.

Bruce has written, arranged, and performed music for many artists. These include Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, and Nas. He has also composed music for the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Bruce is also a dedicated music teacher. He has taught music at various places. These include the New York City Board of Education and the Harlem School of the Arts. He has also been a guest lecturer at Lincoln Center Jazz with Wynton Marsalis.

In 2018, Bruce appeared in a TV documentary. It was called "Classic Albums: Amy Winehouse: Back to Black." In this show, he played himself.

In 2016, Bruce wrote a play called "The Band Room." The play was about his own experiences in music class at Sumner High School. It took place in 1968 during the Civil Rights Movement. The play was performed at Lehman College in New York City.

In 2019, Bruce composed music for a film. The film was called "Rapid Deployment 'We Belong Network'." It was shown at the Black International Cinema in Berlin, Germany. Bruce is a member of American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). This group protects the rights of composers and authors.

Instruments Bruce Plays

• Trumpet
• Pocket trumpet
• Flugel horn
• Baritone horn
• Bass trumpet
• French horn

Selected Music Work

Bruce Purse has been involved in many music projects. He has worked as a composer, producer, arranger, and musician. He has also played as a "side man" (a musician who plays with a band but is not the main leader) on many albums.

As a Composer, Producer, and Arranger

Bruce has helped create music for many albums. He worked on "Secrets of Flying" by Johnny Kemp in 1987. He also produced and arranged "Doin' It Now!" for Sybil in 1993. His work also includes projects like "Privacy" for Ophélie Winter in 2000.

As a Musician (Side Man)

Bruce has played instruments on many albums for other artists.

• In 2006, he played trumpet on Amy Winehouse's famous album, "Back to Black."
• He played trumpet and flugelhorn on Alicia Keys' "Remixed" album in 2008.
• He also played on albums for Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, and Mary J. Blige.
• His trumpet playing can be heard on Nas's "Hip Hop Is Dead" from 2006.

Record Labels

Bruce Purse has worked with many major record labels. These include:

• CBS
• RCA
• Warner Brothers
• Atlantic Records
• Polygram
• BMG

He was also a staff writer for Warner Chappell Music Publishing.