Artist Profile:

Bruce Fowler

bruce_fowler_1Bruce Fowler (trombone) has played with Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, among others, and has a dozen albums of his own. His work in Film includes “Batman Returns.”bruce_fowler_2 Bruce Fowler is an accomplished trombonist, having begun his career playing with such notables as Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Frank Zappa, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Don Van Vliet. He has also orchestrated many scores for feature films such as Pearl Harbor, Hannibal, Spy Kids, and Shrek.

Bruce Fowler believes in the old adage, “There are only two kinds of Music, Good and Bad!” [Duke Ellington]. He likes to play and write all kinds of music, from modern classical to down-home blues. He first gained recognition in college, winning one of the outstanding musician awards at the Miami Intercollegiate Jazz Festival in 1966.

In 1967 he transferred to the famed North Texas State University Jazz program and was bruce_fowler_3 featured on “Lab 68”. That summer he went out with Woody Herman and got his first taste of life on the road, touring the U. S. and Europe in a bus. Since then, Bruce has played and recorded with such notables as Buddy Rich, Frank Zappa, Don Van Vliet, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald, the Akiyoshi-Tabackin Big Band, Brian Setzer, The Fowler Brothers, Banned From Utopia and numerous others. He also has performed on many movie and T.V. sound tracks, such as Jurassic Park, Batman Returns, Back To The Future II, Backdraft, Regarding Henry, Always, Mission Impossible, Multiplicity, Mirror has two faces, Daylight, The Long Kiss Goodbye, Men in Black, Hercules, George of the Jungle, a Bug’s Life, Toy Story II, Dinosaur, etc..

He plays often with the jazz ensembles, The Two Bass Band [Billy Mintz] and The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble. Bruce is featured in the movie “Short Cuts” as the trombonist in Annie Ross’ band and is prominent on the soundtrack album.