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Peter Rubie

“Guitarist Peter Rubie . . . a fine player, [lays] down subtle lines in his solos and clear comping,” JazzWise Magazine Guitarist Peter Rubie has been on the jazz scene in Europe and the U.S., since the mid-1970s. He was the leader of the house band at the original 606 Club (www.606Club.com) in London, before moving to the U.S., in 1981. He has studied and played with Warne Marsh, George Coleman, Peter Ind, Peter Bernstein and Larry Koonse. “You [sound] excellent,” Peter Bernstein Among the many notable jazz musicians he’s played with are John Stowell, Kenny Wessell, Mike LeDonne, Eric Alexander, John Raymond, Jay Leonhart, Mike Clark, Jack Wilkins, Junior Cook, Paul Meyers, Martin Taylor, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Bobby Wellins, Slide Hampton, Dave Binney, Dave Cliff, and Emily Remler. He lives in New York City where he plays and teaches, with his wife (a former opera and Broadway singer), and teenage son, Ben, an avid jazz and classical violinist. He can be found playing around town in New York City in such jazz clubs as Mezzrow, Smoke, Smalls, Cleopatra's Needle, and Dizzy's Club Coca Cola. “One of the most musical, unknown guitarists I know,” Jack Wilkins. Things you might not know about Peter: He once worked as a cook in a Japanese macrobiotic restaurant in Manhattan. He has written and had published over a dozen fiction and nonfiction books. His brother Steve owns and runs the London-based 606 Jazz Club.


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13
The Jazz Life

A Professional Jazz Musician? Really? What's That?

Read "A Professional Jazz Musician? Really? What's That?" reviewed by Peter Rubie


I've been around as a musician long enough to understand when a promoter or booker ghosts me. “Yeah, sure, send me an email," they say in that sincere way that sounds like someone saying, “Of course I love you" just to shut you up. It comes with the territory, and a musician has to be Zen about the whole thing. Getting work as a professional freelance artist has always been like trying to join an exclusive club you can usually ...

12
The Jazz Life

Getting Past (E)Go

Read "Getting Past (E)Go" reviewed by Peter Rubie


I like to play squash, and the best advice a pro ever gave me was this: “Hit the ball in the middle of the racquet." Do you have any idea how difficult that simple piece of advice is to master? Not so long ago, a friend (Brent Vaartstra) posted a great podcast about overcoming low self esteem as a musician. This is something that has plagued me on and off most of my musical career, and I've been ...

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“Guitarist Peter Rubie . . . a fine player, [lays] down subtle lines in his solos and clear comping,” JazzWise Magazine "You [sound] excellent," Peter Bernstein "One of the most musical, unknown guitarists I know," Jack Wilkins.

Primary Instrument

Guitar, electric

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

Peter Rubie studied guitar and improvising privately for 4 years with Lennie Tristano's bass player, and later iconic jazz educator Peter Ind, in London, England. During that time he played with such British jazz musicians as Bobby Wellins, Dave Cliff, Jim Mullen, Gordon Beck, Ike Isaacs, Martin Taylor, the renowned U.S., singer Adelaide Hall, and toured with Claude "The Fiddler" Williams as well as playing jazz festivals as a sidesman in England and Europe. * Through Peter Ind he met and played with drummers Dick Scott (aka Tox Drohar) and Al Levitt, as well as Al's son, guitarist Sean Levitt, and trombonist Slide Hampton among a number of others. Along with drummer Roger Sellers and bass player Paul Morgan he led the resident house rhythm section for the old 606Club jazz club in the Kings Road, Chelsea. * Again, through Peter Ind, Rubie met saxophonists Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz, and began studying privately with Warne in 1978. In 1980, Peter emigrated to the U.S., and continued his studies and occasionally played with Warne in New York for 2 years before Warne returned to California. After that, Peter spent a further 2 years studying with saxophonist George Coleman. During that time he also played on the scene with such musicians as singer Judy Niemack, and saxophonists David Binney and Junior Cook, and guitarists Emily Remler, and Jack Wilkins with whom he remains close friends. * In 1992, Peter retired from professional music to focus on writing and book publishing, married and had a child though he continued to play the occasional house concert with Jack Wilkins and others and recorded with his wife, singer Melody Johnson. * In 2009, Peter returned to the music scene and a couple of years later picked up his studies along with occasional lessons with guitarists Larry Koonse and then Peter Bernstein, which continue to this day. * Peter can be found regularly playing around New York city in venues such as Dizzy's Club CocaCola, Mezzrow, Smoke, Cleopatra's Needle, and Smalls among other places. He also continues to play in England returning regularly to play gigs in London and elsewhere.

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