Jeff Bush

trombone

Apollo, Pennsylvania native Jeff Bush began studying music at the age of four on an unlikely instrument, the banjo. He followed with the piano and then discovered the trombone which has become a lifelong pursuit. Working as a professional musician while still a college student, Bush performed with The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra. In his final year of undergraduate study, Bush became linked to one of his musical heroes, receiving the Frank Rosolino Memorial Scholarship. The award featured Bush at the 1999 International Trombone Festival and allowed him to study in Berlin, Germany with acclaimed trombonist, Jiggs Whigham.

 

In 2000, Jeff moved to New York City to begin a Master's degree at The Manhattan School of Music and to pursue a freelance career which continues to flourish today.  Bush is honored to have performed with a number of great jazz artists including The Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabakin Big Band, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Cyrus Chestnut, Kevin Mahogany, Marlena Shaw, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Ahmad Jamal, Vanessa Rubin, Jimmy Heath and Anthony Braxton. Jeff has also been a featured soloist and substitute conductor for The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

 

Bush joined the big band of superstar Harry Connick Jr in February 2007 and stayed with the group through early 2009. During his tenure as lead trombonist, Jeff toured the world, made a number of network television appearances, special performances for The 2008 NBA All-Star Game and for Pope Benedict XVI and appeared on two releases for Columbia Records.

 

In other musical genres, Jeff has worked with The Temptations, The Four Tops, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Paul Anka, Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Caldwell, Freda Payne, HBO's The Sopranos and The New York City Ballet. He has also performed on tenor trombone, bass trombone and tuba in the pit orchestras of the New York City Broadway shows Wonderful Town, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Pajama Game, South Pacific and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. As a sideman Bush has appeared on over thirty albums, including Grapefruit Moon with Southside Johnny and Tom Waits. He has performed on The PBS Television special, My Sinatra, and can even be heard on "jingles" for the TV show Jeopardy and Rice-A-Roni. Jeff made his debut as leader in 2010 on "Ain't So Bad To Swing" for Beezwax Records and is currently working on his second studio project comprised of original material. Bush can also be found as a regular member of The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra with Sean Jones.

 

Jeff is very proud of his developments as an educator. He continues to work as a clinician with college and high school and was recently featured as a soloist at the Midwest Clinic and the PMEA convention. Additionally he serves as an adjunct instructor of trombone and low brass at West Virginia Wesleyan College and as and adjunct instructor of jazz studies at Duquesne University.