Guitarist, banjoist, and mandolin player Dix Bruce has died at age 70. he was well known in the Bay Area traditional jazz community as a 35 year member of Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra where he became vital to their success both on and off the stage, providing encouragement and serving as sound-engineer and mixer on several of the band’s recordings. He also led his own groups playing traditional jazz and other genres including bluegrass, Americana, folk, and rock, with at least a dozen albums under his name. He had an exuberant stage personality bringing warmth to any undertaking.
He was also an educator, creating more than 60 instructional books, videos, and CDs. He also composed music and lyrics, took photographs, and was considered a bluegrass expert. He taught at scores of musical instruction camps and guitar clinics over the years sharing his knowledge and joy with young and old.
