Jazz guitar great Brad Buethe studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and for many years was on the UCB Young Musicians Program faculty. In the late 1970s, Brad played with the Bill Bell band (backing greats such as Jon Hendricks, Joe Williams, and John Handy), the San Francisco All-Stars big band, and the quintet of Concord Jazz recording artist Mark Levine.
While living in New York City in the 1980s, Brad worked with organist Jack McDuff, played regularly with Jaki Byard’s Apollo Stompers at Barry Harris’ Jazz Cultural Theatre, and was a member of The Quiet Nights Quartet, Macys’ in-house jazz band.
His quintet in New York (featuring Joe Lovano on sax and Mike Clark on drums) recorded a CD of Brad’s compositions entitled Side Step, released by Owl/Timeline Records, marketed and distributed in the U.S. and Europe. It has received airplay on most major jazz radio stations.
Brad currently leads his own trio and quartet and is a member of the jazz trio Fog. Their first CD, Slow and Slower, was released in January of 2003. It is being distributed and is getting airplay in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Their latest CD, The Antidote, is available on iTunes and CD Baby.
He is co-leader of the eclectic jazz group FOG with Peter Barshay and Brian Melvin. Brad recently released a new CD at Bob Weir’s new studio with guest keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (a member of the Grateful Dead) and a special recording with Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead.
Brad can also be heard on vocalist Paula West’s CDs Temptation and Restless (Noir Records). He is featured on at least fifteen other currently released CDs.
Brad has also recorded extensive session work used in movies and television (Creative Streak Music Productions). His guitar work can be heard in: What Women Want, Six Feet Under, The Osbournes, The X-Files, Frasier, etc.
He is experienced in musical theater, and in 1991 toured Europe in Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line.
In 1989 he returned to San Francisco. In addition to performing in numerous San Francisco Bay Area clubs (Yoshi’s, Jazz at Pearl’s, Bruno’s, Enrico’s, etc.), Brad has played at various regional jazz festivals (Monterey, San Francisco Jazz Fest, North Beach, Big Sur, Russian River, KCSM’s Jazz on the Hill, etc.), as well as the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. He has toured Europe extensively, giving concerts and teaching clinics.
The Brad Buethe Trio features the world class talents of guitarist Brad Buethe with upright bass and saxophone/flute. He can also perform with another jazz guitarist or drummer and with jazz vocalists. His duo consists of guitar with upright bass and his quartet can add drums or other instruments.
