8:00pm • $10 Cover
Rick Whitehead Jazz Trio
Rick Whitehead • John Previti • Nick Ruggieri
With Special Guest: Bruce Swaim
Led by acclaimed guitarist Rick Whitehead, this powerhouse jazz trio features John Previti on bass and Nick Ruggieri on drums — three master musicians with deep roots in the Washington, D.C. jazz community. Formed in 1994, shortly after the passing of legendary guitarist Danny Gatton, the trio quickly earned a reputation for their tight interplay and virtuosic performances. They’ve appeared at premier venues including Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and the Smithsonian Jazz Club.
Their first album, Live in Captivity, won the 1998 Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, followed by Live in Captivity, Again (2001) and So There We Were… (2006). Each member brings decades of experience: Whitehead’s lyrical guitar phrasing, Previti’s swinging power from years with Gatton and Charlie Byrd, and Ruggieri’s Berklee-honed rhythmic precision create a dynamic trio celebrated for both technical mastery and emotional depth.
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Bruce Swaim is a longtime D.C.-area saxophonist, composer, and arranger with roots going back to the 1970s. After studying saxophone performance at UNC Greensboro and training with acclaimed saxophonist James Houlik, Bruce hit the ground running as a full-time musician.
Since moving to the D.C. area in 1981, he’s played with an incredible lineup of artists including Danny Gatton, Keter Betts, Rosemary Clooney, Martha Reeves, The Spinners, The Four Tops, The Temptations, and Houston Person, among many others.
Bruce has also built a strong reputation as a studio musician, recording across pop, jazz, and blues projects, along with film, TV, and commercial work. He’s a skilled composer and arranger as well, writing horn charts for both live bands and studio sessions.
You may have seen him on stages like Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Strathmore, or even The White House. A two-time Wammie Award winner for Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year, Bruce brings decades of experience and serious swing to every performance.