About

Have a wood-fired pizza or fresh fish & chips, while listening to the sweet sounds of jazz, looking out on one of the best views in the world. Then get up for a boogie in a more upbeat 2nd set.

Doug Brush Trio regularly plays at Hilltop Tavern. Each time with different musicians to make up the trio with Doug Brush.

BIO:

Doug is an extraordinarily versatile percussionist. He received training in classical percussion at the American Conservatory of Music and Roosevelt University, graduating with honors. His teachers included Patsy Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ed Poremba of the Lyric Opera.

In addition to a formal music education, he has studied with percussion masters in Cuba, Spain, North India, South India, North Africa, and West Africa among other locales. At the beginning of 2008, Doug spent four months playing gigs and recording sessions, as well as doing television appearances with the top musicians of Accra, Ghana. While in Ghana he also engineered and produced a High Life album for AFRIHI, an NGO dedicated to preserving traditional acoustic High Life music. This time in Africa was immediately followed by a tour of Bali, Australia and New Zealand where he was engaged to provide music for yoga workshops with the internationally known Dave Stringer and Allana Kaivalya.

Highlights of 2009 include concerts in Vienna and Berlin with the University of Chicago based New Budapest Orpheum Society playing Jewish Cabaret music that was censored by the Nazis in the early 1900's and recently rediscovered, a rare performance of Ballet Mechanique by George Antheil at the Harris Theater in Chicago, and an apperance with the Chicago Sinfonietta, performing music that was recorded for permanent installation at the famous Oceanarium exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium. In March, he presented a lecture with Dr. Cristian Huepe, a physicist, on physics and music as a part of the Chicago Cultural Centers' Ars Scientia program.

Since moving to Christchurch, New Zealand in early 2010, he’s played Brazilian jazz, performed with the Christchurch Symphony, competed with the Invercargill brass band in the national championships (‘outstanding percussion section’ comment), and co-founded and became musical director of Wontanara, a group dedicated to traditional West African drum and dance. In addition, he has started classes in Arabic, African, Cuban, and Indian percussion and has many private students at the Christchurch Music Centre. Doug has always been involved in a diverse range of projects from producing the critically acclaimed jazzy alt-country album Thorny Devil by Kristen Shout and Smoking Kitten, to performing in Chicago’s premier avant-garde chamber music groups, Fulcrum Point and CUBE, as well as playing traditional music from all over the world (Las Guitarras de Espana, Holy Goat Ensemble, Rhythmunity Ensemble, The Occidental Brothers Dance Band International).