So excited to have finally gotten my hands on a copy of the September/October issue of River City Magazine. Hopefully y’all already snagged a copy and saw the article I did with bassist Brian Cruse. If not, you can check it out here (UPDATED LINK). I really hope you will, because I can honestly say that the conversation that led to this article is among my favorite interview experiences.

Let me set the scene: Cruse and I met up at the Answer Brewpub on a Monday night, and with Mekong Xpress and the Get Fresh Horns blasting in the background, we chatted about music for nearly two hours, stopping only to re-up drink orders with the server. Whether we were talking about his Brian Cruse presents: The B-Snap-tet album, Richmond’s jazz scene in general, or the private lessons he gives, Cruse spoke with an enthusiasm that elevated every idea and anecdote. Here’s one of my favorite passages from the article:

Cruse hadn’t always planned on teaching music, but it’s since become a regular part of his busy schedule, and it’s impossible to mistake his joy when he talks about giving lessons.

“It’s like passing the torch. I’ve worked and built some music skills throughout life, and instead of only focusing on building those skills and honing them, which obviously I’m trying to continue to do, the more I think about it, this is an important part of it — to pass the torch to the next guys… Maybe when they get older, they’ll enjoy music and go to concerts. Whether they’re playing or not, they’ll hopefully consider it part of their life and maybe share that with their family. It really is inspiring.”

Many thanks to Brian Cruse for doing this interview and for being such an inspiring musical force. You may still be able to find the issue on newsstands, but I’ll update this post with a more reader-friendly version (UPDATED LINK) as soon as I have one. In the meantime, here’s a taste of Cruse’s excellent B-Snap-tet album.

Brian Cruse presents: B-Snaptet — “Side Steppin’” [Spotify/iTunes]