Remembering Guitarist and Teacher Dix Bruce 1952–2023

By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

In late January, San Francisco Bay Area guitarist Dix Bruce posted a video teaching the guitar chords for “Sweet Georgia Brown” and explaining how the progression uses the cycle of fifths.

“I sure have had a ton of fun over the years learning this progression, and when it finally sunk in what it was, how the progression moved, it was just like a lightbulb lighting up above my head,” he said. “I’ve played this with jazz bands, I’ve played this with country bands, I’ve played this with bluegrass bands, and you’ll find that there are literally hundreds of thousands of other tunes that use this basic cycle-of-fifths pattern.”

Just over a week later came the shocking news that this versatile, knowledgeable, and always cheerful musician/educator had passed away suddenly and peacefully in his sleep. Bruce was 70, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and as always in the midst of all sorts of musical projects.

As a teacher, Bruce was remarkably prolific, the creator of more than 50 titles for Mel Bay Publications alone, as well as founder of his own instructional company, Musix. But he did so much more on all sides of the acoustic music world. Drawn into David Grisman’s orbit early on by his interests in bluegrass and acoustic jazz, Bruce served as editor of Grisman’s Mandolin World News from 1978 to 1984. Over the years Bruce worked for Arhoolie Records, as a recording engineer, and as a songwriter—even composing music heard in the Sims City computer games. He began contributing lessons to Acoustic Guitar during my tenure as editor, and in recent years he created a series of videos for Acoustic Guitar Auctions showcasing instruments with a range of country, folk, blues, and jazz tunes.

As a performer, Bruce released the old-time/traditional solo album My Folk Heart, played big band music with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, recorded with bluegrass mandolin master Frank Wakefield, and was the guitarist for 30 years with Jeremy Cohen’s Violinjazz band. (On April 15, Cohen is hosting a memorial for Bruce at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.)

Bruce also had a long-running duo with flatpicker Jim Nunally (Nell and Jim Band, John Reischman and the Jaybirds, David Grisman Bluegrass Experience). Bruce and Nunally made four albums of rootsy duets and also traveled widely as Martin Guitar clinicians. “The job, if one could call it that, was to go to stores or events that feature Martin guitars and play them for the attendees,” Nunally recalls. “Is that a dream job or what?”

On their second album, The Way Things AreBruce and Nunally recorded Bruce’s original song “When I Die,” written in the style of a classic bluegrass duet. “I loved playing that song with him from the first time he played it to me and every show we performed it on,” says Nunally. “People connect to that song.”

Needless to say, Bruce’s song has taken on new resonance for his family and friends since his passing.

“I can’t express the deep connection between that song and the way I feel now,” says Nunally. “I wish he could somehow tell us all now what he knows.”