Cox Bruce

Began playing drums at 12 years old .Bruce attended St. Josephs Prep. High School in Philadelphia where he was a member of the SJP high school concert band. He played and studied percussion (xylophones,timpani,snare drum etc.) in the concert band for four years under the direction of Lou DeLise : percussion instructor and Charles Fitzpatrich : band director. He enrolled in the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts after graduating from high school in 1978 There he studied European classical percussion with Anthony Orlando of the Phila. Orchestra . At the same time Bruce was studing drum set with the late great Philly Joe Jones. After a year at PCPA he join the Intergalactic Sun Ra Arkestra (1980). After 6 months on the road with Sun Ra he returned to study at Berklee College Of Music 1981 in Boston with Allan Dawson. Bruce then moved to Paris France in 1983 where he studdied West African Drumming wiht Brice Wasi & Moktar Samba. Upon returning to the United States in 1984 he played with several street bands in NYC for two years to support himself... The first break came in 1986 when George Adams invited bruce to join his band. Bruce met Rodney Jones who introduced him to Fred Wesley which led to gigs and recordings with Fred Wesley Maceo Parker and Pee Wee Ellis.The rhythm section of Freds band (Peter Madsen,Dwyane Dolphin and Bruce Cox) formed the trio Three of a Kind in 1990. Bruce completed his debut recording entitiled STICK TO IT released in Europe 1996 and USA 1997 He began performing frequently with Sonny Rollins and Jon Hendricks in 1995 in the US... In 1996 Bruce joined The JJJohnson Quintet touring USA ( Playboy Jazz Festival) and Europe. In 1997 Bruce became a regular member of the Sonny Rollins Band touring The USA (Monterey Jazz Festival, Revinia etc),Canada and Japan