Amanda Ruzza
Amanda proudly endorses:
“A remarkable electric bassist with a certain charm distinguishing her technique and musical approach…” – Edward Blanco, All About Jazz.
“[Ruzza] delivers rock-solid grooves and blistering solos…” – Kevin Johnson, No Treble.
Amanda Ruzza hails from São Paulo, Brazil. She discovered her muse at an early age – perhaps the result of her Chilean mother who loved opera, and her father, Italian, whose passion was rock n’ roll. Growing up in a house humming with music, Amanda began playing bass early and was playing professional performance engagements by age 13. Eventually, in Brazil, she worked with distinguished Brazilian producers and arrangers, including Grammy Award-winner Moogie Canazio, Maestro Jobam, and Sony Music Japan’s Osny Mello. Besides being a musician fluent in an array of styles, Ruzza is fluent in several languages as well – Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and English. In developing her musical skills, she is able to cross all cultural boundaries.
Her work with groups covering a wide range of styles, including Arturo O’Farrill, Global Noize, Chris Stover’s Caetano Veloso Project, Jill Sobule, as well as with her own band, the Amanda Ruzza Group, evidence her flexibility. Amanda draws on her multicultural background as a primary influence on her passion for composing music – music that seamlessly assimilates elements of funk, jazz, and South American rhythms.
Ms. Ruzza earned a dual degree in Jazz Bass Performance and Liberal Arts at The New School in New York City. As a session musician on electric bass, she has contributed on recordings with Bebel Gilberto, Arturo O’Farrill, Jason Miles, and Simone Giuliani. She is a recipient of the highly competitive Latin American World Tour Scholarship. In 2003, Amanda began touring and recording on electric bass with the all-girl country band, Mustang Sally, based in Nashville, Tennessee. While in the band, she worked with country music producer Barry Beckett, recorded four albums, and played for US military bases overseas in Japan, South Korea, and within the US.
Amanda Ruzza’s debut solo album was released this past April, and she will continue to perform with her group while providing bass accompaniment for other artists, producers, and studios.
