[Dixielandjazz] bios

[JBruno868 at aol.com]

OK, my turn.

My name is Judie Bruno and although I am not playing any more or even 
attending many festivals at this time I really love keeping in contact with all of my 
friends on this list.

My music involvement started after I saw "The Benny Goodman Story" and came 
home and told my parents I wanted to learn to play the Clarinet. I learned in 
Jr. High School in the band and in High School added the Eb Alto, Contrabass, 
bass and some sax. After graduation I joined the Women's Army Corps Band in 
1966. At that time it was the only band that a women could join in the Services. 
After a year or so of playing marches, I couldn't seem to get enough interest 
in other music, I became the Entertainment Director putting on plays and 
talent shows for the troops. I later became a Race Relations Equal Opportunity 
Counselor and the one thing I am proud of having accomplished in my life was 
making it so that women could stay in the Service and have a baby.

In 1973 I broke both of my legs skydiving, was retired from the Army, went 
back to school majoring in Fine Art with a minor in Sculpture.

I found OKOM one Sunday in Newport Beach listening to a band called the 
"Dixie Katz". I even designed their logo. They took my mom and myself to Sacramento 
for our first Jazz Festival and I was hooked. In the next years I opened my 
art studio, "Art N Soul" and was very active in festivals doing a lot of art 
work for them and attending many of the festivals all up and down California. I 
also learned to play the washboard and enjoyed playing with any and everyone I 
could. I produced a little one day festival called "Sax Appeal" and it was a 
sell out crowd. I felt as if I threw a party and everyone came. I featured the 
Natural Gas JB with their wonderful sax player Bob Murphy, Larry Wright and 
George Probert. One of the best times I have ever had. The next year bad timing 
made for some bad attendance when the Golf War started and I lost money but 
most of the musicians where so grand about it that it didn't turn out to bad.

In 1995 I had my right leg amputated and a year later had to start using a 
power wheelchair to get around. That made it hard to do gigs and to attend all 
the festivals I wanted but I still get to a few around the San Diego area and 
once in a while drive up the Coast to attend others. I was married in 1996 to a 
wonderful man and life with two step sons and two grandkids is very good.

I am very active on line with Amputee Support lists and still enjoy listening 
to OKOM when I can and loving all the friends I have made over the years.

Hugs

Judie