Album Notes

A native of St. Louis, Rex Bauer grew up absorbing the rich musical heritage that spanned the Mississippi River, from the traditional blues of Robert Johnson, Son House and Fred McDowell to the Rock and Roll of Chuck Berry and Ike and Tina Turner and the sophistication of jazz legends (and native St. Louisans) Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson and Clark Terry. The depth of his midwestern musical roots provided a solid foundation in many styles and gave him the opportunity to perform with some of the top blues, jazz and R&B artists in the region including Leroy Pierson, Durious Montgomery and former pianist for Chuck Berry, Johnny Johnson.

During his 25 years as a professional musician Rex has performed with all types of bands; jazz combos, blues, rock, country, gospel and big bands. He's played in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington DC, Amsterdam, The Hague, Munich and Prague. He's taught a variety of guitar styles to hundreds of students around the world and his recordings have aired on National Public Radio. His broad, flexible attitude toward music has made him the choice sideman and lead player of many band leaders, including Grammy Award winner Fletch Wiley and Washington DC's famous Imperial Palms Orchestra. He's currently based in St. Louis working with vocalist Mae Wheeler and bassist Barry Seigel.