Three well-established Whidbey Island musicians have created a new jazz and blues group, Bluesette. They are led by Bruce Gallagher, who plays alto sax, tenor sax, flute, trumpet, and flugelhorn…and is also a vocalist. Gary Wittlich plays keyboard and Kristi O’Donnell is on bass.
Bruce created Bluesette in 2019. He has been a professional musician since he was 16. His musical life started in Syracuse, New York. He moved to the Northwest in 1982, lived in Ocean Shores from 1982 to 1988, and then moved to Monroe where he taught music in the public schools. In addition to performing as a musician, he has taught music for more than 35 years. His repertoire includes swing, boss nova, jazz, blues, and just about any other popular music style that he enjoys. He says: “There are thousands of great jazz tunes.”
He performed as the lead tenor saxophone player in the Harry James Tribute Band, performing high society gigs in Seattle. When he “retired” from his professional life, he created Bluesette. He connected with Gary Wittlich, a retired professor of music theory from the University of Indiana, and Kristi O’Donnell, a well-known local musician, who share his love of blues and jazz and are also very talented musicians. He is joined periodically by well-known local bass player Keegan Harshman.
In 2009 he bought a vacation home on Whidbey and began spending time on the island during summers and weekends. Having decided Whidbey was the place he wanted to be, he had a house built in 2016.
Over the years Bluesette has performed at Dancing Fish, Ott & Hunter, the Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club, Penn Cove Tap Room in Freeland, Bloom’s, Callan’s, and Ciao. Gallagher says that one of his main goals is “Keeping jazz music alive.” He takes his music very seriously and still practices daily for 1-1/2 to 2 hours and practices more hours on show days.
Bluesette takes its name from a highly regarded blues and jazz tune of the 1960’s. You can learn more by checking out: “ A short history of “Bluesette” (Toots Thielemans, 1964)” (https://www.jazziz.com/short-history-bluesette-toots-thielemans-1964/). The group is available for public and private performances. Contact Bruce Gallagher at brucegsax.com for more information or to book a show.
Bluesette will be performing two shows in February that will have Valentine’s Day themes: Blooms in Freeland on February 12th and Callan’s at the Coupeville Ferry Terminal on February 24th.
