I am very sad to hear that Bruce Lundvall just passed away. I never met him in person. But two years a friend saw Bruce being interviewed on a TV show about Eva Cassidy, After watching the show he tracked down an email for Bruce and wrote to him about my music and how much of an inspiration Eva Cassidy had been to me. To our amazement Bruce not only got the email but phoned Paul the next day and asked if he could send him some of my music. After he received the album Bruce called again. He seemed to be genuinely excited about what he had heard and wanted another album. Over the next year, as we started recording my new album, Bruce became a kind of 'champion' to me , a human angel if that makes sense. Sometimes he would leave a phone message just to say he was still listening. When I went to America I was finally able to meet Bruce myself over the phone and we had a couple of very long conversations. I was so nervous, knowing this man signed some of the biggest music names in the world including Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Willie Nelson and countless others. Even my trumpet hero Freddie Hubbard!
But my nerves faded. We talked about not just my music but his life and everything including what a tough time he was having with Parkinson's disease. He was already losing some of his independence. Still he continued to try to help, playing my music on his radio show and said he would try to get me signed. He also loved the three new tracks we sent him. We planned to get to New York to meet in person, but unfortunately ran out of time due to recording. Sadly my album was not yet finished and Bruce's health was deteriorating badly by then. Even his speech was difficult. Contact became limited this past year as he had moved into assisted care.
It's still magical to me that someone like Bruce reached out as genuinely and often as he did. I didn't know Bruce for long, or arguably even very well. But from our conversations it was clear he lived for music and somehow hadn't become hardened in his heart by a whole lifetime at the top of the music BUSINESS. I'm only one, but he has been a light on my own musical path. But all of his phenomenal musical achievements aside, more than anything, Bruce struck me as a good guy - humble and genuine. Who deeply loved music.