Since moving to Calgary only two years ago, bassist, Rubim de Toledo, has become one of the most sought-after musicians in the area. Rubim is known as a Jazz and Brazilian / Cuban bassist but has quickly found a place for himself in the Rock, R&B and Folk scenes as well.
Besides his work as a sideman, Rubim is known as bassist and founding member of the Latin-Jazz group Bomba, as founder of the improv/groove collective reclaim and as frequently musical director for the prestigious dance company, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. 2009 will be a thrilling year for Rubim as he is proud to appear on 3 different and exciting CDs. He recorded with long time friends, the Brenan Brothers on a disc which featured world-class musicians, Geoff Keezer, Ralph Bowen, Terell Stafford and Dana Hall. Also filled with huge guests is a new Bomba record which Rubim, as well as playing bass, recorded and co-mixed. This disc features appearances from Afro-Cuban icons, Los Munequitos de Matanzas and Chilean legends Inti-Illimani. Rubim's main project this year is the release of how third solo disc entitled, the River. This disc features an all-star lineup of Alberta musicians including, Bob Tildesley, Jim Brenan, Chris Andrew and Tyler Hornby. The music on, the River, blend traditional Jazz with sparce Brazilian and Cuban elements in a modern and comtemorary approach. Rubim is proud to be an instructor for the Mount Royal College Credit Music Program. At Mount Royal he directors various student Combos and the school's Large Jazz Ensemble. He also teaches Jazz Improvisation. This year, Rubim, founded and directed the Sounds of Brazil Music Workshop 2008 in association with the Brazilian Association of Alberta.
With Bomba, Rubim has performed at every major music festival in Canada and has traveled to Latin America, Asia, Europe and the U.S.. They have won several Indie music awards as well as CBC's Rising Star Award.
In the fall of 2003, Rubim formed the Improv Collective reClaim. This group performed for 2 and a half years in Edmonton's diverse Black Dog Freehouse and recorded 2 live CDs. These CDs gained critical and public acclaim and were embraced by Indie college radio stations across Canada.
After being commissioned by Calgary's Decidedly Jazz Danceworks(DJD) to compose music for their production entitled In Charcoal and Crimson, Rubim took his distinctively selected band into the studio to document this music and in May of 2006 Rubim released In Charcoal and Crimson, his first solo album.
In Charcoal and Crimson is an eclectic marriage of Chilled Jazz tracks and live Drum n' Bass beats and incorporates strong Brazilian influences. Sonically, the album keeps the listener (musician or not) always engaged with the main instrumentation being Acoustic Bass, Drums, Muted Trumpet, Rhodes, Vibes, Guitar and Turntablisms.'... an exquisitely sculpted project.
' - the Edmonton Journal'An imaginative soundtrack that blends hot and cool Jazz with electronic layering, and a soundscape design with marked Brazilian embellishments.' - the Calgary Herald
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