OA2 Records Artist Markus Rutz

...a tuneful, rhythmically sly twist on mainstream jazz...Rutz has a big, dark tone and a fluid ease to his phrasing that makes him seem relaxed even when unleashing a volley of 16th notes...
Downbeat Magazine

Markus Rutz plays trumpet with bluesy, soulful style and a tone that has been called gorgeous. He composes music from his home base in Chicago, Illinois where he also performs modern jazz.

For over three decades, the musical discoveries continue for Chicago-born jazz composer and trumpeter, Markus Rutz.

As described by Downbeat's J.D. Considine, with his "big, dark tone and a fluid ease to his phrasing," trumpet player, composer and bandleader, Markus regularly delights audiences in venues throughout his hometown and across the United States.

Capturing the same spirit as his dynamic live performances, 2019 marked the release of his third album, Blueprints - Figure One: Frameworks. With the majority of the album comprised of his own compositions, this new work ranges from duet to sextet, with pieces incorporating Cuban percussion, ballad, bop, West Coast Cool and swing.

Markus began trumpet at the age of nine. His post-secondary musical studies took him to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Berklee College of Music and the University of New Orleans where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.

Forever exploring the bounds of jazz, Markus continues to teach, compose and perform with top musicians from around the globe - plying his horn from New York to London to Brazil and Japan. Open-minded and curious, his musical journey benefits from all that is new and unexpected, courtesy of his global collaborators.