Biography of Bruce Aitken

Through his formative years Bruce played with the cream of New Zealand’s recording artists, such as Sir Howard Morrison, Sir Ray Columbus, John Grennell, Maria Dallas, and many other chart topping recording artists of the day.

In the early 70’s Bruce played with Battle of the Bands winners Heathen Grace, and during the mid 70’s toured New Zealand constantly with Pye Records Recording artists Gratis Kinetic.

Bruce traveled to Sydney Australia in the late 70’s performing with a number of bands. He returned to NZ in the early 80’s and formed Wellingtons first jazz fusion band Raz and recorded many of his original tunes.
In 1993 Bruce relocated to Melbourne Australia, where he performed and recorded with the Rosicrusians, and went on to join Legendary Australian guitarists Lobby Loyde (Australian Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame inductee) and form Fish Tree Mother.

Bruce immigrated to Canada in 1998 and now lives in Marion Bridge, just out of Sydney, on Cape Breton Island. In 2003 Bruce became a Canadian citizen.
He has performed and recorded with many of the regions best known artists including Gordie Sampson, JP Cormier, Angelo Spinazzola, Terry Edmunds, Andrea Curry and multi award winning internationally acclaimed blues artist John Campbelljohn with whom Bruce has toured Canada three times and Europe once. Bruce appears on many tracks on Johns latest cd “Weight of the World”.

Bruce teamed up with Keith Dawson Jr in 2004 to form Project A.D. and their debut cd “Together Alone” was ECMA nominated in 2005.

Bruce endorses 9 major American and Canadian drum company products , is a feature writer for Canadian Musician, a world renowned drum set educator, an internationally known clinician, and along with his wife Gloria Jean Aitken are the owners operators of one of the worlds most prestigious drum festivals the ECMA & MNS nominated Cape Breton International Drum Festival.
Bruce has many award nominations to his credit both ECMA and MNS and was named Musician of the year in 2004.
In 2006 Bruce was nominated 5 times in the Nova Scotia Music Awards, including Musician of the year and Educator of the year.
In 2006 Bruce & Gloria Jean won a Hype Award for Excellence in International Development.
Bruce has been on the cover of an international drum magazine and has also appeared in Modern Drummer (USA) Drums Etc ( Canada) and England’s Rhythm Magazine.

CBC television program On The Road Again made a segment of Bruce’s live and achievements that has been shown nationally and internationally.