Andre Bush

Andre Bush was on a quest to realize his musical vision with a single instrument — the guitar. The longtime Fresno jazz guitarist and instructor recently had been working on new compositions with a guitar trio with that goal in mind. Mr. Bush died unexpectedly Aug. 8. He was 45. "He had a wide-eyed wonder for the beauty of guitars," says Roger Perry, a friend and local musician who met Mr. Bush more than 30 years ago while working at Archer's Music in the Tower District. Perry was just a teenager at the time and Andre was 11 or 12. "Even when he was a kid, he could play. He was not just good for a little kid, either. He could play," Perry says. Over the years, the Roosevelt School of the Arts graduate earned national acclaim for his skills as a studio musician and touring guitarist. His collaboration with singer Nnenna Freelon on the album "Blueprint of a Lady" earned him a Grammy nomination in 2005. Just last year, music critic Scott Yanow cited Mr. Bush as one of the 342 most significant guitarists in jazz history in his book "The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide." As an instructor, Mr. Bush released his own book/CD package "Modern Jazz Guitar Styles" through Mel Bay Publications in 2005. He also taught theory, history and improvisation classes at The Jazzschool in Berkeley and recently had close to a dozen students at The Voice Shop in Fresno. Before his death, he had interned as a counselor with Salvation Army Fresno ARC and was in the midst of writing "Art and Soul: Understanding Psyche and the Creative Process," which focused on the psychology of creative development. There is much to be missed from Mr. Bush's passing, Perry says, including the sense of joy the guitarist seemed to get from music, whether he was teaching or playing. "He got something from a song, more than he gave to it," Perry says. Andre will be missed by his parents, Celsa and Scott Shewan; his daughter Sophia Bush; former wife Dawna Mickaels Bush and his partner Kate McKnight. A family committal service will be held at Belmont Memorial Park in Fresno, California. A Celebration of Andre's life will be held at Belmont Country Club, 8253 E. Belmont Avenue, on August 23,2014 at 2:00 p.m. A memorial concert in his honor is being planned in October. Remembrances may be in Andre's memory to Jazz Fresno, the Sophia Bush college fund or a charity of choice. Checks can be made out to Sophia Bush ScholarShare and mailed to: Pape and Shewan, 642 Pollasky Ave., Suite 200, Clovis 93612.

Tributes

Andre Bush

June 3, 1969 - August 9, 2014