Originally from The Bronx, New York, Bruce Halper has been described as a "Bon vivant" by The Arizona Daily Star and a "renaissance man" by the Tucson Weekly. In a Tucson Citizen cover story of October, 1999, Mark Wycoff goes so far as to name Halper "a music icon".
Bruce began in music playing piano, drums and singing - performing at New York's Hoffmann School under the tutelage of Ralph Affoumado at age 11. At 16, Halper was drumming and singing professionally while cutting his teeth in Tucson, Arizona recording studios doing jingles. Throughout his 20's, he recorded as a sideman for many artists with world-wide audiences.
Halper's remarkable career led him to drum with Rainer and Das Combo, and a twenty-year stint with the "quintessential desert rock band", the Sidewinders (later known as the Sandrubies). The Sidewinders were signed to several major labels throughout the 1990's, most notably recording two records for RCA, and another for Polygram - topping out at number five on Billboards's college radio charts.
After successful European tours with the Sandrubies in 1998 and 99, Halper joined Tucson favorites Greyhound Soul for years of electric performances. He returned to Europe in the early 2000's for rock tours with Mike Davis (of the legendary MC-5) and local legends Al Perry and Van Christian. Around the same time, Bruce embarked on his solo career as a singer and bandleader in the styles of Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra.
Halper continues to evolve as a musician and bandleader. In orchestrating renditions of songs by the greatest composers of the 20h Century, Halper is joined by some of the finest musicians int eh jazz community who provide him with great experience and insight.
Halper is a 2016 inductee into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, as well as a 2020 inductee
into the Tucson Musician's Museum.
