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out of the rusty cage
Rusty Springfield interview
by rick grant    rickgrant01@comcast.net

WHO: Rusty Springfield and Ron Norris

WHERE: Kingfish Grill in St. Augustine

WHEN: Every wednesday night through August


      There are legions of bass players gigging throughout the region. I’ve witnessed hundreds play. Most are competent or above average. However, nationwide, there are few bassists of Rusty Springfield’s caliber. A Berklee College of Music alumnus, Rusty has been playing bass for thirty years.

      Rusty’s musical experiences are eclectic and international. He is skilled in funk, R&B, jazz, rock, and symphonic work. In the past, Rusty was featured at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He has performed with a variety of artists, including vocalist Lou Rawls, The Cliftons, Danny and the Juniors, The Four Lads, as well as jazz greats Eddie Harris, Bill Evans, Mose Allison, Ira Sullivan and Tower of Power’s David Garibaldi.

      Presently, Rusty resides in St. Augustine where he teaches and fields various band projects to keep working. His main musical initiative is Nightfall, featuring vocalist Christi John Bye with guitarist Tony Scozzaro. (nightfallmusic.net)

      To find out more about Rusty I called him at his home in St. Augustine.



EU: Tell us about the milestones in your career over the years and what you are focused on today. I know most of this information is on your website bassentials.com, but I wanted to get a personalized account from you.

Rusty: Well, I’ve played with some big names in jazz and done some symphonic work. Today, I teach bass, which keeps me busy, and I have some commercial projects going. My main band is Nightfall, which features vocalist Christi John Bye, who is phenomenal. Her husband worked for the Jaguars but he was offered a position with the St. Louis Rams. So, she and her husband moved to St. Louis.



EU: Since your featured vocalist is geographically unavailable, doesn’t that mean Nightfall is kaput? Are you planning to replace her?

Rusty: Not at all. We fly her down for important gigs. I thought about replacing her, but she is so special that I feel like the band can’t go on without her. In the meantime, I work with guitarist Ron Norris in a duo, which is booked at the Kingfish Grill on Wednesdays. Ron has a big hit and is a member of the Rock’n’roll Hall of Fame.

These days, I’ve been writing new music on which I collaborate with Christi in St. Louis. I also formed a quartet called Funksway and a trio. Since Christi left, I call Nightfall without her Chaos Theory. So, as you can see, I’m flexible enough to keep working and the cash flowing. Between my teaching and my other projects I stay busy in the St. Augustine region.



Rusty seems to have found a niche in the business where he can make a decent living and stay in St. Augustine. It’s always difficult for musicians to find that island of hope where they can put down roots.

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