Bill Runge
Bill has been a successful performer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator for over 30 years. A multi-instrumentalist, he has performed and recorded on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, electric and string bass, piano and other keyboards, guitar, pennywhistle, and accordion.
In 1990 his quintet, “The Creatures of Habit” won the Grand Prix at the CBC-Alcan Jazz Competition in Montreal and he has worked on several Juno Award winning projects such as Jim Byrnes’ CD, “That River”.
As a leader, Bill has produced four recordings: “Creatures of Habit-Live in Montreal”-1990, for Justin Time Records, “B3”-1994, for Roadhouse Records, “Acid Test”-2002, for Maximum Jazz, and “A Tribute To The South American Masters”-2006, also for Maximum Jazz.
Bill’s saxophone style amalgamates the influences of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, and Steve Grossman with his own compositional approach… a modern player, firmly rooted in jazz tradition.
Composers influencing his writing style include Astor Piazolla, Chick Corea, Frederick Delius, Arvo Part, Egberto Gismonti, Bela Bartok, and Josef Zawinul.
Bill is an in demand studio musician has recorded with such acts as K-OS, INXS, Powder Blues, Traci Ullman, The Hard Rubber Orchestra, Swollen Members, Tower of Power horns, Long John Baldry, Shari Ulrich, The Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation (VEJI), Amos Garrett, The Paperboys, Lowell Fulson, Jackyll, and many more.
Bill has performed live shows at Jazz, Folk and Blues Festivals in Canada, Europe, the U.K., and the U.S. with such artists as The Funk Bros., Colin James, and Natalie Cole, Michael Buble, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Bo Didley, Sheena Easton, Roger Daltry, John Hammond Jr., Ben E. King, Bob Hope, Robert Cray, Marilyn Crispell, Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dave Holland, Slide Hampton, Jeff Healey, Michael Burgess, Strippers Union and dozens more.
As a composer he has done several film scores including for the cult favorite, “Babette’s Feet”; received commissions from such artists as Viveza, The Hard Rubber Orchestra, Babayaga, and Winter Harp; done scores for TV shows such as SuperKids (CBC), Code Green (CBC), and done arrangements or orchestrations for such shows as The Chris Isaak Show (Showtime), and Beggar’s and Choosers (Showtime).
Bill has also performed on many Film and TV scores such as Ed, Edd, and Eddy (cartoon), Cadillac Girls (feature film), and Highlander (TV), and Life On A Mattress (feature film for Disney). Computer Game Soundtracks include MotorCity Online for Electronic Arts, and Simpsons Interactive for Radical. Theatre credits include Godspell, a rock musical; Tapestry, a revue of the music of Carol King; and Redrock Diner.
“Runge, one of Vancouver’s most tasteful players, balances delicateness and muscularity and builds his solos gracefully, always with the composition in mind.”
- Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun