Calgaryian bassist and composer, Rubim de Toledo, combines the influences of his Brazilian heritage and his dedication to the jazz tradition, to create an approach to music that is refreshing and uplifting. Boasting a diverse rhythmic palette, a lure towards improvisation and a forward-looking tradionalism, Rubim nurtures a commanding sound and style as a bandleader, soloist and sideman. With his fourth and newest release, “The Bridge,” Rubim distinguishes himself as a composer with a unique ability to cross genres while maintaining a sound that is modern yet inviting. Featuring internationally renowned trumpeter Sean Jones and an all-star Albertan lineup, the disc boasts lush arrangements embellished by compelling solo improvisations. His third release,” The River,” garnered great critical and popular acclaim, including a Western Canadian Music Award nomination for “Best Jazz Album” of 2009. Its opening track was selected as CBC radio's Tonic theme song and the album placed in the top ten of Canadian college and public radio charts extensively. Since 2007, Rubim has been working extensively as musical director with Calgary’s Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. He is a passionate music educator and the director of the Mount Royal University Summer Jazz Camp and the director of the JAZZYYC Lab Youth Band. Quotes CD Review from Legacy Magazine, Winter 2009 by Ron Chalmers "Bassist and composer Rubim de Toledo must be one of Alberta’s busiest and most accomplished musicians ... De Toledo fuses the rhythmic styles of Latin American music and post-war American jazz evoking, Heitor Villa-Lobos, contemporary salsa, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane – while achieving something entirely fresh ... (jazz scene) abounds in performers with virtuosic technique. The eternal challenge is to innovative material that is thoughtful, challenging, accessible, listenable and enjoyable. Rubim de Toledo’s The River is all of that." On Dance, Creativity and Corporate Teamwork from See magazine, Feb 2010 by Kathleen Bell "... by simply listening to Toledo’s most recent album, the River, you start to understand the importance of that dynamic (teamwork, flexibility and creativity). It’s not about showing off, but creating a seamless dance from idea to idea, measure to measure, note to note." Inspiration Flowed from Flood from the Edmonton Journal, April 2009 by Roger Levesque "... all of that made The River one of the finest Jazz albums of the year ..." CD Review from CKUA website, March 2009 by Roger Levesque "It knocks me out, first for how de Toledo's writing and arranging sets up tasty harmonies, then for the depth of intuitive playing and the excellent sound that captures it, and finally for some intangible element we'll just call soul. The obvious familiarity between bassist de Toledo, trumpeter Bob Tildesley, reedman Jim Brennan, pianist Chris Andrew and drummer Tyler Hornby certainly adds to the effortless quality of the performances but I suspect the experience of playing for dancers also helped inspire their buoyant spirits. When he solos you can feel de Toledo tip-toeing or springing around on those strings and the exchanges between them all conjure up even more mental imagery." Light-hearted Dancers in Love gets the party started from Calgary Herald, April 2013 by Stephen Hunt "... in Blue Haze, the full company, dressed in Paul Lavigne’s original black and white costumes, conjure up the jazz era of 1950s New York, with a fat, meaty bass lick laid down by Rubim de Toledo." 2009 a busy year for jazz Musician from Jazz Elements website, Feb 2009 by Cindy McLeod "Rubim de Toledo is one of the most sought-after studio and performing artists on Alberta’s jazz scene. The versatile bassist is also considered a Brazilian / Cuban master, and is active on the Rock, R&B and Folk scenes ... The release (The River) is one of three great jazz projects to hit the market in 2009 that Rubim has helped to create all three."