Jazz musician's passionate beat keeps Mercedians dancing in the streets

Ask Rudy Merino what he's done over the past 50 years, and he'll give you a long list of musicians he's played with, jazz and blues concerts he's thrown, and venues he's owned.

The fact that the 72-year-old spent 35 years of his life working for the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as an associate gas engineer won't even get a mention.

"You see what's more important to me," he said.

It's even the way the Merced native experiences time. Merino likes to talk about certain eras in his life, all of which are defined by musicians he's played with.

He'll talk about the John Albano era -- that's when Albano, Merced College's jazz ensemble director, moved to Merced a few years ago and they began playing music together.

If you haven't already guessed it, music is what makes Merino's blood pump. And not just any music -- specifically jazz and blues.

"Jazz is my main love," he said. "I love to play. I love to listen to it."

Merino, who owns Rudy's Encore Musical Consignment shop in Bob Hart Square, has been involved in Merced's music scene since he was a boy growing up in South Merced.

Merino's introduction to music began when he attended Galen Clark Elementary School in 1951 and was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps.

His teacher at the time laid down a wooden plank across several chairs and gave students mallets for drumming.

"That's how we learned to make drum rolls," he said.

Seven years later, Merino bought his first drum kit for $200 from Record Rendezvous to get ready for his first paid live performance with Ralph Coats at the Merced Golf and Country Club.

Since then, Merino's played drums with countless jazz outfits in and around Merced.

He's thrown annual jazz and blues festivals in Applegate Park; he performs regularly at Bob Hart Square on Thursday evenings; he hosts Saturday drum circles in front of his store and he plays monthly at the Merced Mall.

Rudy's Encore store also hosts a small upstairs theater that seats a little more than 70 people, and he books that regularly for performers.

In the early 2000s, Merino also had a jazz and blues club, Rudy's Jazz and Blues, where the Partisan now sits.

He couldn't deal with the late nights, he said, so now he leases the bar to the owners of the Partisan.

Albano said Merino is Merced's unofficial musical welcome wagon.

When Albano moved to Merced, Merino called to greet him, then asked him to jam.

"(Rudy) wants to share the music with people -- his music," Albano said. "There's no other people he'd rather share that with than the people of Merced. He loves the people of Merced."

And apparently the love affair is mutual.

In 2005, Merino was recognized by the Merced County Arts Center for his contributions to the Merced music scene and was granted a lifetime achievement award. At the same time, then-mayor Ellie Wooten declared June 18 Rudy Merino Day.

Merino never expected any of that, he said.

Today Merino said he's trying to establish a nonprofit organization that would secure money for student musicians so they can attend music camps or afford new instruments.

The first items the state cancels in tough budgetary times are music and arts programs, he said.

"I hate to see schools go without those programs," he added. "I want to create a legacy that shows the young kids what music can do for you even though the state doesn't think it's worthwhile."

For Rudy Merino, the Jazz Age never ended.

Reporter Jamie Oppenheim can be reached at (209)385-2407 or joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com.

This story was originally published June 28, 2010 at 5:36 AM with the headline "Jazz musician's passionate beat keeps Mercedians dancing in the streets."