Local Music Makers Spotlight on Adam Rose
- 50Plus
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Peggy Ratusz
As a band leader there are instances where a player I’ve hired for a gig or show gets sick, or a car breaks down, and I scramble to find a replacement.
Such is the scenario around how I met one of my newest music buddies, a superlative guitarist and sometimes singer, Adam Rose. He’s the spotlight artist for August 2025’s Local Music Makers.
Three years ago, my friend and fellow songstress, Ellen Trnka (aka Sister Sledge) and I found ourselves in desperate need of a last minute replacement accompanist on the morning of a scheduled performance together. Someone gave us Adam’s number and when I texted him, he texted back right away and agreed to play for us later that day.
Fast forward to now and we share a residency on the last Sunday of every month at that same venue we first played together; Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville. Our friend, Bob Songster, plays bass.
In these three years, Rose has successfully injected himself into the music community. His talent and versatility on a variety of instruments, ‘play’ into the reasons.
But without tenacity and eagerness and a healthy self-esteem, one can get discouraged. Not every project works out, not every chance meeting translates and not everyone has the same goals.
Adam makes jockeying for position look easy when it really isn’t most of the time.
Adam grew up in Philadelphia which to me explains his tenacity, work ethic and grace. He first started playing guitar at a Quaker summer camp in his early teens. He honed his chops on songs by some of my favorite male songwriters like Neil Young, The Eagles and Bob Dylan.
Rose explains that after watching Philly icon and heady Jazz guitarist, Jimmy Bruno perform on the local scene, his interest in learning to play Jazz piqued. So he enrolled in the Philadelphia Clef Club which is a respected music education program.
It serves numerous students annually through on-site, in-school programs as well as outreach community events. Having educated thousands of students within a 25-year history the PCC has sent some of its students to Berklee College of Music and across the U.S. to perform alongside some of the nation’s most skilled musicians, through the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Adam joined a PCC club ensemble, and they were hired to play churches, barbecues and local events. They were doing so well that he took a year off to continue playing in the group between graduating from high school and going to college.
“One of my fondest memories is when the group played for a birthday celebration at the John Coltrane House in Philly.”
Jamming with legends like Mickey Roker, Byron Landham while attending master classes facilitated by Jimmy Heath and Reggie Workman fueled his fire for pursuing a career in music.
“One of my mentors and heroes, the aforementioned Jimmy Bruno, gave me a scholarship to study at University of Arts Philadelphia. After one semester I moved to New York to attend The New School. What an adventure and learning experience and somewhat of a blur, that was!
"The talent, beauty, wealth and power in that city was like Philly magnified by a thousand. It kicked my butt, but I learned a lot.”
For much of his 20s he played in rock bands and worked random jobs.
“I worked at a horse sanctuary in the high desert of the Sierra Nevada mountain range before moving back to Philly to focus on teaching guitar, piano and bass.”
During those years, Adam signed up for a classical guitar competition sponsored by the Curtis Institute of Music, resolute to immerse himself, challenge himself in the structures, forms and history of the genre. While he didn’t win either of the two top spots, he was awarded first alternate.
“Both spots went to guitarists who’d been studying and competing in the classical genre since childhood. I was an unknown walk-on. It was definitely a feather in my cap.”
He needed a break from music after such a rigorous endeavor, so he went back to school for a second degree in nursing and worked the night shift at a Philadelphia hospital emergency room.
“That was another very intense experience where I witnessed the extremes of the human condition up close.”
He met his future wife, Dr. Chelsea Osterman during that time and they soon moved to Durham where she was doing a Fellowship Program.
“I continued my work as a nurse full time in Durham, but because of the 3 days on and 4 days off schedule, it allowed me time to attend jam sessions around town.
"It just so happened that I met the head of guitar at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Baron Tymas, and we became friends. He offered me a graduate assistant position which included a full ride to get my masters degree.”
"This was during the pandemic and lockdown so after working twelve-hour shifts in the Covid wing, he studied and attended classes for his masters.
"The times were as heavy and exciting as the Jazz greats Adam was honored to study under at North Carolina Central, which included Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo.
After Chelsea and I were married, I still had a year to go to get my master's degree.
"However, she was expected to start her first clinical here in Asheville. Once I got my degree, I moved here to reunite with my wife so we could finally start our life together here in the mountains.”
Adam Rose celebrates three years this month, living here in the mountains. He says, “It took me a few months to get up and running, but with 250+ gigs per year since doing so, I feel like I’m finding my footing again.”
Venues where you might find Adam: Battery Park Book Exchange, All Day Darling, Southern Appalachian Brewing, Fitz & Wolfe and Adam wishes to acknowledge the Django Jazz Community especially Dinah’s Daydream and Swing Asheville.
Peggy’s August gig schedule:
Sat Aug 2nd – One World West Invitational Blues Showcase, 4pm
Thurs Aug 7th – The River Arts District Brewing, 7pm-9pm Peggy’s 50TH Anniversary of being a professional musician party with Kelly Jones & Friends!
Fri Aug 8th- Southern Appalachian Brewing, Hendersonville – 7pm-9pm – the 50th Anniversary party continues with Kelly Jones, Zack Page and James Kylen + surprise guests.
Sun Aug 10th – Highland Brewing Meadow, 2pm-5pm with The Daddy LongLegs Blues & Dance Band
Wed Aug 13th – Peggy hosts The White Horse Black Mountain Blues Jam, 7:30pm
Thurs Aug 14th – Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack South, 6:30pm with Kelly Jones
Thurs Aug 21st – The River Arts District Brewing, 7pm-9pm with Kelly Jones and special guests Kate & Eddie Barber
Sat Aug 23rd – The Wagbar – 3pm with Kelly Jones
Sun Aug 31st – Southern Appalachian Brewing, 4pm-6pm with Adam Rose and Bob Songster
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