Arnold Arnie Vane Carruthers Jr

Arnie was born in Lewistown, Montana to Arnold V. Carruthers Sr. and Laura Mae Woods Carruthers. He began playing piano around age 3 and was soon very advanced. He developed an interest in jazz from listening to the big bands of the 30’s and 40’s and was soon trying to emulate his heroes like Fats Waller, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and others. The family moved to Kalispell, Montana while Arnie was still in elementary school. By age 13, he was already playing with some of the local jazz groups.

After graduating high school, Arnie enlisted in the Navy and spent some time at the Navy School of music in Boston. While on the East Coast, he performed, composed and arranged music with not only the Navy bands and ensembles, but also several civilian bands. His plan when he left the Navy was to head to Montana for a visit and then to relocate to the East Coast to continue his musical career.

Once he got home, he was in great demand for gigs in the Kalispell area. It was at one of his regular spots, the Skylark, that he met his future wife, Bonnie. Arnie & Bonnie moved to Spokane where Arnie decided to give up the day job and concentrate on his music. By the time he showed up in Spokane, he was a jazz master whose blazing chops and genius for improvisation wowed patrons of the swinging 1960s nightclub scene. This was in Spokane’s heyday when top-name jazz artists were coming through town, playing their concert/show and then looking for the local jazz hot spot for a session. This was usually wherever Arnie and his band were playing. In the 60’s and 70’s, many of the local clubs had touring acts. Arnie and his trio were considered the “first call” band of choice for backing up people like Pete Barbutti, Ethel Ennis, Oleta Adams, Helen Humes, Sue Raney and many other singers and comedians. Anybody who knew anything about music soon knew the name Arnie Carruthers.

Arnie recorded 3 LP’s: Music for Swingin’ Bomb Shelters, Swingin’ at the Stockyards and Arnie & Joe at the Spokane House, which featured Arnie and pianist/arranger Joe Kloess in a two-piano romp through jazz standards and some popular tunes of the day Like Up, Up and Away. Arnie was joined on these recordings by bass player Noel Waters. Another LP was recorded in the 80’s with Clipper Anderson on bass and Tom Schager on drums. This trio reunited to record a CD in 1999 titled - I’m Still Swingin’.

For over fifty years the Carruthers name has been a gold standard for fine music in the Spokane area. Arnie Carruthers began this legacy in the jazz clubs of Spokane in the late 1950’s. Long known for his fast fingers and innovative style, he has continued to amaze audiences, even after suffering a stroke in 1974 that left him with the use of only his right hand. As they say – Arnie plays more with one hand than most do with two!! Following the stroke, he not only resumed his playing career, but also went back to college. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Eastern Washington University.

In the 36+ years since his stroke, Arnie maintained a busy schedule of performing. Highlights include the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival in Jamaica, the Sun Valley Jazz Festival, the Glacier Jazz Stampede and hundreds of club gigs, concerts, weddings and private parties.

Arnie was returning home from the 2007 Glacier Jazz Stampede when he had a car accident. His spine was broken in two places. Following the surgery and recuperation, though he wasn’t as active as he was prior to his wreck, he still played whenever he could. At his 80th birthday party in 2009, he brought down the house!

Arnie was thrilled to be attending a concert in his honor on March 19, 2011. But, sadly, he died on Monday, March 7, at the age of 81. The concert – which was part of the Spokane Falls Community College Jazz Festival — was Spokane’s chance to say goodbye to this cornerstone of the local jazz scene.

Arnie is survived by two sisters: Catharine Reynolds of Salem, OR and Peg Manseau (Alan) of Gilbert, AZ. He is also survived by six children: Charlotte Carruthers, Denise Red, Doug Carruthers (Nancy), Lori Klassen, Bill Carruthers and Don Carruthers (Lori). His family also includes 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren (and one on the way) and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.