Inspired by the sounds blaring out of his brand-new pocket transistor radio, Bob Russell began begging his parents for a drum set in 1964.
In 1965, he got an electric guitar for Christmas instead. The rest, as they say, is history. At first disappointed, the young lad began to struggle with the strings... and soon discovered that there were some pretty cool sounds to be had. He started writing songs of his own. After a couple of years, he discovered that other people thought he was making some pretty cool sounds. There might be something to this guitar thing after all...
After forty-five years in music, Bob Russell still thinks there's something to the guitar thing. And he finally got his drum set. He picked up a few other instruments along the way: bass, keyboards, recorders, banjos, harmonicas, mandolins. He also became conversant in several musical styles: rock. blues, country, jazz. He played with musicians like Henry Mancini and Paul Winter. He wrote music for TV soundtracks. He played gigs all over the USA. He traveled to Europe and Africa. For the last three decades, Russell has been primarily known as a jazz musician, teaching jazz guitar at a North Carolina university. His first two CDs, "Watch This!" and "...if you never...", showcase Russell as a jazz player and composer. (Another jazz CD, to be released September 2010, will be a live concert recording featuring Russell and his good friend, reedman Mike Waddell.)
His newest album, "Bob Russell's Ego Trip", is a major departure for Russell. "When I was a kid, I always told myself that someday I'd make a solo album of my rock songs," says Russell. "Bob Russell's Ego Trip" is a collection of eleven of Russell's original songs, with all instruments and vocals performed by Russell. The moods and grooves vary from slamming rock to delicate ballads with exotic instrumentation.
"Stylistically, I'm kind of hard to pin down," says Russell. "But that's how I hear music. I love many different kinds of music, and I refuse to shut myself off from anything I love." If you feel that way too, there'll be a lot of music for you to love in the work of Bob Russell.
Read more...