Frank Russell - record release party

Bass guitarist, Frank Russell, a native of Chicago, started his music career early playing drums, guitar and sax before switching to bass guitar at the age of 14, and has been playing it ever since. Along the way working or recording with such diverse artists as The Spaniels, Dee Clark, Dee Dee Warwick, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Freddie Hubbard, Ramsey Lewis, Bobby Irving , Art Porter, Alphonse Mouzon, Red Holt, Mike Wolff , Willie Pickens , Peter Erskine, Ken Chaney, Sugar Blue and many others. Frank has recorded five CDs with aclaimed guitarist , Henry Johnson , whose first cd "You're the One" garnered a five star ratings in Down Beat Magazine received number one status in radio airplay across the country and was nominated for a Grammy. Russell co-wrote the title song for Johnson’s second CD, “Future Excursions.” He also recorded a song with Johnson on a CD featuring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, “Smooth Elements,” which includes such artists as Stanley Turrentine, Larry Coryell, Phil Perry and Earth Wind & Fire. He is also listed in a bass instructional book (Funk Bass by Jon Liebman) with some of the top bassists in his field.Russell’s real love is live performance where he soars. Jazz writer, Dave Freeman writes, “For the complete Frank Russell bass experience, see him live, he’s one of the escapees from Monster Bass Island.” Lazaro Vega writes, “Frank never crossed into tasteless grand standing during his charged solos, but showed more musical worth playing his ensemble roles with verve and taste.” Frank also garnered first prize in the 1992 Hennessy Best of Chicago Jazz Search with Chicago pianist, Ken Chaney. Frank has played many jazz festivals across the country including the Newport Jazz Festival, the Telluride Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, the Valparaiso University Jazz Festival (Headliner) and many others.Frank has also displayed his versatility by performing in theatre productions that includes “The Beehive” at the Briar Street Theatre (Chicago) where he was given the only solo bass spot in the many companies performing the play, “Evelyn and the Polka King,” at the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre, and “Nomathemba” with the internationally known South African singing group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo where he was the only American musician. The production performed at the Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago), The Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), the Crossroads Theatre Company (New Jersey), and the Huntington Theatre Company (Boston). He also appears playing bass in the movie “Cold Justice” starring Roger Daltry.Frank has recorded a CD under his own name, the aptly titled “Covering All Basses” where he plays fretless, four and five string and acoustic bass guitars. Critic, Chuck Deggans writes, “Russell does literally cover all basses through traditional, urban, South African, and Latin jazz arrangements. The dexterity of Russell is phenomenal in this recording session as he illustrates awesome control of his basses, and reveals a fluid creativity not commonly found among most bass players.” His latest CD, "Circle Without End", includes Miles Davis alumni Robert Irving III, Darryl Jones, Richard Patterson, Dede Sampaio and legendary trumpet player Wallace Roney. 

• http://www.frankerussell.com/