Russell Malone
Encyclopedia
Russell Malone is an essentially self-taught
swing and bebop
jazz guitarist
. He began working with Jimmy Smith
in 1988, and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr.
and Diana Krall
throughout the 1990s. .
, with a toy guitar his mother had bought him, influenced by musicians such as B.B. King and The Dixie Hummingbirds
. However, he cites that the most influential musical experience he had as a youth was "[At the age of twelve] seeing George Benson
perform on television…with Benny Goodman." He learned technique from listening to recordings of Benson, Wes Montgomery
, and Charlie Christian
, among others.
Malone played with jazz organist Jimmy Smith
from 1988—1990. He then joined the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band from 1989-1994. In 1995, Malone became part of the Diana Krall
trio, participating in three Grammy-nominated albums, the final one in 1999, "When I Look In Your Eyes," winning Best Vocal Jazz Performance. Malone was part of jazz pianist Benny Green
's recordings in the late 1990s and 2000: "Kaleidoscope" (1997), "These Are Soulful Days" (1999), and "Naturally" (2000). The two formed a duo partnership, releasing the live recording, "Jazz At The Bistro" in 2003, and the studio recording "Bluebird" in 2004. The duo toured until 2007.
Malone tours regularly as leader of The Russell Malone Quartet, and more recently in support of "Triple Play" (2010) of the Russell Malone Trio. When touring the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe, South America, and Australia, he can be seen in appearances with Dianne Reeves
and Romero Lubambo
and tours frequently with legendary bassist Ron Carter
as part of the Golden Striker Trio often featuring Mulgrew Miller
at piano. Other special guest appearances have included Malone with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, pianist Hank Jones
(in celebration of his 90th birthday). October, 2008, found Russell Malone in duo at Yoshi's in Oakland, California, with fellow jazz guitarist and Grammy-winner Bill Frisell
. The duo toured once again in February, 2009, in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. In 2010, Malone became a member of the band for saxophonist Sonny Rollins
, (celebrating his 80th birthday in New York in September).
Russell Malone recorded live September 9–11, 2005, at Jazz Standard, NYC, and MAXJAZZ
released "Live At Jazz Standard, Volume One" (2006) and "Live At Jazz Standard, Volume Two" (2007). Appearing on these two volumes, and touring as The Russell Malone Quartet, are Martin Bejerano on piano, Tassili Bond on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. Malone's 2010 recording "Triple Play" (also on MAXJAZZ
) is pianoless, featuring David Wong on bass, and Montez Coleman on drums. Currently, in 2011 and into 2012, Malone can be seen touring with his trio of David Wong or Tassili Bond on bass and Darrell Green on drums.
Autodidacticism
Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a person who teaches him or herself something. The term has its roots in the Ancient Greek words αὐτός and διδακτικός...
swing and bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarists are guitar players who play jazz music on the guitar using an approach to playing chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist and soloist in small and large ensembles and also as an unaccompanied...
. He began working with Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
in 1988, and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
and Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
throughout the 1990s. .
Biography
Malone began playing at the age of four in his home of Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, with a toy guitar his mother had bought him, influenced by musicians such as B.B. King and The Dixie Hummingbirds
The Dixie Hummingbirds
The Dixie Hummingbirds are an influential American gospel music group, spanning more than 80 years from the jubilee quartet style of the 1920s, through the "hard gospel" quartet style of Gospel's golden age in the 1940s and 1950s, to the eclectic pop-tinged songs of today.-History:Formed in 1928 in...
. However, he cites that the most influential musical experience he had as a youth was "[At the age of twelve] seeing George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
perform on television…with Benny Goodman." He learned technique from listening to recordings of Benson, Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
, and Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian
Charles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
, among others.
Malone played with jazz organist Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
from 1988—1990. He then joined the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band from 1989-1994. In 1995, Malone became part of the Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
trio, participating in three Grammy-nominated albums, the final one in 1999, "When I Look In Your Eyes," winning Best Vocal Jazz Performance. Malone was part of jazz pianist Benny Green
Benny Green
Benny Green was a British jazz saxophonist, who was best known by the public for his radio shows and books.- Early life :...
's recordings in the late 1990s and 2000: "Kaleidoscope" (1997), "These Are Soulful Days" (1999), and "Naturally" (2000). The two formed a duo partnership, releasing the live recording, "Jazz At The Bistro" in 2003, and the studio recording "Bluebird" in 2004. The duo toured until 2007.
Malone tours regularly as leader of The Russell Malone Quartet, and more recently in support of "Triple Play" (2010) of the Russell Malone Trio. When touring the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe, South America, and Australia, he can be seen in appearances with Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
and Romero Lubambo
Romero Lubambo
Romero Lubambo is a Brazilian jazz guitar player.Romero Lubambo started learning classic piano at a very early age...
and tours frequently with legendary bassist Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
as part of the Golden Striker Trio often featuring Mulgrew Miller
Mulgrew Miller
Mulgrew Miller is an American jazz pianist who performs in a number of jazz idioms. He began his career as member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.-Biography:...
at piano. Other special guest appearances have included Malone with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, pianist Hank Jones
Hank Jones
Henry "Hank" Jones was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored him with the NEA Jazz Masters Award...
(in celebration of his 90th birthday). October, 2008, found Russell Malone in duo at Yoshi's in Oakland, California, with fellow jazz guitarist and Grammy-winner Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
. The duo toured once again in February, 2009, in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. In 2010, Malone became a member of the band for saxophonist Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
, (celebrating his 80th birthday in New York in September).
Russell Malone recorded live September 9–11, 2005, at Jazz Standard, NYC, and MAXJAZZ
Maxjazz
MAXJAZZ is an American jazz record label founded in 1999. Its catalog contains sixty-eight vocal and instrumental recordings. MAXJAZZ recordings are generally regarded as a “straight-ahead” acoustic style of jazz...
released "Live At Jazz Standard, Volume One" (2006) and "Live At Jazz Standard, Volume Two" (2007). Appearing on these two volumes, and touring as The Russell Malone Quartet, are Martin Bejerano on piano, Tassili Bond on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. Malone's 2010 recording "Triple Play" (also on MAXJAZZ
Maxjazz
MAXJAZZ is an American jazz record label founded in 1999. Its catalog contains sixty-eight vocal and instrumental recordings. MAXJAZZ recordings are generally regarded as a “straight-ahead” acoustic style of jazz...
) is pianoless, featuring David Wong on bass, and Montez Coleman on drums. Currently, in 2011 and into 2012, Malone can be seen touring with his trio of David Wong or Tassili Bond on bass and Darrell Green on drums.
Discography
- Russell Malone (COLUMBIA - 1992)
- Black Butterfly (COLUMBIA - 1993)
- Sweet Georgia Peach (IMPULSE! - 1998)
- Wholly Cats (VENUS - 1999)
- Look Who's Here (VERVE - 2000)
- Heartstrings (VERVE - 2001)
- Jazz at the Bistro [with Benny GreenBenny Green (pianist)Benny Green is a hard bop jazz pianist who was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He has been compared to Bud Powell in style and counts him as an influence. As a boy he grew up in Berkeley, California and studied classical piano from the age of seven...
] (Telarc - 2003) - Bluebird [with Benny GreenBenny Green (pianist)Benny Green is a hard bop jazz pianist who was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He has been compared to Bud Powell in style and counts him as an influence. As a boy he grew up in Berkeley, California and studied classical piano from the age of seven...
] (Telarc - 2004) - Playground (MAXJAZZ - 2004)
- Live At Jazz Standard, Volume One (MAXJAZZ - 2006)
- Live At Jazz Standard, Volume Two (MAXJAZZ - 2007)
- Portrait Northwestern State University Jazz Ensemble featuring Russell Malone (2009)
- Triple Play (MAXJAZZ - 2010)