Russell Malone
| Russell Malone | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Russell Malone |
| Born |
November 8, 1963 Albany, Georgia, United States |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Impulse!, Venus, Verve, Telarc, Maxjazz, HighNote |
| Associated acts | Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall |
Russell Malone (born November 8, 1963) is an American 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.
Malone was born in Albany, Georgia. He began playing at the age of four, 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 is mostly self-taught on guitar.essentially self-taught 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 to 1990. He then joined the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band from 1989 to 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, Europe, South America, and Australia, he can be seen in appearances with Dianne Reeves and Romero Lubambo and tours frequently with bassist Ron Carter as part of the Golden Striker Trio that often featured Mulgrew Miller on 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 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).
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