Home » Jazz Musicians » Russell Malone

Russell Malone

Russell Malone's first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son Seals, and B.B. King. Then, at age 12, he saw George Benson perform with Benny Goodman on Soundstage. Malone has said, "I knew right then and there that I wanted to play this music." A self-taught player, Malone progressed well enough to land a gig with master organist Jimmy Smith when he was 25. "It made me realize that I wasn't as good as I thought I was," Malone recalls of his first on-stage jam with Smith. After two years with Smith, he went on to join Harry Connick Jr.'s orchestra, a position he held from 1990-94, appearing on three of Connick''s recordings. Malone also worked in a variety of contexts, performing with artists as diverse as Clarence Carter, Little Anthony, Peabo Bryson, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, The Winans, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Jack McDuff. Malone is one of the most commanding and versatile guitarists performing. He can move from blues to gospel to pop to R&B and jazz without hesitation, a rare facility that has prompted some of the highest profile artists in the world to call upon him: Diana Krall, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Natalie Cole, David Sanborn, Shirley Horn, Christina Aguilera, Harry Connick, Jr, Ron Carter, and Sonny Rollins. Along the way, Malone has made a name for himself combining the bluesy sound of Grant Green and Kenny Burrell with the relentless attack of Django Reinhardt and Pat Martino. After hearing Malone play in Connick's band, former Sony head, Tommy Mottola, brought Malone over to Columbia. Malone's self-titled debut, Russell Malone, in 1992 quickly went to #1 on the radio charts. This album has Malone playing Electric, Acoustic, and Classical guitars. It also features Harry Connick Jr. on piano, his current employer at the time, joking around on "I Don't Know Enough About You," a vocal piece by Malone, not Connick. Russell Malone was quickly followed by his second album, Black Butterfly in 1993, with Paul Keller on Bass, who later became his trio mate with Diana Krall.

Read more

Tags

Album Review

Claudia Acuna: Duo

Read "Duo" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Alcuni classici della canzone popolare latina costituiscono il nucleo del sesto disco da leader di Claudia Acuña. In questa celebrazione la cantante cilena ha coinvolto sette protagonisti del jazz contemporaneo in altrettante esecuzioni in duo caratterizzate da palpitante relazione con la loro identità tradizionale. I due brani conclusivi sono cantati in inglese e la vedono piena protagonista: “Cristal Silence" di Chick Corea è cantato a cappella; “YO" è una sua composizione originale eseguita con un sottofondo percussivo. ...

Album Review

Rickie Lee Jones: Pieces of Treasure

Read "Pieces of Treasure" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


È stata una relazione lunga e tormentata quella tra Rickie Lee Jones e il songbook jazzistico. Una relazione iniziata con le sue prime esibizioni pubbliche, oltre quarant'anni fa, che va avanti alimentata dall'amore, nonostante tutto. Diciamo questo perché la risposta di pubblico e critica è stata fredda e talvolta feroce. Jazz standards costellano molti suoi album e ne troviamo in particolare in Girl at Her Volcano del 1983 e in Pop Pop del 1991 ma solo oggi ...

41
Album Review

Houston Person: Reminiscing at Rudy's

Read "Reminiscing at Rudy's" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The “Rudy's" in the title of tenor saxophonist Houston Person's album, Reminiscing at Rudy's, is not a nightclub or other such venue but the New Jersey studio of celebrated recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder who died in 2016. As befits reminiscing, the bulk of the album's numbers are tender ballads, every one of which lands squarely in Person's amorous wheelhouse. That is not to say the veteran tenor saxophone maestro—who has recorded almost seventy albums as leader ...

33
Album Review

Alternative Guitar Summit: Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 1

Read "Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 1" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Each year the Alternative Guitar Summit, led by Joel Harrison, presents a concert to honor a living jazz composer/guitarist. That wasn't possible in 2021, however, as venues in and around New York City were shuttered tight by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, it was clear that the chosen honoree, the great Pat Martino, was gravely ill and might not have another year to live. With that in mind, members of the Summit took their guitars straight to a studio to record ...

35
Album Review

Deelee Dube: Trying Times

Read "Trying Times" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


Five years ago, the annual Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition named Deelee Dubé its first British winner and (2016) Sassy Award recipient, landing Dubé a spot at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and recording contract for this Concord Records debut. Trying Times marks a major label debut, but Deelee Dubé is no artistic novice. She started violin lessons when she was four and put together her first band when she was fourteen. Her 2016 release Tenderly was produced ...

7
Album Review

Jimmy Heath: Love Letter

Read "Love Letter" reviewed by Thomas Fletcher


Often nicknamed “Little Bird," Jimmy Heath began on the alto saxophone acquiring this informal title by dedicating his studies to Charlie Parker and his wee stature. Although not a familiar name to many outside of the devoted jazz community, Heath would go on to pursue a remarkable 76-year career sadly passing away in January, 2020. A fabled musician to many tenor players, Heath presents us with his final testament, a collection of formative ballads. Enhancing the already prolific ...

4
Album Review

Jimmy Heath: Love Letter

Read "Love Letter" reviewed by Chris May


Love Letter is the final album to be made by saxophonist Jimmy Heath, who passed in January 2020 aged 93. It was completeted just a month earlier. The title is well chosen: the album is a love letter to jazz, a love letter to ballads, and a love letter to Heath's surviving family members, friends and audience. Soulful and luminous, it is everything one could hope for in the last will and testament of a jazz master. ...

Read more articles
1

Recording

Bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and drummer Mike Clark return on seasoned new outing 'Cantaloupe Island' beside guitar great Russell Malone, out now via Jazz Avenue 1

Bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and drummer Mike Clark return on seasoned new outing 'Cantaloupe Island' beside guitar great Russell Malone, out now via Jazz  Avenue 1

Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions

Renowned bassist Leon Lee Dorsey continues his prolific streak with the issue of Cantaloupe Island, the latest album to be released on his Jazz Avenue 1 label and a continuation of his bountiful partnership with revered drummer Mike Clark. On their sixth collaboration since 2019, the stalwart rhythm section brings in virtuosic guitarist Russell Malone for an invigorating nine-track program of compositions by Horace Silver, Wes Montgomery, Prince and more. Cantaloupe Island was released on February 17, 2023. Since joining ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone's first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone's first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone's first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today!

Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

4

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today! Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Jazz Musician of the Day: Russell Malone

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Russell Malone's birthday today! Russell Malone\'s first guitar was a plastic green toy his mother bought him. Only four years old, Malone strummed the little guitar all day long for days on end trying to emulate the sounds he had heard from guitarists at church in Albany, Georgia. As a child, Malone developed an interest in blues and country music after seeing musicians on television like Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Son ...

"Russell Malone’s lyrical guitar work has projected him into the mainstream of jazz guitar. Having dazzling technique erupt at will, as well as melodic, mellow ballad material, Malone shows extraordinary skill across his six strings. His skillful interpretations stir the imagination while igniting the soul." —Jazz St. Louis Lyricism remains a vital part of Malone's music, and he certainly has achieved a unique guitar voice in jazz's mainstream. His powerful technique erupts when he wants it to, while his warm and mellow ballad material rests comfortably on yearning ears." —Jim Santella, All About Jazz "Where Russell Malone channeled Grant Green on the first half of this live set, Live at The Jazz Standard, Volume 1, the guitarist comes fully into his own on Live at The Jazz Standard, Volume 2

Read more

Photos

Concerts

Mar 23 Sat
Mar 23 Sat
Mar 24 Sun
Mar 24 Sun

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Cantaloupe Island

Jazz Avenue 1
2023

buy

Pieces of Treasure

Modern Recordings
2023

buy

Honoring Pat Martino,...

HighNote Records
2022

buy

Reminiscing at Rudy's

HighNote Records
2022

buy

Duo

Ropeadope
2022

buy

Love Letter

Verve Music Group
2020

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.