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Craig Russo
Craig has been featured on both drumset and congas with several regional Salsa and Latin jazz groups, over the last several years. These include Adelante (Champaign, IL); Miavana (Champaign, IL); The Tim Green Latin Jazz Ensemble (Champaign, IL); Urbano (Syracuse, NY); The Walter Bell Latin Jazz Unit (Richmond, VA); and Clavesol (St. Louis, MO).
In 2002, Craig formed The Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project. This unique group, based in Central Illinois, features some of the finest area musicians between St. Louis and Chicago. The group's focus is to blend jazz repertoire with Afro-Caribbean rhythms. The group most commonly performs as a quintet or sextet, using one or two horn players, two percussionists, piano, and bass.
The group's most recent CD release, "Soul Eyes", was recorded at Pogo Studio in Champaign IL. Featured musicians include Chip McNeill, Jeff Helgesen, Douglas Little, Jeff Magby, Toby Curtright, Sean Parsons, Chris Mahieu, and Simon Rowe.
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Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project: Soul Eyes
by Dan McClenaghan
You could call this Latin jazz with a Midwestern accent. Percussionist Craig Russo and the Latin Jazz Project are a group of mostly mainstream players hailing from the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois neck of the woods, which is probably not what one would consider a hotbed of Latin culture. But they've put out a very tangy, jubilant and authentic set of Latin/Afro-Cuban sounds with Soul Eyes.“Sabor" opens the set, an upbeat mambo (is there any other kind?) featuring a bubbling ...
read moreJazz This Week: Rickey Woodard, Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, Trio Tres Bien, Chamber Project St. Louis, and More
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
It's shaping up to be a fine weekend in St. Louis to get out and hear some live sounds, and fortunately, our local presenters of jazz and creative music would seem to have a variety of potentially worthy attractions in the offing. Let's go to the highlights... Tonight through Saturday, Cabaret St. Louis continues its season at the Kranzberg Arts Center with “A Salute to the Rat Pack" from the group Three Men and A Baby...Grand, aka singers Brian Lane ...
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Jazz St. Louis Confirms Additional Bistro Bookings for Fall 2010
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Jazz St. Louis has confirmed the schedule of local and regional talent that will perform this fall at Jazz at the Bistro, filling the alternate weeks still open after the Bistro's 2010-11 schedule of touring artists was announced back in May.Guitarist Eric Slaughter will make his Bistro debut as a leader on Friday, September 10 and Saturday, September 11, with the Funky Butt Brass Band set to return on October 1 and 2.Two weeks later, percussionist ...
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Barry Cleveland Reinvents the Protest Album with All-Star Avant-Rock Lineup on "Hologramatron" (Moonjune)
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Michael Ricci
New York, N.Y. 00 When Barry Cleveland isn't talking guitar with people like Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Ry Cooder, Tony Iommi, and John Frusciante, he's busy recording globally acclaimed progressive rock and world fusion music. For more than 25 years, his epic compositions and virtuoso, eclectic guitar work have been celebrated by critics and listeners alike. And for the last decade, he's served as a key editor at Guitar Player magazine, holding court with the world's most important musicians and ...
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Jazz This Week: "Peanuts" Whalum's 80th Birthday Party, Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, St. Louis Art Fair, ST. Louis Jazz Club Picnic, and More
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Now that the fall presenting season is officially getting underway, there's more and more jazz and creative music to be heard on St. Louis' concert and club stages. This week's highlights start with singer/pianist/saxophonist Hugh “Peanuts" Whalum's 80th birthday party, which begins at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at Brandt's Cafe and Red Carpet Lounge. Of course, Whalum (pictured), a much-loved and respected part of the St. Louis music scene for more than 50 years, will perform, backed by his trio featuring ...
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Spotlight: In the Middle, the Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project
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The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project: November and December Appearances
Source:
All About Jazz
Upcoming Illinois Appearances: November 26 (Friday) 5:30-7:30 Contemporary Arts Center, Peoria, IL. Craig Russo & Jeff Magby- drums/congas Chip McNeill- tenor saxophone Sean Parsons- piano Josh Walden- bass December 3 (Friday) 10pm-12, Courtyard Cafe, Illini Student Union, Champaign, IL. Craig Russo & Ricardo Flores- drums/congas Chip McNeill- tenor saxophone Sean Parsons- piano Josh Walden- bass December 11 (Saturday) 7:30-10:30, The Rhythm Kitchen, Peoria, IL. Craig Russo & Jeff Magby- drums/congas Chip McNeill- tenor saxophone Sean Parsons- piano Toby Curtright- bass ...
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Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project Release "Soul Eyes"
Source:
All About Jazz
Outstanding jazz soloists, rich, Afro-Cuban inspired rhythms, and fresh arrangements of jazz standards; it's the best of Latin meets jazz! The Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project blends Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz repetoire into a fresh mix of styles. Musicians on our most recent recording, Soul Eyes, include: Craig Russo Drumset artist and percussionist Craig Russo has a special interest in Afro-Cuban music styles. He has traveled to Cuba several times to study at the prestigious National School of ...
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Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
Arrival
From: In the MiddleBy Craig Russo
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