Home » Jazz Musicians » The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra

The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra

Russ Spiegel is a commissioned composer, writer, producer, and actor and holds a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance from the City College of New York. Originally from Los Angeles, he relocated to Europe with his family as a teenager, spending almost twenty years in Germany where he concentrated on a music career.

Russ returned to the US in 2001, settling in New York City where his work as a musician continued to flourish. Alongside performing everything from solo guitar to running a 17-piece jazz orchestra featuring his own compositions and arrangements, Russ has released several CDs, written music for film, TV and musicals, toured Europe and Asia, taught college-level courses, run workshops and seminars, worked as a music copyist for Broadway shows and major-label recordings as well as having appeared in a number of feature films as both a musician and actor.

Awards

“Jazz Stipendium” City of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 1999 (DM10,000). “Barbash Award” City College of New York 2004-2006, $3000. “Professional Music Scholarship” Berklee College of Music, 1986-1988.


Tags

314
Album Review

The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra: Transplants

Read "Transplants" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Veteran jazz guitarist Russ Spiegel has always had an affinity for big band music, from his days of performing with the European-based Landes Jugend Jazz Orchester Hessen, The Bill Warfield Big Band, and his own Russ Spiegel Big Band, comprised of top German and international musicians. He continues his love affair of progressive ensemble music on the debut recording by The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra, Transplants, with big band arrangements of six originals and three covers, and featuring some of ...

Read more articles
Intellectual to the core, melodic and elegant, [Spiegel's] music will engage and challenge you at the same time. -Ed Blanco, EJazzNews

A killer guitarist that’s simply welcome all over the world, Spiegel lays it down without pretense or drama and let’s his clean lines and solid playing provide all the drama and dynamic tension non-smooth jazz should have, even when he’s playing it light and easy. A tasty cat you should definitely get to know. -Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Channeling the spirited energy of hard-bop with the progressive aesthetics of rock music, Spiegel carves out his own niche in the contemporary jazz scene. -Troy Collins, All About Jazz

Read more

Primary Instrument

Composer / conductor

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

2011: Jamey Aebersold Masterclass Guest Artist & Workshop Clinician, University of North Carolina Big Band, Chapel Hill, NC. Instructor, New York Jazz Academy. 2009–2010: Clinician - Big Band Workshops: Santa Barbara Community College; Rio Tinto High School, Sacramento, California. Finalist for position of Jazz Lecturer, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 2005–2008: Guitar Instructor & Band Coach for the hit Nickelodeon TV show “The Naked Brothers Band.” 2007: Masters Level Jazz Arranging Course, Boston University. 2004-2006: Graduate Assistant to undergraduate jazz ensembles, City College; Instructor, National Guitar Summer Workshop, New Milford, Connecticut. 2006: Guest Instructor, State of Hesse youth championship small ensemble and big band winners (Jugend jazzt), Germany. 2002-2004: Guitar Instructor at Slope Music, Brooklyn. 2000: Guest Instructor for Landesjugend Big Band, Germany. 1998-2000: Instructor, Jazz Guitar Master Class, Rhythm Section Workshop, and Jazz Standards Workshop for Kulturwerkstatt Waggong Frankfurt, Germany. 1999: Director, Jazz Improvisation and Rhythm Section Workshop for U.S. Army Band, Wiesbaden, Germany. 1993-97: Instructor, Professional Program, Future Music School, Aschaffenburg, Germany. Contributed to textbooks for use in Harmony/Theory, Ear-Training and Guitar instruction. 1988-92: Director, Jazz Workshop, Jazzclub Rödermark, Germany. 1987-88: Instructor, Assabett School for Continuing Education, Marlboro, Massachusetts; Mercuri Music, Westboro Massachusetts. Subjects: Composition, Arranging, Guitar, Bass, Repertoire, Ear Training, Rhythm, Harmony/Theory, Improvisation, Combos, Cross-Cultural Improvisation, Music Copying and Music Business. Technology: Jazz Production, Logic, Finale. Styles: Jazz, Latin, Funk, Fusion, Cross-Cultural, Blues, Rock and Classical.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Read more

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Transplants

RuzzTone Music
2009

buy

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

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