# Woody Russell blurs the lines between Jazz, R&B and Folk: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/09/30/woody-russell-blurs-the-lines-between-jazz-rb-and-folk-video/
- Published: 2018-09-30T00:03:30+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**30.09. – Happy Birthday !!! Critically acclaimed, award winning, Contemporary 
Jazz vocalist, guitarist and composer, Woody Russell, blurs the lines between Jazz,
R&B and Folk. It’s a sophisticated musical niche that a handful of artists have 
occupied where Jazz and Singer-Songwriter crossover (think Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison,
Gregory Porter, Lizz Wright, Al Jarreau, etc.). One could certainly reference the
origins of the classic American Songbook for such composers, but Russell’s take 
is decidedly more contemporary.**

Growing up in a small college town in Montana, Woody Russell was surrounded by the
natural beauty of Big Sky country. What he was not surrounded by was a culture of
the arts, of jazz, and certainly not a live music scene of any sort. Nonetheless,
music was a deeply fundamental part of his childhood experience by way of a modest
but diverse collection of albums, FM radio and a family’s appreciation for music.

“I was, I still am, fascinated by music and musicians,” states Woody. “It was present
in every corner of my life, both the internal, as well as, the beautiful outdoor
world that I grew up exploring.  It held such a grip on my imagination. If I wasn’t
actively listening to something, I was singing, finding my way around the guitar
or creating recordings on my desktop cassette recorder.  I cherished that little
machine.”

Decades later, Russell has released a body of recorded work that spans from the 
early acoustic Folk infused songwriter fare of his first album, …As Simple As That(
1996) to the highly praised Blues/Soul release of Up Against It (2010) and the stunning
instrumental/orchestral collection, Big Sky (2012). The following year he offered
the Pop-Jazz shades of Delicious Days (2013). Russell’s most recent full length 
album, Carry It Up (2016), further explores his amalgam of Jazz-meets-R&B and Soul,
offering an uplifting, thought provoking listen replete with intimate narratives.
It’s occasionally romantic, often reflective, even sentimental, but balanced by 
his examination of a broader social consciousness on several tracks. The album focuses
on themes of love, compassion, tolerance, respect and the quest for all of the aforementioned.
An acoustic cover – Russell’s first – of Marvin Gaye’s chestnut, “What’s Going On”,
features the tenor sax of Chi-town transplant, Dez Desormeaux, and is right at home
amid the rest of this original work. The end result with Carry It Up is a lush recording
that is positively brimming with superb song-craft created by a master tunesmith
leading a world class band. Excellent soloists and ensemble interplay are on display
throughout. But, what elevates the game, yet again, is Russell’s very fine delivery
as a vocalist: equal parts crooner and soul-shouter. There can be no doubt that 
he possesses a mastery of his vocal instrument which conveys an emotional sincerity
with each phrase, each lyrical turn. He navigates the sound of his words with a 
rhythmic precision and melodic expression akin to jazz improvisation. Comparisons
to Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling and flourishes of Van Morrison abound. Then there’s his
guitar playing, which Blues Revue likened to “the fearlessness of Jeff Beck”.

Woody Russell is the recipient of the 2013 Bugle Boy Foundation’s Talent Trust Award
following Grammy nominee John Fullbright (2012). He is an officially recognized 
artist of the Texas Commission on the Arts Texas Touring Roster. Texas Touring Roster
artists have been “deemed the best in their field by a panel of statewide experts.”
Woody takes to the road throughout Texas frequently, as well as select dates in 
the U.S. and Canada. His live performances, whether solo, with his touring Trio (
WR3) or with his full quintet/sextet, have been described as “transcendent” by KDRP
radio personality, David Arnberger; engaging audiences through a sincere and “in
the moment” connection to his music. Russell was a prominently featured artist on
Season One of the CW Network’s, “Troubadour, TX”; airing weekly in over 20 million
households nationwide from Sept. 2011 through Sept. 2012. He also toured as one 
of four artists in support of the program.

Growing up near a small Montana college town, Woody lays claim to a “magical childhood”
in which a rural setting provided inspiration that still resonates with him today.“
I grew up in a beautiful, peaceful place that was a blessing to have experienced
as a child and that I have a lot of fond memories of. We lived on a dirt road. The
smell of fresh cut alfalfa hung in the air. We watched the sun set from the front
porch. I wondered at an infinitely starlit night sky, dreaming, pondering the bigger
questions. I’d pedal my bike up and down that road, fish and float the creek behind
my house in the summer time. We hiked the mountains. I learned to ski in some of
the best snow conditions in the world. My childhood held a deep connection to the
outdoors. I was, essentially, a north-country kid. And when the guitar came along–
a gift my sister didn’t take to – I found it so fascinating. Exploring the instrument
brought me closer to my inner world. Music was just always there, every bit as much
as the nature of Montana, of Big Sky Country.”

But, there was a darker side, as well: parents that split up when he was ten years
old and eventually his own struggles with substance abuse as a teenager. “I had 
some crazy years, took a lot of risks.”  Russell credits his mother for instilling
some resolve that helped him make a much needed change. “She taught me, through 
her own actions, about compassion, kindness and self reliance. She allowed my creativity
to guide me. I think she cultivated a quiet perseverance in us. I knew, even as 
a child, that she was just managing to hold it together by working hard, believing
and hoping that my sister and I would grow in to the lives we wanted to lead.” Woody
adds that his mother gave him the courage to move out of the house in his late teens
and eventually leave Montana behind by the time he was just barely twenty. “I followed
the music to Seattle when the opportunity came. That departure put an end to a lot
of the trouble I was headed for, undoubtedly. My mother probably new that; as mother’s
do have a sixth sense about their children’s well-being. My love for the music, 
a good bit a naivety and sheer willpower made for a new beginning. It still feels
like a new beginning today. That’s the beauty of living a creative life. There’s
a ever-present sense of uncertainty, but also an unmistakable newness to it.”

From a new home base in a city that offered much more culture and opportunity, a
young Woody Russell began to connect with a larger community of musicians. He was,
as he is now, always pursuing his own brand of music. “Being in Seattle was a first
a bit scary for a country kid. But, it put me in touch with a music scene that forced
me to find my way and hone my chops. I was never really interested in learning a
lot of songs that were often seen as important to know by some of the older cats
who were on the scene. So I made it harder on myself by avoiding those lessons. 
At that time, for me, it was a lot of blues-rock and some folky songwriters that
I was in to, but my love for jazz was ever present. It was evolving from early on;
I just didn’t know how to connect the dots yet. I was lucky to know some great musicians
who instilled some important lessons in me. Eventually though, I had to make my 
own way toward understanding how all of these seemingly different styles would inform
my own music.”

Fast forward to an eventual move to Austin with his, then, new wife, Jeanne. “Austin
is a major music scene, with it’s own ups and downs, it’s own cliche’s, but a potent
community of genuinely gifted musicians.” Woody Russell is now several albums and,
in his own words, “light years” beyond the music of his earliest efforts. “I’m a
late bloomer, I suspect, and perhaps I’ve always been an old soul.  I’ve had to 
carve out my own niche because I simply didn’t come to music through school or a
more formal musical upbringing. It was purely a matter of heart and soul and raw
discovery. Music was a language that spoke deeply to me as a kid and eventually 
became a passionate outlet, an identity and almost a forgone conclusion that I’d
spend my life dedicated to this art-form.”

![Картинки по запросу Woody Russell](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.
com/vi/KdYlgBcP2FA/maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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