After a long bout of chronic kidney disease, Eddie Russ passed away in November 1996 at the age of 62. Eddie’s death has left a gap in the national and international jazz scene. He is also greatly missed in Flint, where he was a regular performer at local venues and the Flint Jazz Festival. Russ made his last appearance at the Flint Jazz Festival in 1995. This year’s Flint Jazz Festival will be dedicated to Eddie Russ. It is a tribute and acknowledgement of his contributions to Flint jazz and a reflection of the high respect he received in Flint as both a performer, and as a person. Eddie Russ was an impressive jazz keyboardist-composer-arranger who worked with numerous legends through several decades, including Sonny Stitt, Sarah Vaughn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Roland Kirk, Hank Mobley, Cal Tjader, and Clark Terry, among many others. Russ made his mark in the 1970s, with his pioneering excursions into jazz-funk which mirrored James Brown’s explorations into dance and hip-hop. His commercial success in England in the 1970s eclipsed his American fame, but Russ’s dedication to Michigan jazz is what he treasured most. Russ was awarded the Michigan Council for Arts (1986) and “Best Keyboardist” by Arts Midwest (86). His trio also made an appearance in “American Beauty, Ltd.”, which won the 1990 Berlin Film Festival. Russ was born in Pittsburgh, PA and began piano lessons at the age of 11. He made his professional debut at the age of 14. As a teenager, Russ was a regular at every jazz club with any musician who passed through the town. The Musicians Club was a popular hangout. He credits this club with helping him learn jazz from famous musicians. Russ graduated from Penn High School in 1952 and spent eight years studying music at Pittsburgh Musical Institute. Russ was 21 when he formed J-Nut. The band featured Russ’s keyboard, Bobby Boswell as bassist, and Chuck Spadafore as drummer. He moved to New York in 1960 and recorded many sessions with different artists for five years. He soon moved to Albion in Michigan and began to mix with musicians from Ann Arbor and Detroit. He also established other musical associations throughout Michigan. Three years later, his career took a significant turn when he spent three years at Traverse City’s Park Place Hotel playing bassist Mike Grace with drummer David Koether. Russ developed his creativity and amassed a large collection of original compositions. After the Park Place gig was over, Russ returned to Albion to form Mixed Bag with Ron Brooks (bassist), Larry Nozero (saxophonist), Jerry Glassell (guitarist), and Danny Spencer (drummer). Russ’s Mixed Bag playing time provided opportunities to record five albums, including “Portrait of a Legend”, “Portrait of a Legend”, and “See The Light”, as well as three solo albums for Monument (“Take A look at Yourself”, “See The Light”) The hit single “The Lope Song” from his 1974 album “Fresh Out”, released by Soul Jazz Records, was a major success in Europe. Russ met Martin Bialias in Grand Rapids while he was playing at a club. This led to a variety of bookings overseas. Russ traveled five weeks to Germany, Austria, Switzerland that year. The rave reviews helped open the door to return visits in 1979-1980. He made three trips to Jamaica every year, beginning in 1980. The trip was with a Michigan Technological University jazz band, where he served as both a bandleader and a mentor. Russ’s music was already gaining West Coast momentum and receiving regular airplay on Los Angeles radio stations. Russ spent a lot of time jamming in Michigan clubs during the mid-80s, when he wasn’t teaching at Aquinas College. There he met Paul Keller, a highly prized student and bassist. This inspired Russ to move to Ann Arbor to be closer to his musical jazz friends. 1986 was also the year Russ became a part of the founding of the Bird of Paradise jazz club. Morris Lawrence, a Washtenaw Community College music instructor, was another jazz educator looking to hire his skills. Soul Jazz Records sponsored Russ’ 1992 return to Europe for a tour through England and Holland. Russ has enjoyed unmatched international fame since the 1980s, compared to lesser-respected stateside media. Groove-laden records like “Fresh Out”, and the No. Russ was firmly a star of international fame with his 1981 LP, “See The Light”. For three CDs, Russ teamed up with Shawn “Thunder”, a young saxophonist sensation, for “A Whole Lotta Thunder” on MIJAWA Records. He was also featured on the “BET Jazz Central”, cable specials featuring Wallace and Detroit jazz singer Naima Shabbourguer. Russ’s final solo recordings were at Blue Lake Fine Arts Academy for “Live at Blue Lake Vol. 1 and 2. 2.” 2 Denis Naranjo Orange Tree Media July 1997 from http://www.mitchcon.net
