Nick Russo

Guitarist Nick Russo, winner of the 2004 International Jazz Workshop at The BANFF Centre in Canada (director, Dave Douglas) & winner of the 2001 JAS Academy in Aspen, Colorado (director, Christian McBride, mentioned in Dec. 2001 issue of Down Beat magazine), leads a life of full-time performing, including performances at:

Carnegie Hall
Lincoln Center
The United Nations
Blue Note
Birdland
55 Bar
Showman’s (Harlem)
Lenox Lounge (Harlem)
Charles Ives Center
Tilles Center
Boom
Penne e Vino
Via Delle Zoccelette
The Patchogue Theatre
Flushing Town Hall
Cleopatra’s Needle
Kavehaz
Merchants
The C-Note
The BANFF Centre in Canada
7 weeks at Huis Ten Bosch (Sasebo, Japan)
Omsk, Tomsk, Novasibersk, Akademgorodok (Academy City), and Moscow

Nick Russo is currently the guitarist and banjoist with Vince Giordano and The Night Hawks and with vocalist Miles Griffith. Nick's new CD "Ro" was just released with Mark Turner, Miles Griffith, Samir Chatterjee, Bryan Murray, Greg Glassman, Art Hirahara, Matt Clohesy, Nathan Peck, Ari Hoenig, Willard Dyson & David Pleasant.

Nick is also a sideman with organist Jimmy McGriff, vibraphonist Teddy Charles, drummer Doug Richardson, vocalists Anastasia Rene, Jennifer Jade Ladesna, Eve Cornelious, Malika Zarra, Taeko Fukao, Annette St. John, saxophonist Eric Pakula, and many others. He's also been a sideman with Jim Nolet (former violinist with the Jazz Passengers), Sonny Dallas (former bassist with Lennie Tristano & Lee Konitz), and The Frank & Joe Show (Frank Vignola and Joe Ascione).

His first CD as a leader was recorded February 2002 with legendary trumpeter Dr. Eddie Henderson, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummers Ralph Peterson and Montez Coleman. While attending the Jack McDuff raiser in 2002, Nick sat in with George Benson at Showman’s and Birdland. In 2004 Nick had a chance to perform with Bill Frisell and sit in with Dave Douglas & Mark Turner at the Banff Centre in Canada. Musicians such as Frank Wes, Ralph Peterson, Eddie Henderson, Mark Turner, Ari Hoenig, Steve Hass, John Benitez, Ed Schuller, Todd Coolman, Barry Altschul, Elliot Zigmund, Dennis Irwin, Gerald Cannon, James Cammack, John Ormond, Daryl Hall, Essiet Essiet, Alvester Garnett, Joe Ascione, Bruce Cox, Tony Moreno, Montez Coleman, Jeb Patton, Bill McCrossen, John Ray, Miles Griffith, Marion Cowlings, Antonia Bennett, Eve Cornelious, Stephanie Rice, Monica Lynk, and Sachel Vasandani have appeared in his group.

Currently subbing on a Broadway show "A Jew Grows In Brooklyn" at the Lamb's Theatre, Russo has performed on many off-Broadway shows such as Man Of La Mancha, The Lion King, Greece, Sweet Charity, The Pajama Game, The King and I, The Wiz, Annie, Foot Loose, and Mary Poppins, and he has subbed on the Big Apple Circus and Yankee Doodle Circus tours.

Nick is also the author of 2 books: "Metallica, Legendary Licks series vol. 1 & vol. 2", as well as the editor of the GRP Arpeggio book and exercise book (published by Cherry Lane/Hal Leonard). As an alumni of the Aaron Copland School of Music (Queens College), Nick Russo continues -- since 1997 -- to conduct jazz clinics and workshops in high schools as part of The Jazz Project via The Colden Center.