Inspirational Jazz Pianist George W. Russell, Jr.’s performances range from a solo piano, to a groove- oriented jazz trio, to a soulful, fresh-sounding ensemble that arouses the listener’s intellect and touches the soul. As a composer, his music and his harmonic approach to improvisation has jazz enthusiasts everywhere tilting an ear.
“What a coup it is for the Cambridge Jazz Festival to be able to bring this local great to our audiences,” said Larry Ward, executive director of the Cambridge Jazz Festival. “George truly understands the potential jazz has to inspire people and move them. If you have’t heard his music before, you are in for a treat!”
George has shared the stage with a number of legendary jazz artists including George Duke, Bob Moses, Billy Pierce, Stan Strickland, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Semenya McCord, and Andy McGhee. His latest self-titled CD places George firmly on the radar and solidifies him as a fresh voice for Inspirational Jazz.
George performs regularly with accomplished musicians, drummer Sean Skeete and bassist Wesley Wirth. The George W. Russell, Jr. Trio has performed to sold-out shows at Sculler’s Jazz Club and the Regatta Bar in Boston and Cambridge, MA. He and his music have also been honored and showcased at Jordan Hall’s Gospel Jubilee and he has taken part in the John Coltrane Memorial Concert at Northeastern University, MA. In addition, George has performed at the Cape Cod Jazz Festival and he has been featured on Sunday with Liz (Walker), a morning show on CBS.
Among his many accomplishments, George competed as a finalist in the Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition in Paris, France. He received the 2001 Gospel Music Award, given by the New England Conservatory of Music, for his contribution to gospel music in the New England area. George served as Minister of Music/Chief Musician for Jubilee (formerly New Covenant) Christian Church in Boston for 15 years.
George Russell, Jr. resides in Boston, MA, with his wife and four children, where he is highly esteemed and sought after as a gospel and jazz pianist. An educator with ties deeply rooted in his community, he is Professor of Harmony at Berklee College of Music, where he recently received the Distinguished Faculty Award (2012), as well as a Berklee Curriculum Award (2010), and the Ted Pease Award for Excellence in Teaching (2009). He is the former Chairman of the Jazz Department at the New England Conservatory’s Music Extension Division.
For more information please visit George W. Russell’s website.
