BIO

David Russell lives in the NC/VA Blueridge and in Florida when he's not on the road playing. He performs a variety of acoustic music works and styles- from bluegrass to country, country blues, jazz, traditional and contemporary folk music to his own compositions, his writer-partners and friends. A superior vocalist, he's also a multi-instrumentalist: guitar, mandolin/mandocello, dobro and banjo. Guitar styles include fingerstyle, flatpicking, cross-tuning Celtic, folk, fingerstyle/ Delta blues, and slide/slack key. Averaging 150 plus shows a year, performing at entertainment, festival & educational/historical venues (schools, theaters), David also writes jingles and film scores, and does recording session work on contract.   David has appeared or toured with: Doc & Merle Watson, Norman & Nancy Blake, Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass (w/ Marty Stuart), Earl Scruggs, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen, John Hartford , Vassar Clements, Tut Taylor, Steve Martin, John Hammond, Gamble Rogers, Jimmy Buffett, Steve Goodman, Stephen Wade, Mickey Clark, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Jack Williams and Will McLean (the Poet Laureate of Florida) and a host of other fine musicians.

Reviewers from industry and media describe his stage performance skills and playing:

       "....
a mastery of several approaches to folk music, roots music, bluegrass,countrylues, blues
                                                                           and jazz...."   jax.com

"With a wide-ranging (3 octave) clear voice, he performs his songs and those of his fellow writers with an energy and sensitivity that captivates… a broad brush of styles from bluegrass and traditional music, Delta blues and Travis-picked
country to contemporary acoustic..."      Chicago Sun-Times


"...a tasteful troubadour....outstanding and refreshing....connects with an audience from the start
and stage presence of a natural....".     ABC-TV   New York,NY

David began formal musical training at age 6 in classical guitar with a Segovia School master. As a child he listened to his grandfather play stage tunes from the 1890’s and his father singing Acadian/French and Depression/Vaudeville era ditties. Much to the "horror" of his Segovia teacher (after hearing Merle Travis and Chet Atkins on his mom's phonograph), David turned to steel string & guitar lessons in country/blues/jazz. Thus began a lifelong love of traditional bluegrass, country blues & mountain string music, songwriting and live performance. An avid history buff (US and World history) he has explored US traditional music from the Colonial days through today-- history through the songtrack of our Country is a serious interest of his.

Trekking to Nashville he made a musical discovery, a profound turning point for him-  a small show of Norman Blake, Tut Taylor and John Hartford (the soon-to-be Dobrolic Plectral Society & future Aereoplain Band) at the Old Time Picking Parlor run by Tut and Ginger & Grant Boatright. The melding of classical training, family heritage and memory, and immersion in traditional styles forms the basis for David's unique powerful performances, writing and playing.  Not to be missed, in other words.
 

David is involved in recording a new release CD of his compositions and a support tour for the release in the Fall of 2019 into 2020. Along with completing this project, he's touring throughout the remainder of 2019, in between session work. His long time fans are anxious to hear the work that has been a work in progress over the last year.

The release of David's new CD will create a demand of interest, from his many long time fans. Please, SIGN UP for the mailing list to stay in contact with David with the release date and tour updates and news. Check out the Music tracks here and the live videos here. New sample tracks will be added to the site and links put out to the mailing list.  For Booking and information, contact on this site, facebook or twitter links.  All y'all, thank you for your patience with David's many hats of responsibility, and self-financing of his musical compositions. It's been a long pathway of great fun, shows, and music. 

Thank You! 



 

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