Nick Russo

Music

Nick Russo (Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Composer) B.S., M.A. Aaron Copland School of Music. Professor Russo has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Iridium, Bluenote, Birdland, UN, IAJE; internationally in Japan, Spain, Russia, Brasil, St. Kitts, Canada & across the U.S.. Appears in the new Sam Mendes film & plays on soundtrack for King George.  Sideman w/ Jimmy McGriff, Teddy Charles, Sonny Dallas, Victor Jones, Vince Giordano & The Night Hawks, Miles Griffith, David Pleasant, & others... In addition he performs in Off Broadway shows including A Jew Grows in Brooklyn, Take Me Along (Irish Rep) and The Big Apple Circus.

Professor Russo has conducted lectures on banjo at Manhattanville College, has taught jazz performance classes at Aaron Copland School, college classes on guitar at Essex College and has been a jazz clinician at Queens College for 9 years conducting jazz workshops via the Jazz Project. Professor Russo is also on staff at Queens College, Great Neck Music Conservatory and an adjunct music professor at Essex College.

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). In addition, the new self produced album "RO" which an all original eclectic mix of straight-ahead, Indian Raga and modern jazz features Mark Turner, Miles Griffith, Ari Hoenig, Pandit Samir Chatterjee, Art Hirahara, Willard Dyson, David Pleasant & the rest of "Nick Russo +11."  Ro is getting great reviews in All About Jazz, Jazz Improv magazine, Hot House, ejazz news, Boston Gazette, Jazz Times, Vintage Guitar, Cadence, Jazz-iz & other publications as well as radio play in Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Turkey, Canada, Chicago, Japan & NY.

Professor Russo works his students to their full potential and the result has been that they come out of each course they take a much more informed and impressive musician than when they started.