Brad Russell

Fans of Billy Sheehan will not be disapointed in Brad Russell’s debut cd “Let’s Hear It!” on Steve Vai's"Digital Nations" label, Russell taps, slaps and shreds his four string bass sounding more like a six string guitar! .On “Zattack” guitar great Joe Satriani joins Russell for a heavy shred fest; and drummer Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth,Satriani,Santana) provides rhythmic genius on all tracks. Brad Russell is a true bass hero and this is a solid sampling of creative cutting edge “lead” rock bass playing. 

Born in Detroit to a multi-talented family, Brad Russell (aka Russo) was raised in an musically diverse household. He recalls," my brother Brian listening to James Brown and the Temptations, my brother Kevin jamming to Grand Funk Railroad or Aerosmith and my mother spinning her favorite Bill Evans record. And this was all before dinner!" 

At the age of seven, Brad joined his two older brothers, a duo featuring Brian on drums and Kevin on guitar.The Brothers Russell played the Detroit club circuit featuring "little  Brad" on vocals." By day I was a regular seven year old kid who went to school and played with the other kids, but at night I was like the motor city version of Donny Osmond!" 

Five years later,  Brad gave up the microphone for the acoustic bass and began playing with the school orchestra. Private studies with Detroit Symphony bassist Maxim Janowsky and virtuoso Gary Karr followed. In high school,  Brad won numerous solo bass competitions and scholarships to the Interlochen music academy in northern Michigan. Also, upon recommendation from "American Idol's" Randy Jackson he received a scholarship to the highly acclaimed University of Miami.While living in Miami,  Brad 'cut his teeth" on everything from symphonic music to rock cover band gigs. 

my brother Brian listening to James Brown and the Temptations, my brother Kevin jamming to Grand Funk Railroad or Aerosmith and my mother spinning her favorite Bill Evans record. And this was all before dinner!" 

After being featured in Guitar Player magazine's "Spotlight" column, Brad moved to the San Francisco area and began playing with his brother Kevin and Journey guitarist Neal Schon. Word spread quickly and within a short time he was recording for producers Mike Varney (Shrapnel & Blues Bureau Records) and Narada Michael Walden (Columbia & Arista Records).Tours with Bruce Springsteen saxman Clarence Clemons and auditions for rock frontmen David Lee Roth and Ozzy Osbourne followed. 

Through out the 90's, Brad served as a session bassist/sideman for Pat Travers,Ric Derringer, Greg Allman and Jeff Watson.He also focused on the Russell Brothers Band(a blues rock power trio which often featured drummers Steve Smith and Narada Michael Walden).Brothers Kevin and  Brad relentlessly played the San Francisco club scene, opening for the likes of Huey Lewis, Steve Morse and blues legend John Lee Hooker. 

In the late 90's,  Brad's love for education led him back to school earning a B.A and a Masters in Music. While in residence at the University of Miami, he recorded and/or performed with the University of Miami's Concert Jazz Band, Jack DeJohnette and organist Lonnie Smith. 

Upon graduation,  Brad briefly moved back to California and began working for various musical theater productions. After playing for the west coast production of the broadway musical" Caroline or Change", he decided to relocate to NYC and currently freelances on such Broadway hit shows as Grease,Jersey Boys & Memphis.In 2008  Brad auditioned and was hired for guitarist Joe Satriani's world tour. Recently, Brad completed his CD "Lets Hear It!" which features guest appearances by Joe Satriani,Gregg Bissonette and Kevin Russell. Upon Satriani’s recommendation, Steve Vai listened to Brad's CD and  released it on his label "Digital Nations". Brad is currently on tour with guitarist Gary Hoey.

Tom was born into a family of musicians in 1980 in the city of Bristol, UK. His parents are both folk and blues musicians and it would be Tom's Dad who would inspire him to pick up the guitar at the age of 15. His Dad is a gifted finger-style guitarist and after many hours sitting in folk clubs listening to his parents play, Tom decided upon guitar as his instrument of choice. He was immediately hooked and developed an obsession for practice, learning everything and anything he could get his hands on. Guitar magazines formed a huge part of Tom's growth in the early years allowing him to learn solos and concepts by such greats as Brett Garsed, Greg Howe, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan and Shaun Baxter. After 3 years of self-tuition, Tom took lessons from a great teacher inspiring him to look into fusion and jazz and tune the guitar in all 4ths (E A D G C F tuning), allowing for greater freedom and symmetry on the fretboard. This was a revelation and Tom set about doing a BA(Hons) in Jazz Studies at Leeds College of Music for 3 years. In this time he spent many hours learning the fretboard and studying jazz harmony whilst finding a new obsession for playing over changes and jazz. Soon after graduating Tom gigged and taught as a modern jazz guitarist but never felt satisfied or happy with his playing. A student from Chicago played some Greg Howe tracks to him in a lesson and the fusion spark was reignited. It was now that Tom started to work on his technique again developing his unique trademark legato and hybrid picking style in conjunction with the changes and groove based playing he'd developed in the preceding years. After many years of gigging, in 2008 Tom's career and recognition really started to flourish,  gaining a place in the international Guitar Idol 2008 live final, held at the London Guitar Show on the Main Stage of the Excel Centre. Since then Tom's career has gone from strength to strength with a large fan base and endorsements and signature guitars/pedals from Wampler Pedals, Fibenare Guitars, Suhr Guitars and Port City Amps amongst others. Appearances at the Frankfurt Musikmesse and NAMM show in LA followed with Tom demoing products for Fibenare guitars, Suhr Guitars and Toadworks pedals. Tom’s session career also took off at this time, playing on fusion albums by greats such as Adam Nitti and Antoine Farfard amongst others.Tom is also a very well respected educator and journalist, running his own highly successful teaching website where he has sold highly successful video lessons to literally thousands of guitar players from all over the world and conducted many masterclasses and clinics in the USA and throughout Europe. Tom’s debut, best selling tuition DVD ‘From Rock to Fusion’ was released in 2012 via Lick Library where Tom has a large catalogue of online lessons and writes and reviews for the international digital publication ‘Guitar Interactive Magazine’. Tom regularly conducts international master classes and is recognized as a leading force in the new breed of fusion guitar players.