Much
to the excitement of bass players around the world, bass guitar
virtuoso Brad Russell has released his debut solo album 'Let's Hear
It!' on Steve Vai's Digital Nations label. Featuring guitar legend
Joe Satriani, 'Let's Hear It!' explores musical frontiers where no
bassist has gone before! Brad is a true bass hero and his debut CD is
a solid sampling of creative cutting edge “lead” rock bass
playing. Russell taps, slaps and shreds his four-string bass,
sounding more like a six string guitar – fans of Billy Sheehan will
not be disappointed. Brad's solos bring to mind Vai and Jeff Beck
more than they do other bass players. Along with guitar great Joe
Satriani, who joins Russell for a heavy shred fest, drummer Gregg
Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, Santana, Ringo Starr's All
Star Band) provides rhythmic genius on all tracks.
“Amazing
playing, cool songs!” - Steve Vai
Born
in Detroit, Brad Russell (aka Russo) was raised in a musically
diverse household. He recalls, “My brothers listening to everything
from James Brown to Aerosmith and my mom spinning Bill Evans or Stan
Getz records.” After studying acoustic bass in high school, Brad
attended the University of Miami's school of music and received a
master's degree. He later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and
worked for Shrapnel/Blues Bureau records producer Mike Varney. Brad
has performed/recorded with a variety of artists such as: Mariah
Carey, Clarence Clemmons, Greg Allman, Joe Walsh, Neil Young, Rick
Derringer, Jack DeJohnette, Neal Schon, Joe Satriani, Lonnie Smith,
Billy Preston and many others. Currently living in NYC, Brad has also
performed for the Broadway musicals 'Jersey Boys' and 'Grease'. “I
became involved with Digital Nations through my association with Joe
Satriani,” Brad explains. “Since Joe played on my CD, I asked him
if he could give a copy to Steve Vai and he did! Steve really liked
it and signed me to Digital Nations.”
“Brad
Russell is an amazing bass player and totally outrageous musician!”
- Joe Satriani
Throughout his debut release Brad continues to push the boundaries of the
bass guitar. “I believe I'm pushing
the edge of instrumental rock bass playing,” says Brad. “There
are many great bass players out there today in jazz and fusion...but
not too many bass players are taking the spotlight in a predoninantly
guitar-based musical genre like rock. I'm also truly playing the
electric bass like a bass 'guitar'. I'm using the tremolo bar on my
bass and effect pedals like distortion and wah wah . In addition, I'm
playing most of the parts a guitarist would play (chords, fast
picking, tapping, etc), but on bass.”
“Brad
is an amazing player with tons of creativity and really musical
chops!” - Gregg Bissonette
In
closing Brad has this to impart: “I'm trying to express the wide
range of the bass guitar through my music. As well as playing the
bass in a more traditional way, I'm trying to show the wide range of
'lead' sounds you can get out of the instrument and the different
roles the bass can play throughout a song. I'm also trying to express
that people can dig my music for its grooves and melodies and overall
'feel'... In other words, it doesn't matter if it's a bass player
playing the leads or a guitar player, if it feels good and it ROCKS,
that's all that really matters!”
“Brad
Russell is one of the sickest bassests out there! He goes from 'Duck'
Dunn to Stanley Clarke to over the top Steve Vai distortion fueled
whammy bar riffs all within a few measures!” - Kinley Wolfe (bass
player with the Cult, Lord Tracy, Shawn Lane)
Trouser Press 
