14 Year Old Jazz Violin Prodigy Jonathan "Jazz" Russell Hits Town Hall Theatre On 9/20

Fresh from a performance with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Band, violinist Jonathan Jazz Russell comes to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater on Sunday, September 20.

Russell – a mere 14-years old – is the talk of the jazz world.  He bridges generational and cultural gaps with improvised jazz, performing in Europe and throughout the United States at clubs and jazz festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Bohém Ragtime & Jazz Festival in Hungary.  He’s been the featured soloist with twenty major jazz bands, and has performed with jazz greats Bucky Pizzarelli, Ed Polcer, Les Paul, and Joe Muryani.

Russell is active on the traditional jazz festival circuit and released his first self- produced CD in 2006 entitled “Sheik of Araby.” His second CD, released in 2008, is entitled “Puttin' On The Ritz.”

An engaging kid with a mop of curly hair, Russell’s mature virtuosity on the violin is only slightly short of miraculous.  The New York Times writes “When he solos, he embraces his instrument and enters a private cocoon, where he conjures sophisticated improvisations on the melodies of jazz standards.”

At THT, Russell will be backed by the Bud Leeds Ensemble, a group of local jazz professionals put together expressly for this event.

The Sunday, September 20 concert is at 2 pm.  Tickets are $15, and may be purchased on-line at www.townhalltheater.org, by phone at 802 382-9222, at the THT box office (Monday-Saturday, Noon-5) or at the door.

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