Lowdown: Ladies and Gentlemen - Rev. Russell K. Shores!

by Elmeaux

Russell K. Shores - Layin' Down a Divine Bass Line!

Native New Yorker Rev. Russell Kenji Shores has a varied and impressive resume. Nick-named Thor or Thunder Baby by his peers for his thunderous grooves, he began playing bass at age twelve. A few years later, armed with a degree in music, he began a professional career during which he has shared the stage with Diana Ross, Julian Lennon, Unified Tribe, The Kevin Fowler band, Lucid Dream, The Steve O'Neil band, The Major Burkes band, The ACC jazz band, The Blues Specialists, Elliott Fikes and Soul Serenade.

As musical director, Russell has played with Austin Alibi, Wesley United Methodist Church, The First Baptist Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and The Freedom Home Baptist Church Mass Choir under the leadership of Pastor O.B Howard Jr. Russell also serves on the staff as the electric and contra bass teacher at the Academy of Music in Austin Tx. Russell plays and has the endorsement of M.T.D basses and U. S. Master Guitar fretless bass as well as MTD strings and Visual Sound pedals, E.A Amps, and AccuGroove speaker cabs.

Check 'em out! http://www.mtdbass.com/ http://www.usmasters.com/epibasses.htm http://www.mtdbass.com/pages/strings.html http://www.visualsound.net/ http://www.accugroove.com/ http://www.eaamps.com/

From Russell's MySpace site: (Remember Myspace?)

"Russell K Shores learned to play the bass when a friend pointed out he was only playing the first four strings on his electric guitar. This is how natural-born bassists are discovered! Now Russell displays his considerable skills on an album of seven songs that is as refreshing and uplifting as it is dazzling. The album – ‘L.S 5’ – was written for his wife Lola, but it is more like a present for the world of music. A combination of jazz, funk, soul and blues, of new compositions and old favorites, it is as good a debut album as you are likely to hear this year.

His talent for bass has earned Russell rave reviews from people who know their apples. And all that talent is evident on this collection. From accomplished covers such as ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ and ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’ to his own slap-happy tunes, every one of the tracks is guaranteed to be loved by bass aficionados and casual listeners alike. Taking his inspiration from legends of the low tones such as Stanley Clarke, Chuck Rainey and Jaco Pastorius, and armed with a degree in music, Russell both learns from the greats and contributes something new to the pantheon. Having made music and performed since the age of 12, and having shared a stage with the likes of Diana Ross and Julian Lennon, Russell is ready to step out of the shadows and show what he is capable of." He might have picked up the bass by accident, but the same can be said of most bassists.

On second thought, I think this album is proof that maybe there was no accident after all… Check it out! http://www.myspace.com/russellkshores

Ed.

SilverFlame46

Senior Member Great BIO, Russell!!! Your album ‘L.S 5’ is now part of my music library. Thanks for sharing!!!

Kegs

Senior Member Nice, Russel, very nice. Surely it was the 'last' four strings on the electric that you were playing? Any bassist who takes inspiration from the Master, S. Clarke Esq. will always be heading North instead of South. I'll be watching out for you. Good luck to you.