Ahead of the September release of his album “Full House - Dalton & Stone”, with jazz guitarist Mitch Dalton, Russell will lift “Full House” as the first single, which shows Dalton’s masterly dexterity on the guitar. The album is a collection of standard and original jazz, soul infused songs which pay tribute to the great Blue Note label.
The album is also in part, a homage to Wes Montgomery with some of his most famous melodies being adorned with Mitch and Russell’s lyrics in tracks such as “Up and At It” and “West Coast Blues”. These inspire the mood of the swinging sixties: smokey filled jazz venues and all that Carnaby Street, Mary Quant, short skirts and fashion exuded. The decade Kimberley Watson described as ‘in ten short years, London had transformed from the bleak, conservative city, only just beginning to forget the troubles of the second World War, into the capital of the world, full of freedom, hope and promise.’
“I echo that sentiment,” says Russell, “as we look towards our third lockdown lifting by June 21, 2021, we have hope and promise on the horizon and a new beginning.” But this is not just a rose tinted view as the album also brings us to the hard edge reality of now with the acerbic “British Values” penned by Russell and Mitch.
Russell had a peripatetic professional singing career leading to being a member of the James Last Choir and has worked in all areas of the music business such as TV, radio, touring and cabaret. He accompanied a wide variety of artistes including Marvin Gaye, Adam Ant, Tony Bennett, Twisted Sister, Sir Cliff Richard and Right Said Fred.
More recently Russell has been on a conscious spiritual journey since attending a clinic for alcoholism in 1992, and he has been sober for 29 years. He continues to study the great wisdom traditions of the East – Yoga, Buddhism and Sufism – as well as the Western tradition of Transpersonal Psychology.
He qualified as an Integrative Counsellor in 1998, as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist in 2004 and taught counselling at Diploma level from 2000 – 2005. Russell has been facilitating groups since 2000. During this time Yoga became his spiritual path and Yoga Psychology/Philosophy is the model he uses as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist, and continues to study and practice Yoga on a daily basis. In 2019 he was published in the Integral Transpersonal Journal based in Milan, which is leading up to his doing a PhD thesis.
He runs a private therapeutic practice for 1-2-1 clients, and runs two monthly, home-based groups using the ‘Yoga of Sound’ process that unites Yoga Nidra and Sounding, a way of singing without words and without preformed melodies, to help release people from suffering. He also delivers various one-off workshops in the UK and Europe, and a yearly retreat.
During lockdown in 2020 Russell released a short series of videos on Facebook using these techniques that were enthusiastically received.
Russell is co-founder of three devotional bands, ‘At-Ma,’ ‘The Gathering’ and ‘Equals.’ playing at various festivals such the Mind Body Spirit Festivals and the Yoga Show at Olympia in London.
Russell’s previous Soul and RnB album releases include a triptych of albums ‘Love Aspects’, ‘Groove Aspects’ and ‘Devotional Aspects.’
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Notes for Editors:
R&J Stone included Russell’s New Jersey born wife Joanne Stone. Both met whilst touring with James Last in 1973 and married the following year. “We Do It” was inspired by Ashford & Simpson and the demo was played to Phil Swern, the song’s subsequent producer and lead to the duo signing with RCA. The song featured one of the first music videos to be made. Sadly Joanne passed away in 1979.
Russell’s Accreditations:
- MA. Dip. Couns. Cert. Ed. IYN.
- Counsellor, Psychotherapist & Yoga Teacher
- BACP member – UKCP Registered {4156796}
- Independent Yoga Networ
About Mitch Dalton:
Mitch Dalton is one of the U.K.’s most revered studio musicians, with a list of credits to his name that reads like a directory of “Who’s Who” in The Music Business. He has performed on numerous hit singles with a variety artists ranging from Robbie Williams (“Somethin’ Stupid” & “Dream A Little Dream Of Me”) to Monty Python (“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”) and hit albums with Van Morrison, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, Celine Dion, Elvis Costello, Jose Carreras amongst many others. Hollywood soundtracks include the James Bond and Twilight movies, In Bruges, Burn After Reading, Chicago and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Mitch has also performed on hundreds of prime time TV shows and countless commercials.
In addition he continued to pursue his love of Jazz and has performed and recorded with major Jazz artists such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Melody Gardot, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Quincy Jones. Mitch also leads his own band, whose debut album “Meet Mitch Dalton & The Studio Kings” (Regius Records) has met with widespread critical acclaim.