Russell Jackson Band

Russell Bernard Jackson is an American upright and electric bass player born in 1954 in Memphis, Tennessee. He went to Chicago as a young man to pursue a career as a bass player, where he developed his craft in the highly competitive blues scene and was hired by vocalist Otis Clay. He was spotted by B.B. King while playing in a local club and was invited to join the B.B. King Orchestra as the full-time bass player, leading to a fruitful seven-year relationship and the opportunity to travel around the world. After his time with B.B. King, Russell went to Los Angeles to study at the prestigious Dick Grove School of Music. In the 80's, Russell relocated to Austin, Texas, where he worked as a recording session player and band member behind Katie Webster, Lucky Peterson, Kenny Neal, Matt Guitar Murphy and Luther Tucker. The Silent Partners were first formed during this time, with Russell on bass, guitarist Mel Brown (Bobby Blue Bland Band), and drummer Tony Coleman (B.B. King Band), recording an album If It's All Night, It's All Right (1989) on the Antone's record label. Russell moved to Vancouver, B.C. in 1990 and put together a well-groomed band made up of young artists that started traveling across Western Canada. The Russell Jackson Band was formed in 1992. He was the first to employ the slap bass in a blues context, earning the moniker the Groovemaster. Russell's solo releases include The Alley Man (1994), Becoming Blue (1999) and Have Mercy (2007). Based in Canada since 1990, Jackson has become a respected figure in the Western Canadian blues scene.

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