A Man of many talents
Tom Russell grew up on the family ranch near Santa Monica, California. Strumming a spanish guitar he learned the songs of folk artists, Kingston Trio and Ian and Sylvia Tyson. Having a degree in criminology he left college for a teaching post in Nigeria. In 1971, whilst back in the USA, he formed a band and moved to Canada, playing in a seedy area of Vancouver.
Later Tom lived in Austin, Texas, which at one stage was the heart of Country music. Country singer, Jerry Jeff Walker, who is probably responsible for reconstructing cowboy music, recorded ‘Navajo Rug’. Tom says “I co-wrote the song with the great Ian Tyson and it was a big hit.” Many artists have recorded Tom Russell’s songs including the late Johnny Cash. It was 1992 when Tom fi nally released an album in the UK and Ireland. ‘Beyond St.Olav’s Gate, 1979- 1992’, it featured songs from his fi ve previous albums.
Describing his everyday life, Tom says:
“My wife is Swiss and we divide our time between El Paso-Juarez on the Mexican border and Switzerland but wherever we are my day has to have a routine. The fi rst thing I do is to devote time writing and singing for about an hour. I have to either play the piano or pick up a guitar. I have also been working on a novel and I paint and have a book of my paintings coming out called ‘Blue Horses, Red Desert’. We do a lot of walking, we don’t own a television so that leaves a pretty full day.”
“In the material I write I like to bring my thoughts and experiences in life.
For Mesabi, Russell invited along several prominent friends to assist him in bringing to fruition his newest compositions, among them Lucinda Williams, Van Dyke Parks, Sir Douglas Quintet keyboardist Augie Meyers and Calexico. The result is a collection that may be Russell’s most cinematic and global to date, a work that instantly grips the listener and holds on as its vivid scenarios unfold from tune to tune. The consummate renegade, Tom Russell makes the music he wants to make, without intervention, and he does so without a care for trends and expectations.
For years I was known as the storyteller. Americans, especially, want to put you in a bag, Is he country, cowboy, or folk? They like to use the word Americana now which has kind of been beaten to death. I really think it’s about good songs. Good writing, whether they are love songs or story songs. I like the smaller venues. You cannot play a major city every day and I like to play every day. Some of the smaller venues are really good. I like to see the people in front of me.”
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