Years active 1970-present | Name Robin Russell | |
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Associated acts New Birth, Nite-Liters, Little Richard, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Sylvester, Buddy Miles, Richard Berry, Danny Flores Website www.home.earthlink.net/~rrussell007/ Albums Birth Day, Drum Beats, It's Been a Long Time, Instrumental Directions, A-Nal-Y-Sis Similar People Harvey Fuqua, Leslie Wilson, Stuart Gillard, Roger Christian, Forrest Smith |
The Cheron Moore Show, Robin Russell
Robin Russell is an American drummer, songwriter, and recording artist from Los Angeles, California.
Contents
- The Cheron Moore Show Robin Russell
- Crazy Tomes with Willie Chambers Robin Russell Drums March 2018
- Career
- Television and film appearances
- Movie Scores and Television Commercials
- Drumming in the great outdoors
- Early life
- Discography
- Songs
- References
Crazy Tomes with Willie Chambers. Robin Russell. Drums. March 2018.
Career
As of September 1972, Russell is the original drummer with the rhythm and blues ensemble New Birth and their instrumental counterpart, the Nite-Liters. Russell has performed with Little Richard including the performance at "The London Rock and Roll Show", Wembley Stadium, London, England, August 5, 1972. Russell also performed with Johnny "Guitar" Watson, disco era giant Sylvester, and has performed with a variety of artists in the Los Angeles area including Richard Berry (composer of "Louie Louie"), Danny Flores (composer of "Tequila"), and Rosa Lee Brooks, who recorded "My Diary" with Jimi Hendrix. Since the onset of digital recording technology in the 1980s, Russell's drums have been sampled by a number of Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B artists including Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., Fat Joe, De La Soul, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest, and more. In 2001 Russell contributed liner note comments for legendary jazz/fusion drummer Billy Cobham's Rudiments-Anthology CD, and Russell was a featured artist in the June 2010 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. Most recently Russell's drumming was featured in an article written by Mary MacVean and published on the front page section of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, dated Friday, November 6, 2015. This article is also posted on latimes.com. Over the years Russell has periodically joined New Birth for reunion shows.
Television and film appearances
During the early and mid 1970's Russell (with New Birth and the Nite-Liters) appeared on numerous syndicated television shows including American Bandstand, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Soul Train, The Merv Griffin Show, Soul, and in 1975 Russell made a cameo appearance as a guest percussionist with Buddy Miles & the Earth Rockers in an episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. Russell's performance with Little Richard at Wembley Stadium was filmed, aired on television, included as part of a DVD released in 1973 as "The London Rock and Roll Show", and released in 2001 as a CD of the same title.
Movie Scores and Television Commercials
Russell's drumming can also be heard as a portion of the sound track for the 1973 action movie Gordon's War, starring Paul Winfield, where New Birth performed the song "Come On and Dream Some Paradise," and around 2006-07 a Jeep Compass commercial was aired on television using an altered sample of New Birth's "Got to Get a Knutt", of which Russell is a co-writer.
Drumming in the great outdoors
With a deep appreciation for the forests and other scenic wonders of mother nature, Russell has developed a passion for drumming in the great outdoors, and will frequently set up in the mountains of Los Angeles's Griffith Park, where he is known to hold sunrise-to-sunset solo drum sessions. Russell has also been a solo performer (aka "Drum Beats") at the Los Angeles Marathon since 2004, and at the Orange County Marathon since 2013, typically drumming non-stop for hours as a source of inspiration and energy for race participants.
Early life
Robin Russell was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the city's South Los Angeles area where he attended 59th Street Elementary School, Horace Mann Jr. High School, Washington Preparatory High School (freshman year), graduated from Crenshaw High School, and attended Los Angeles City College where he continued studies in drums and music.
Discography
Songs
Wild Flower
Dream Merchant
It's Been a Long Time
I Can Understand It
Afro-Strut
Drumology
Theme From "Buck and the Preacher"
Keep on Doin' It
Love Is Stronger Far Than We
Afternoon Sunrays
Upon Sunrise
Fallen Branches
The Griffith Park Stomp
Scrub Jay's Exit
The Morning Groove
Hawk's Descent
Scrub Jay's In Heat
Griffzzzzz
Woodpecker's Confession
Just Kick'n It
Scrub Jay's Interlude
Dancing Winds
Flight of the Wasp
Got to Get a Knutt
You Are What I'm All About
Anything Goes
Serenade for a Jive Turkey
Valdez in the Country
Until It's Time for You to Go
Respect to the Other Man
Bakers Instant
I'd Spend My Whole Life Loving You