Artist:Russell Malone
Song:Unchained Melody
Album:Triple Play
Russell Malone is one of today's most versatile jazz guitarists. He can play anything with anybody. He has recorded as a leader since 1992. He was born Nov. 8, 1963 in Albany, GA. His mother bought him a toy guitar when he was four. Malone was influenced by the Dixie Hummingbirds and BB King. He got serious after he saw George Benson on TV. He studied the technique of Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery. Malone is self taught. In 1988 he joined Jimmy Smith's band for two years. Then he was in Harry Connick Jr.'s band. He joined Diana Krall's band in 1995 and recorded and toured with her until 2007. Malone has toured with Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove and Ron Carter. And he has been a sideman on plenty of albums. Malone first recorded as a leader in 1992. He has recorded for Columbia, Impulse, Verve and Telarc. Unchained Melody is from the 2010 album Triple Play on MaxJazz. It's a trio with David Wong on bass and Montez Coleman on drums. Of course the best known version of Unchained Melody was by The Righteous Brothers in 1965. It was written for the 1955 prison film Unchained by composer Alex North (A Streetcar Named Desire) and Tin Pan Alley lyricist Hy Zaret. Unchained was Warner Bros. attempt to turn football star Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch into a movie star. Though the film was soon forgotten, Unchained Melody was nominated for an Oscar and recorded by Al Hibbler, Roy Hamilton and Les Baxter. Opera singer Todd Duncan performed it in the film. Unchained Melody underwent a revival when The Righteous Brothers version was used in the 1990 film Ghost. The song is not a jazz standard but George Benson recorded it in 1979. My guess is Malone is familiar with that recording. Malone currently records for HighNote. His latest album Time for the Dancers was released in 2017. Here's Russell Malone performing Unchained Melody on a Dianne Reeves concert filmed for French TV in 2010.
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