Jim Russ

Jim Russ, a solo singer/songwriter, was born and raised in Chicago. He began harmonizing to songs on the radio when he was about eight years old. He started playing piano at age ten and guitar at twelve. As a young teen he started writing his own music and songs. After purchasing his first reel to reel tape recorder, which had a sound on sound feature, he found his passion was singing his songs with multiple tracks of harmony. Performing at the beach and at parties was a way to get feedback. At age twenty five, Jim moved to Florida and played his tunes to the bar and lounge scene until moving back home to the windy city some years later. He continues to write and play his music and to date has recorded nearly five hundred songs. He describes his inspiration as two parts life and one part imagination. Writing from the heart, his listeners not only hear his songs but feel them as well. His style might be described as Tayloresque with a shadow of Croce, shades of Chapin and a glimmer of Cat Stevens. His genre in large part is easy listening, folk, jazz and a little pop mixed in. He has said that if his song can move just one person it was worth writing. Jim plays a 12 string guitar, keyboards and sings all vocals.

I play at open mic's now and then. It feels good to write a song and play it that night and feel the reactions.

Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Billy Joel, Moody Blues and others.

Instruments: Ovation 12-string and Yamaha keyboard.