Russell Malone, a jazz guitarist whose encyclopedic knowledge of musicians and songs, combined with a precise yet relaxed playing style, earned him jobs with Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and many others, as well as a dedicated following as a solo artist, died on Friday in Tokyo. He was 60.
His death, from a heart attack, was announced on social media by the bassist Ron Carter, in whose trio Mr. Malone had worked for many years. The trio, with Donald Vega on piano, was touring Japan and had just finished a performance at the Blue Note Tokyo when Mr. Malone died.
Mr. Carter said that he and Mr. Vega would continue the tour as a duo.
Mr. Malone was highly regarded for his versatility: He was able to support a variety of singers and instrumentalists in a range of styles, but he also had his own well-defined sound as a bandleader and soloist.
He was open about his influences — among them B.B. King, Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino — and he was never shy about pointing out how much he had learned from them, and how much of their sound showed up in his playing.
“When I hear a player play, if I don’t hear a smidgen of influences, I get suspicious,” he said in a 2023 interview with the online magazine Jazz Guitar Today.
He managed to carry the weight of those influences without sounding derivative. He was known for a distinctive style that was precise and spare but at the same time warm and luscious.
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Source: Music - nytimes.com
