Tonight we celebrate the release of Mark Russo's CD, New Affirmation!

Mark A. Russo is a freelance jazz trumpet player and music educator in the greater Cleveland area. He currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance in Jazz Studies from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (Magna cum laude) from Kent State University. He is currently the director of bands at Constellation Schools: Puritas & Westpark Community Middle Schools and the former Director of the Garfield Heights High School “Music Express” Show Choir Combo which during his tenure, “has won 3 Grand Championships, 4 runner-up finishes, and 3 Best Outstanding Instrumental Group awards.

Mr. Russo is one of the founding members of the Cleveland Jazz Revolution (CJR), an organization of improvising musicians whose goal is to create a stronger sense of community in Cleveland's Jazz Scene by creating a platform to showcase new & original Jazz music that combines tradition, innovation and creative awareness of the explorations of Northeast Ohio's modern jazz musicians as well as a founding member of the Garfield Heights Alumni Jazz Ensemble (GHAJE) which is an ensemble/group dedicated to the advocacy of jazz education in the Garfield Heights City Schools. He has been an adjudicator and Guest Artist for the Stow-Munroe Falls middle School Jazz Festival and the Green Local Jazz Festival. In addition, he has held private studio teaching positions for over 12 years at venues such as Educator’s Music, Brecksville Music, The Aurora School of Music, Garfield Heights High School, The Music Workshop and The Beck Center for the Performing Arts.

As a performer, Mr. Russo has worked for Carnival Cruise Lines and has performed extensively with such local groups as Bobby Selvaggio's Hedectet Jazz Collective (HJC), The AVENUE from Jerry Bruno Productions, The Jerry Bruno Orchestra, Afterdark, The Tony Camarado Band, Sophisticated Swing, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Transportation Boulevard, The Hermit Club Jazz Orchestra, The Swing City Big Band, Night Bridge and the Dan Zola Orchestra. Mr. Russo is currently promoting his latest project, "Buhaina's Delight: The Music of Art Blakey", which is a group dedicated to the continual awarness of the music of The Jazz Messengers. He has shared the stage with such artists as Ken Peplowski, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Carl Allen, Ingrid Jensen, John Bailey, Marvin Stamm, Allen Vizzutti, Randy Johnston, Wayne Bergeron, and Mike Lee.Mr. Russo has received recognition for his achievements in jazz winning Kent State University’s Walter Watson Jazz Achievement Award (2001, 2002) and the BGSU Jazz Achievement Award (1998). He has also studied trumpet and arranging with Todd W. Davidson, Brad Goode, Jeffery O. Halsey, Russell Schmidt, Chris Buzzelli, Jack Shantz, Michael W. Chunn, Dennis Reynolds, Chas Baker, and Paul Ferguson.