He began playing in New York City nightclubs at the age of seven, with traditional or dixieland jazz ensembles.
He is active as a performer in the New York metropolitan area as well as on the national jazz festival circuit.
Russell released his first self produced CD in 2006 entitled Sheik of Araby followed by Puttin' on the Ritz in 2008 and Duets in 2009.
As a solo artist he was inter alia part of the Newport Folk Festival in July 2021.
[1] As of 2021, Russell is self-employed, producing instrumentals for numerous companies including Microsoft and Visa.