Bio:

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"For guitar players: Interview in a incredible new on line magazine , www.thesound-guitarmagazine.com, which features articles, lessons and transcriptions."

"Mixing has started on the next CD. A special thank you to the incredible musicians who recorded with me: Walfredo Reyes jr., Rafael Padilla, Bob Parr, Alfredo Caceres, Charlie Bisharat and Michael Lington ."

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Check out the beautifully written article/review from Angela P @ cheeriosandpearlsstories.blogspot.com

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"Thank you for this [Bajo el Sol] extraordinary inspiration for my writing." Angela P - cheeriosandpearlsstories.blogspot.com 7-4-10

"...outstanding technique and a obvious sense of melody, rhythm and dynamics." Alan Taylor, Pipeline Instrumental Review 6-1-10

"Your music is very mportant our program radio Jazz Caribe 97.1 FM and our web: www.jazzcaribe.net ¡¡Amor y Jazz!!" Luis Raul Montell 6-29-10

“Bajo el Sol is a profusion of melodies, rhythms, fraseados, textures, timbres, feelings, colors, tones, at last, a meeting of all the elements that construct a musical workmanship of high level." Luis Roberto Costa - Musical Sun (São Paulo-Brasil) 4-18-10

"Ostensibly, Bajo El Sol is very much a modern, instrumental Nuevo Flamenco album yet peer a little under the surface and you’ll find a guitar-centric album of enormous depth and musical appeal." Robert Silverstein, MWE3.com 12-22-09

"Russ Hewitt is a true virtuoso - his instrument conveys the widest palette of emotions." Radiomagico , 10-27-09

"...Hewitt looks to be on his way to becoming the King of Nuevo Flamenco." Emily Martin, Black White Read ( Lakewood editon ) 9-14-09

"Russ Hewitt’s solo debut is so impressive that he is capable of putting Texas on the Nuevo Flamenco guitar map with his distinctive fusion of Latin and jazz themes stirred with a little underlying rock and roll attitude." Michael Debbage, Mainly Piano 9-8-09

"Russ Hewitt has delivered a stellar performance from heart-felt ballads to foot-stomping masterpieces to our international audiences, pleasing Latino families as well as Africans and other fans of global and fusion music." Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, President / DFW International Community 9-3-09

"Exceptional guitarist, Russ Hewitt’s new release Bajo el Sol is a mix of colorful, vibrant and exotic Latin/flamenco-style smooth jazz." Paul Martinez, Bull Fighters Cafe 7-24-09

"The sound of Russ Hewitt's musical brilliance made way for a beautiful evening that supported Promise of Peace . The audience was so impressed with his talent - the music crosses cultures and generations! It seems to transform your spirit." Elizabeth Dry, Executive Director - Promise of Peace 9-21-09

"As soon as you start listening to Bajo El Sol you know that even if you can not dance you are going to want to try! The music on this CD is erotic, sensual, sexy and sometimes haunting." Leigh Hurst, west coast rockers 7-17-09

"Russ Hewitt's music fuses the exotic flavours of the Middle East with an exuberance that only seems to live within the best gipsy music. It's technically astounding but most of all you'll just want to dance..." Chris Mann, smooth-jazz.de 7-15-09

"... this will remain in my personal CD collection." Mike Cavanaugh, All Access Magazine 3-2-09

"Hewitt displays technique and talent to spare as he adroitly lets passion and power fly up and down the fretboard and across the strings." Bill Binkelman, New Age Retailer 6-18-09

"Bajo El Sol is a grand album, full of mellifluous and sinuous tunes...trying to select a few tracks above the rest is impossible." John M Peters, The Borderland ( United Kingdom ) 6-7-09

"Get used to hearing and saying the name because this guitar virtuoso is a star in the making." Beth Lewis, listening loft - smoothjazz.com 5-1-09

"...listeners will be blown away by the tapestry of sound Hewitt weaves." Wildy Haskell, WildysWorld.blogspot 6-5-09

"...Russ has been referred to as a “guitar god,” and with good reason! The man can play!!!" interview from Kathy Parsons, Mainly piano 5-26-09

"Brilliant fuse of flamenco and smooth contemporary jazz...amazing precise fretwork..." Randy K , Jazzuality ( Indonesia ) 2-5-09

"...you'll dig instantly the infectious tunes..." Jonathan Widran, Jazz Monthly 3-1-09

"Such a beautiful,emotional and sometimes haunting serving of nuevo flamenco..." Christie Banks, Palm Living Magazines 2-10-09

"...showcases to perfection his burgeoning ability as a songwriter." Denis Poole, Smooth Jazz Therapy ( United Kingdom ) 3-15-09

"In 20+ years in the Dallas music scene, i have never encountered this level of talent." Mark Beneventi, Lit Monthly 4-1-09

"...completely envelop listeners throughout..." Dan Kaplin, The Celebrity Cafe 2-22-09

" He is the embodiment of his craft...." Kevin White, Harder Beat Dec/Jan issue

"Impeccably recorded...Hewitt is nothing less than a guitar virtuoso..." Kathy Parsons, Mainly piano 1-28-09

" Simply a wonderful outing..." Chris Spector, Midwest Record 1-26-09

"...contains some of the most colorful,vibrant and exotic Latin/flamenco-style smooth jazz found on any shore." Ronald Jackson, Smooth Jazz Vibes ( Switzerland ) 1-4-09

" I love the way Russ uses his fluid fingering skills..." Rich Soos, Eartaste 1-4-09

"...uncanny ability to write melodies that speak to the soul...." Scott, Dr.Music 3-25-09

"Exhibits strength in its spiritedness and zest..." Micheal Haley, indie-music 3-7-09

"...aims to redefine ' nuevo flamenco'..." La Factoria Del Ritmo ( Mexico ) 4-1-09

"It is always an exciting moment for any reviewer to see a birth of a new star." Serge Kozlovsky.com ( Belarus ) 4-7-09

"... he infuses each tune with his own unique character, the way (all) music was meant to be played." Rotcod Zzaj, improvijazzation nation 4-23-09

"...really rather beautiful and just the soundtrack album for a warm summers evening." Paul Riley, Total Music Magazine ( UK ) 4-17-09

"Simply put, Russ Hewitt is one amazing talent to look for in the future." Randy K , Jazzuality Interview ( Indonesia ) 3-30-09

"Russ Hewitts latest CD is ” bajo el sol” and it’s latin flavor is very romantic, perfect for your valentine, his sensual classical spanish guitar is light, romantic at times and is well produced."
Smoothjazz Saturday Nights with Taylor Scott, 98.1 KUDL

"I really appreciate YOU for allowing me the honor of featuring your brilliant music on my station and to my listeners."
Mike Fernandez- Owner/Program Director Rhythm & Jazz Radio

"Russ Hewitt stirs listeners musically with his strong Latin and jazz sensibilities with every track from Bajo el Sol. He’s got some serious hooks. Wow! Russ Hewitt’s is a wonderful entry where he brings the world’s music together. Muchimos Gracias!"
Dionne Maldonado, the Jazz Lady WFSS, 91.9FM NPR News & Jazz

"Russ Hewitts blend of Nuevo Flamenco and funky Latin beats is enough to make even the most conservative of people 'run' to the dance floor, yet at the same time perfect for smooth, easy listening. It's the best of both worlds, and I am waiting impatiently for the next offering from Russ Hewitt."
Tyler Romero, Music Director KYTE-FM

"It has been an honor to bring your music to our listeners around the planet. “BaJo el Sol” is a great release for you and I enjoy these tracks myself."
Drmike- Michael Matheny, RadioIO Suite of JAZZ

"One word comes to mind when you listen to this CD - S-W-E-E-T! I really enjoyed it. Check it out."
Jackie Anderson Host - Midday Jazz WJAB 90.9 FM

"Russ Hewitt's CD 'Bajo El Sol' is thoughtful and provoking. Hewitt adds a softer touch to the tracks that will charm Latin Jazz devotees and yet makes the tracks accessible to a wider audience without surrendering to commercial pressures. We can't wait to hear more!"
Ed Tankus President & General Manager Blue Plate Radio, LLC

"Russ Hewitt's debut CD "Bajo el Sol" adds a festive flavor to the Smooth Jazz genre."
- DJ Walker, GrooveSuite.com

"The Russ Hewitt CD 'Bajo el Sol' is a classic! it gets airplay for various shows on WTCC from latin ,smooth jazz and even our urban shows,with each play ,its shows it has legs to stand on for a while on the station."
James Lewis, WTCC/Springfield, MA

"Russ Hewitt mixes it up with a unique blend of neuvo flamenco, Latin and jazz styles that is flowing with passion and grace. The result is fresh, fluid, and captivating. Truly a master of the guitar, Russ Hewitt's music is not to be missed."
Gerry Regensburg, smoothmix.com radio

"Great music. Keep up the good work."
David Muñoz,KQXT/Q1019 Jazz Show Host, Clear Channel

"From the very first note to the very last, Russ captivates you and all of your senses in an unforgettable fashion leaving you craving more."
Christie Banks - On Air Personality WEAT / Sunny 104.3

"Great playing but even more obvious are the hooks and songs. Russ Hewitt is hot. Enjoy." Cliff Gorov, President, All That Jazz, Inc.

"Russ Hewitt is one of the finest young guitarists I have encountered in the past 10 years of working in the music industry. His finesse, ability and sense of melody are incredible. I can’t say enough about the bright future that is waiting for this fantastic artist!"
Claire Parr, President, The Navigator Company -National Radio Promotion

BIO:
It was in late 2008 that guitar virtuoso Russ Hewitt released his debut CD ‘Bajo el Sol’. Typified by fierce Latin rhythms and infectious contemporary jazz grooves the album garnered the kind of critical acclaim to suggest this talented player was already on the road to musical stardom.

With favorable opinion rapidly translating into prolific air-play, the recording enjoyed a ten week stay at 1 on the Music Choice satellite - cable television smooth jazz play-list and for the last 16 months has maintained a constant presence on the Smooth Jazz indie charts. The first track to be released to radio (the dazzlingly Latin flavored title cut) climbed into the top 20 and the two that followed enjoyed similar success. ‘Lydia’ peaked at 15 and stormed onto the Billboard's Top 40 while ‘El Beso’ also made it onto that same Top 40 listing.

In addition, ‘Bajo el Sol’ made the first cut for the 52nd Grammy Awards in the categories Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Pop Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Composition, Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Engineered Album (in the non-classical section). The tune ‘El Beso’ was included in the www.smoothjazznow.com Top 75 Smooth Jazz Songs of 2009 and, most significantly, from a field of 15,000 applicants, Russ Hewitt gained an ‘Honorable Mention’ for the title song ‘Bajo el Sol’ in the Instrumental Music category at the 2009 International Songwriting Competition.

Now Hewitt’s much awaited follow up is all set to hit the streets later this summer. His rumba flamenco rhythms and lightning guitar runs are sure to feature significantly and, much as with ‘Bajo el Sol’, Hewitt’s playing will be complemented by a stellar line up of backing musicians. Former Miami Sound Machine percussionist Raphael Padilla is again in the line-up as is drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr who, in his time, has played with both Santana and Ricky Martin. Bass player Bob Parr and exciting flamenco guitar prodigy Alfredo Caceres are also around to lend a hand but this time Hewitt has gone one better by adding some fantastic guest artists. Grammy award-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat, who has graced the stage with heavyweights such as The Rolling Stones, Yanni and Aerosmith, has already been confirmed and will be joined by contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Lington.

For Hewitt this latest project represents a significant milestone. He has followed his musical dream from an early age and made a conscience decision never to put material things ahead of his passion for music. Influenced by many techniques and always guided by a relentless pursuit of guitar excellence he has arrived at the enviable position in his life where he is able to play in a variety of styles, at a range of tempo’s, interact with great players and make a living from doing it.

Written By Denis Poole

Member Since:

July 27, 2008

Members:

On the Album 'Bajo el Sol' :

alfredo caceres - guitar
bob parr - bass
walfredo reyes jr. - drums
rafael padilla - percussion

Website: www.russhewittmusic.com

Influences:

Sounds Like:

Strunz & Farah, Al Di Meola, Jesse Cook, Johannes Linstead

Record Label:

unsigned