Biography

Composer, pianist, conductor, songwriter and publisher. He was a pianist in the bands of Benny Goodman, Chet Baker, and Art Pepper. He toured Europe with Benny Goodman and Shelly Manne. He worked in the television industry as a pianist and musical director for a number of musical variety shows, such as "Laugh-In." He conducted and soloed on records, and has been the featured artist on a number of compilation albums.
- IMDb mini biography by: Hup234!

Played on soundtracks of or assisted with scores of: "The Wild One", "I Want to Live", "Porgy and Bess", "The Subterraneans" and Scorsese's "New York, New York".

In the 1950s, had a staff-pianist contract at MGM arranged by his friend André Previn. The weekly retainer was huge, and paid whether he worked or not. On a rare occasion when he was called in to play some glissandi effects for a Tom & Jerry cartoon, Previn advised: "Russ, use a comb to run up and down the keyboard, don't hurt your finger." "André, for /this/ kind of money, I don't mind bleeding a little." (Related by composer John Altman.)