LIVE: Jonathan Russell with the Doc Scanlon Trio @ the Van Dyck, 7/18

On Saturday, July 18, the newly remodeled and re-opened Van Dyck in Schenectady presented jazz violinist Jonathan Russell, a 14-year-old musical prodigy who first began playing at the age of three.

Performing with the Doc Scanlon Trio, Russell embodied the spirit, style and tone of the late Stephane Grappelli, who co-founded the influential Quintet of the Hot Club of France along with legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt in the 1930s.

Bassist-bandleader Reggie “Doc” Scanlon, trumpeter Scott Black and guitarist Don Young swung along with the bow-weilding violinist through a pair of magnificent sets filled with gems taken from the Great American Songbook including Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and “Honeysuckle Rose.”

JONATHAN RUSSELL & THE DOC SCANLON TRIO SET LIST
I Found a New Baby
Sunnyside Up
China Boy
Oh, Lady Be Good
Sweet Georgia Brown
Avalon
Never Too Old to Swing
Mr. Sandman
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Ain’t Misbehavin’
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby
‘S Wonderful
Reet, Petite & Gone
Honeysuckle Rose
Dream a Dream of Me
Nuages
Memories of You
I’m Confessin’
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
Straighten Up & Fly Right
Sway
I Can’t Get Started

review and photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk. (You can see more of Andrzej’s photos of this show on Flickr.)