The last 10 years have been a whirlwind for Tony Russell. One look at his resume will provide a staggering account of the major artists he's worked with including R. Kelly, Dave Hollister, Smokie Norful, P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg, hip-hop icon Jay-Z and  Kendrick Lamar. Tony's working relationship with producer/drummer Nisan Stewart helped him land his gigs with Diddy and Jay-Z. "I was working with Nisan doing the Jamie Foxx gig, and we were doing Puff at the same time. Puff hand picks his musicians himself. When Puff was working on the American Gangster album, I got the call' and has been working with Jay-Z ever since." 

According to Tony, working with major artists keeps musicians at the top of their game. "An artist might come in the day before the show after we've been rehearsing for weeks, and want to change something. You have to be quick and able to remember the whole show, plus whatever new changes we have to make at the last minute. There's a lot that goes into playing and you have to be professional at all times."

In addition to working as a touring bass player, Tony is also an accomplished producer and bandleader.