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Russ Spiegel: Nitty Gritty

By Jack Bowers
June 29, 2025
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The phrase Nitty Gritty has a number of meanings, among the most oft-repeated of which are "mundane," "ordinary" and "commonplace." Guitarist

Russ Spiegel

guitar
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Russ Spiegel surely had another definition in mind when naming his seventh album, whose aftermath brings to mind several graphic expressions. But mundane, ordinary and commonplace are not among them.

Instead, words like seductive, panoramic and ambitious arise to describe the banquet that Spiegel and his (for the most part) organ trio have set before the listener. The landscape is wide, making room at times for soul, folk, blues, rock and Latin (samba and mambo). The musical choices are first-rate, encompassing songs by

Hank Mobley

saxophone, tenor
1930 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Mobley,

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington, John Lennon and Paul McCartney,

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane and Jimmy Giuffre alongside four of Spiegel's original compositions, Francis Lai's "A Man and a Woman" and Consuelo Velazquez' Latin classic, "Besame Mucho."

The group's adroit organist (and pianist on Spiegel's "Deep Brooklyn") is

Jim Gasior

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Gasior. The attentive drummer is

Lucas Apostoleris

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Lucas Apostoleris. They are joined on half a dozen tracks by electric bassist

Kurt Hengstebeck

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Kurt Hengstebeck, on four by tenor saxophonist

Tim Armacost

saxophone, tenor
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Armacost, each of whom adds succulent flavor to the mix. The trio gets things underway with Mobley's casual "Soul Station," then shifts into a light-hearted samba mode for Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," usually played as a ballad. Lennon/McCartney's engrossing "Norwegian Wood" is next, followed by the album's title song, Spiegel's raspy "Nitty Gritty," and the sensuous "A Man and a Woman," wherein Armacost makes his first appearance.

The mournful "Deep Brooklyn" leads to "Besame Mucho" and the last of Spiegel's compositions, the bluesy "Lonely Buddha" and rock-based "Epic." Coltrane wrote the lively "26-2" (on which Armacost burns), Guiffre penned the iconic "Four Brothers," introduced in 1947 by

Woody Herman

band / ensemble / orchestra
1913 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Woody Herman's big band. In sum, a splendid trio-plus session with enough impressive music to please even the most scrupulous listener.

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Track Listing

Soul Station; Prelude to a Kiss; Norwegian Wood; Nitty Gritty; A Man and a Woman; Deep Brooklyn; Besame Mucho; Lonely Buddha; Epic; Four Brothers.

Personnel

Russ Spiegel

guitar

Jim Gasior

piano

Lucas Apostoleris

drums

Tim Armacost

saxophone, tenor

Kurt Hengstebeck

bass

Album information

Title: Nitty Gritty | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: RuzzTone Music

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