Russ has been organizing and leading musical
ensembles since his high school days in the 60's and Horns a Plenty
is his latest effort. An active big band lead trumpet player for decades, Russ founded the
Cal Alumni Big Band in 1980,
and from 1995 to 1999, had his own big band called (oddly enough),
Russ Button's Swing Orchestra. But before he was doing big band music, way back in 1970, Russ founded the
Royal Court Brass. He is now returning to his brass choir roots with Horns a Plenty.
Russ remains a big band trumpet player at heart who's just wild about the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, but also has a great love for the music of J.S. Bach. All three of these greats are well represented in the Horns a Plenty playlist.
In addition to Horns a Plenty, Russ can be seen marching on occasion with the Green Street Mortuary Brass Band.