Draft:Russ Reinberg

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Russ Reinberg
GenresJazz, Swing
Occupations
InstrumentClarinet
LabelsWestlake Records, Jazzed Media
Websitewestlakerecords.com

Russ Reinberg is an American jazz clarinetist, composer, arranger, and producer. He is also the founder of Westlake Publishing, where he has worked as a book and magazine editor, writer, and photographer.

Within the jazz community, Reinberg is recognized as an exponent of the mainstream swing tradition, noted for a warm tone and lyrical phrasing. While regarded for his work in Golden Age jazz, a majority of his standalone album discography consists of his own original compositions and arrangements. Outside of music, he is an authority in the hobby industry, having spent over two decades as an editor and publisher of international railroad and modeling books and periodicals.

Early life and music career

Reinberg came of age in the Southern California jazz scene, where he focused on traditional and mainstream swing styles. Critics have noted his fluid, melodic phrasing and technique, drawing stylistic comparisons to clarinetists like Pete Fountain and Ken Peplowski, while maintaining the traditional harmonic foundations of Benny Goodman and Johnny Hodges.[1]

During the early 1980s Reinberg performed extensively in Southern California. He appeared on television programs including The Tonight Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and Public Broadcasting specials. He also performed at regional jazz clubs featuring classic jazz pioneers such as Dick Cary, Johnny Guarnieri, and Barney Bigard. His musicality earned him appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and with the Concord Jazz All Stars.[2]

The hiatus and comeback

From mid-1988 until 2003, Reinberg paused his public clarinet performance to concentrate on launching a publishing company. Persuaded by his fiancée, Scarlett, to return to music, he released his 2003 comeback album, Blue Scarlett, via Jazzed Media.

The album featured West Coast session players, including guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Dave Stone, and drummer Ray Brinker. Blue Scarlett received positive critical reception. Writing for All About Jazz, critic Jack Bowers praised Reinberg's execution despite the long absence, describing him as a "world-class player."[1] In the album's liner notes, Ken Borgers, the music director of KKJZ-FM, referred to Reinberg as "the best kept secret in jazz."[2] While the tracking list leaned toward standards and ballads, it included four of Reinberg's original compositions.

Composition and Westlake Records

Following his return to recording, Reinberg transitioned toward composing and arranging original material. He was featured on the 2010 Westlake All Stars' album, Spinach Blossom, which mixed jazz standards with five of his original tracks, including the title piece. Operating through his label, Westlake Records, Reinberg systematically composed, arranged, recorded, and released dozens of entirely original tunes.

While his writing adheres to the acoustic, swinging, and melodic structures of mid-20th century mainstream jazz, original music comprises over half of his total recorded output.

Key original albums

  • Wistful (2011): A comprehensive collection of original melodies and arrangements recorded with drummer Burr Middleton.
  • A Fool's Errand (2015): A collaborative project consisting entirely of Reinberg originals. The session featured a traditional jazz ensemble anchored by swing trombonist Dan Barrett (an alumnus of the final Benny Goodman Orchestra), alongside Katie Cavera on guitar, bassist Brent Harding, and Burr Middleton on drums.
  • Old Fashioned, Obsolete, & Irrelevant (2018): An 18-track studio album featuring exclusively original compositions and arrangements. The album’s title serves as a tongue-in-cheek, self-aware nod to his dedication to writing and performing new music within a historic, traditional genre.

Publishing career

From 1971 to 1973, Reinberg worked as a writer, editor, and producer at the Los Angeles all-news radio station KFBW before leaving Southern California to work as a television news reporter and anchor. He returned to the region in 1987 and, by 1991, earned his primary living as an editor, writer, and photographer for his own company, Westlake Publishing, in the niche magazine industry.

He initially developed a reputation writing The Gold Coast Flyer, a regional newsletter for Southern California's Gold Coast Garden Railway Society. From that foundation, he expanded his publishing footprint nationally by launching Outdoor Railroader magazine.

As that sector of the hobby evolved, Reinberg shifted the magazine's title and focus to Finescale Railroader. The publication became an internationally referenced periodical dedicated to highly detailed modeling and scratch-building techniques, incorporating scale drawings, technical articles, and photographs of historic American narrow-gauge and industrial railroads. In 2000, Reinberg transitioned the magazine into a series of three annual softbound books: the Narrow Gauge Annual; the Logging, Mining, & Industrial Annual; and the Modelers' Annual. Each title appeared once per year until Reinberg closed the business in 2014.

Discography

Standalone studio albums (Original compositions)

  • Wistful (Westlake Records, 2011) – All tracks composed and arranged by Russ Reinberg.
  • A Fool's Errand (Westlake Records, 2015) – All tracks composed and arranged by Russ Reinberg.
  • Old Fashioned, Obsolete, & Irrelevant (Westlake Records, 2018) – All tracks composed and arranged by Russ Reinberg.

Collaborative and standards albums

  • Blue Scarlett (Jazzed Media, 2003) – Features four original Reinberg compositions alongside traditional jazz standards.
  • Spinach Blossom (Westlake Records, 2010) – Ensemble project with the Westlake All Stars. Features five original Reinberg compositions alongside standards.
  • Time On My Hands (Westlake Records, 2017) — Features 17 standards and one original blues arranged and performed by Reinberg.
  • Crosstown Collaboration (Westlake Records, 2021) – Ensemble project with guitarist Doug MacDonald. Includes Reinberg's arrangements of traditional mainstream jazz standards, two MacDonald originals, and three Reinberg compositions.

References

  1. ^ a b Bowers, Jack (March 2, 2006). "Blue Scarlett – Russ Reinberg Review". All About Jazz.
  2. ^ a b "Russ Reinberg: Blue Scarlett". JazzTimes. September 2004.

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