Russ Savakus

Russell Savakus (May 13, 1925 – June 26, 1984)^[1] was an American session bass player (both electric and stand-up), violinist and singer. Savakus recorded with numerous artists in and around the 1960s folk and folk-rock movement in New York.^[2] Earlier, he had been a part of the rhythm section for the Les Elgart swing band.^[3]

According to Michael Bloomfield, who met Savakus at a Bob Dylan session: "They had a bass player, a terrific guy, Russ Savakus. It was his first day playing electric bass, and he was scared of that. No one understood nothing."^[4] However, Dylan chose to replace Savakus on tour ^[5]

He died in 1984 at the age of 59.

Discography

Songs and records that he has played on include:

• Embraceable You, Chet Baker (1957)^[6]
• Walk On By, Dionne Warwick (1964)^[7]
• Farewell, Angelina, Joan Baez (1965)
• The In Instrumentals, Kai Winding (Verve, 1965)
• Reflections in a Crystal Wind, Richard & Mimi Fariña (1965)
• Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan (1965)^[8]
• Early Morning Rain, Ian and Sylvia (1965)^[9]
• Many a Mile, Buffy Saint-Marie (1965)^[10]
• Southbound, Doc Watson (1966)
• I'm a Believer, The Monkees (1966)^[11]
• Kites are Fun, The Free Design (1967)
• Fire & Fleet & Candlelight, Buffy Saint-Marie (1967)
• Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison (1967)
• Memories, Richard & Mimi Fariña (1968)^[12]
• The Corporation: Vinnie Bell, Dick Hyman, Bill LaVorgna, Phil Bodner, Bucky Pizzarelli, Russ Savakus (1968)
• Rhymes and Reasons, John Denver (1969)^[13]
• Take Me to Tomorrow, John Denver (1970)
• David Clayton-Thomas, David Clayton-Thomas (1972)
• Don McLean, Don McLean (1972)
• Extension of a Man, Donny Hathaway (1973)
• Playin' Favorites, Don McLean (1973)^[14]
• Never Letting Go, Phoebe Snow (1977)
• Times of Our Lives, Judy Collins (1982)

References

1. "BANGOR R.1 MUSICIAN KILLED IN CRASH. POLICE". The Morning Call. June 27, 1984. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
2. Richie Unterberger, Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution. Hal Leondard Company. p. 205
3. Lawrence McClellan, The Later Swing Era, 1942 to 1955. Greenwood Publishing. p.50
4. Wolkin and Keenom, Michael Bloomfield: If You Love These Blues: An Oral History, Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, 2000, p. 100
5. Bob Spitz, Dylan: A Biography. WW Norton. p. 317
6. "Chet Baker: Songs for Lovers" CD, Pacific Jazz Records 57158, 1997
7. Myers, Marc (2021-01-05). "Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach on the Drama of 'Walk On By'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
8. "The Essential Dylan". New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC: 27. 28 January 1974. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
9. Hounsome, Terry, Rock Record: A Collector’s Directory of Rock Albums and Musicians, Enlarged, Revised, Expanded, Facts On File Publications, New York,1987 p. 284
10. Hounsome, Terry, Rock Record: A Collector’s Directory of Rock Albums and Musicians, Enlarged, Revised, Expanded, Facts On File Publications, New York,1987 p. 495-496
11. 'More of the Monkees' deluxe reissue, Rhino Records 2017, booklet, pages 17 and 20, containing personnel as listed by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, sourced directly from official Musicians' Union records
12. Hounsome, Terry, Rock Record: A Collector’s Directory of Rock Albums and Musicians, Enlarged, Revised, Expanded, Facts On File Publications, New York,1987 p. 201
13. Hounsome, Terry, Rock Record: A Collector’s Directory of Rock Albums and Musicians, Enlarged, Revised, Expanded, Facts On File Publications, New York,1987 p.157
14. Hounsome, Terry, Rock Record: A Collector’s Directory of Rock Albums and Musicians, Enlarged, Revised, Expanded, Facts On File Publications, New York,1987 p. 381