Guitarists may appear to lead lonely lives, but David Russell couldn't have felt forlorn when he played a recital Saturday at Ford Auditorium in the Allen Memorial Medical Library.Russell's fans were out in abundance to cheer the recent winner of a Grammy (just last month for his "Aire Latino: Latin Music for Guitar" recording from Beachwood-based Telarc).
Russell had no trouble capturing the ears of Saturday's audience with an eclectic program stamped with his poetic elegance.
Everything he played sounded captivating. Russell speaks musically in a songful, delicate voice that draws colors and nuances from the music that a listener might not have thought were there. He employs subtlety of tone and expressive contrast to bring a composer's thoughts to vivid life.
Russell is a quietly commanding performer both in musical and technical terms.
Russell didn't stint on Spanish sources. He brought out the earthy and charming qualities in four pieces by Regino Sainz de la Maza. The flamboyant dance gestures in three miniatures by Emilio Pujol exuded panache.

Donald Rosenberg

Plain Dealer Music Critic