Russ

Russ Strathdee – Saxophones, BG vocals

Russ hails from Toronto and began playing piano, accordion and viola before switching to the saxophone.

By age 17, Russ was playing with various groups and genres. With a love of most popular forms of music from jazz to rock ‘n roll, Russ has worked with several significant Toronto groups through the 60s, 70s and early 80s, including

  • The Silhouettes (Club Bluenote house band with Steve Kennedy and Doug Riley),
  • Ritchie Knight and the Mid-Knights
  • The Regents featuring Dunc & Judy,
  • The Majestics featuring Shawn and Jay Jackson,
  • the CBC TV show “Where It’s At”,
  • Whitewail (the house band for the Avenue Road Club),
  • and Robbie Laine and the Disciples.
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Bob Andrews, Russ Strathdee, Bruce Staubitz with The Regents (at Toronto’s Club 888)
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The Majestics horn section: John Crone, Orley Guerarri, Russ Strathdee, Brian Lucrow – at Toronto’s Gogue Inn (Chris Vicery and Shawne Jackson in background)

Russ also worked with his own bar band, The Ramblers, at Yonge Street’s famous Zanzibar Tavern.

For a colourful in-depth sense of perspective of Russ’s early years, you might find the following article of interest:

The Toronto Sound Of The 60’s

Relocating to Barrie, Ontario in the early 80s, Russ soon became one of the feature members of the Fig Leaf Jazz Band and the Martels’ Rock’n Roll Show from 1989 – 2015.

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The Fig Leaf Jazz Band (L-R): Dave Rawlings, Roger Kerslake, Ted Fry, John Potts, Bruce Rumble, Geoff Mulholland, Russ Strathdee (far right)
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Russ with The Martels Rock and Roll Show (Milt Budarick, bass, Bert Desrochers, keyboards in background)

Retiring from a successful career in Information Technology, Russ became a fairly busy saxophonist in Southern Ontario’s Huronia area and beyond. He joined Little Caesar & The Consuls in 2013.

Russ’s Web site: www.rstrathdee.com

–o–