Jessica Heim & Russell Hospedales: Just Us

With exceptionally similar melodious (and harmonious) beginnings, both from a very young age and through it all, Jessica Heim and Russell Hospedales have stayed true to their hearts and their shared passion. In combining the incredibly rich performance experiences of the pair locally, nationwide and in Europe this past holiday season, Jessica and Russell are sure to keep audiences entertained and musically satisfied amidst jazz favorites with a theatrical flare in their project, Just Us.
Singer, actress, puppeteer, host and model, Middle Tennessee native Jessica Heim began her career in the Music City Scene session singing and performing with country music artists and songwriters. In 2008, she accepted her first contract as a featured vocalist on a major cruise line and traded her “land life” for a nomadic one on the sea and beyond. Between cruise ship contracts, she moved to New York City where she entertained at some Big Apple staples including Symphony Space, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and Shetler Studios. Bitten by the travel bug and thirsting for more, she sang and danced on Sesame Street Live! International tour, at theme parks and in national and statewide tours and industrial productions. For the past four years, she has vocal headlined Big Band concerts in Czech Republic.
When she isn’t world adventuring, Jessica is sure to be in the Nashville vicinity making music in a myriad of ways through section-leading and guest-singing in downtown Nashville churches, creating colorful art in all its forms in her youth musical development and entertainment classes and emoting from local theater stages. Ultimately, regardless if she’s two minutes down the road or on the other side of the world, Jessica’s desire is to share her ardor for the human race’s musical ties with all generations across all borders.
With pipes as smooth as velvet and a style reminiscent of the greats of old, Jazz crooner Russell Hospedales is often referred to by his musical peers as “Buttah”. His presence, vocal prowess and ability to mesmerize and captivate audiences everywhere he goes have garnered comparisons to Sinatra in his prime. A strong fascination for radio jingles, as well as the harmonies that accompanied them, compelled Russell to start arranging at the young age of 13 and continues to inspire him to incorporate what he heard then into his current and ever-growing library of original vocal group arrangements.
Russell studied at The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York City and has sung with many vocal groups throughout the years, thus making a name for himself both as a solo singer and a vocal arranger in NYC and the Nashville area. His arrangements have become well known for their intricate and chromatic stylings with lush and crunchy (close harmonies) voicings that his fans and fellow singers refer to as “one-of-a-kind genius”. In addition to Russell’s regular solo appearances all around Nashville and its surrounding areas, he can be found arranging, singing, recording and performing with the Chattanooga-based gospel quartet, ARMD VASILIOS.
Euphonic instrumentation by and special thanks to the first-rate and finest:
Chris Mondak (Bass)
Josh Karas (Piano)
Ryan Brasley (Drums)

This show is 21 and over only. All sales are final and we unfortunately cannot offer any refunds. Additional tickets may be available at the door on the day of the show even if it is sold out online.

Please try to arrive 15 minutes prior to the show start time. If you do not arrive within 45 minutes after the show start time on your ticket your seat may be resold to other patrons at the door. If you arrive after 45 minutes from the start time of the show and your ticket has been resold, although we cannot guarantee it, we will try our best to make space for you to attend the show.

Host or Publisher Rudy's Jazz Room