Burn Unit

Three members of the Ancient City Jazz Coalition (ACJC) are at the core of Burn Unit. This St. Augustine-based jazz combo plays frequently around town, often with one or two other ACJC members sitting in.

Led by Russ DeFilippis on guitar and vocals, Burn Unit focuses on jazz—all kinds of jazz. Oliver Haussmann plays alto sax, and Gordon Russell adds the brass, with flugelhorn, trumpet, or coronet. When the stars align, one of the area's premier bassists, such as Rusty Springfield, will join the band. With musicians this good, a solo evening with DeFilippis is rewarding and wonderful, and an evening with the full band of four or five is magic. 

Burn Unit plays jazz, and they play it very well. That's no surprise, DeFilippis was on the guitar faculty at Berklee College of Music, and Russell taught music for more than 32 years. Before that, Russell had formed a band and taken to the road. While teaching, Russell performed whenever possible, often sharing the stage with popular artists including Chubby Checker and Jerry Vale. The band's co-founder, saxophonist Haussmann, performs with several other bands, including Soul Pylot.

As part of their mission, Ancient City Jazz Coalition musicians showcase improvisational music to local audiences, and Burn Unit does it with funk, swing, cool, bop, Latin, fusion, post-bop, and groove. While each Burn Unit gig may not include the full band, you can be assured that the music is tight and the mood is loose and relaxed. The band's members are the utmost professionals, with years of experience playing with various artists. Each may still spend hours daily practicing their skills, but the band rarely rehearses. As Springfield said, "You can't rehearse a conversation. We listen."

You can catch Burn Unit around town in venues that let the music take center stage, and where audiences are there to listen.