Russell Lamar Malone (November 8, 1963 – August 23, 2024) was an American jazzguitarist. He began working with Jimmy Smith in 1988 and went on to work with Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall throughout the 1990s.

Malone was born in Albany, Georgia, United States on November 8, 1963. He began playing at the age of four with a toy guitar that his mother bought him. He was influenced by B. B. King and The Dixie Hummingbirds. A significant experience for Malone was when he was 12 years old seeing George Benson perform on television with Benny Goodman. Malone was mostly self-taught.

Starting in 1988, he spent two years with Jimmy Smith, then three with Harry Connick Jr. In 1995, Malone became the guitarist for the Diana Krall Trio, participating in three Grammy-nominated albums, including When I Look in Your Eyes, which won the award for Best Vocal Jazz Performance. Malone was part of pianist Benny Green‘s recordings in the late 1990s and 2000: Kaleidoscope (1997), These Are Soulful Days (1999), and Naturally (2000). The two formed a duo and released the live album Jazz at The Bistroin 2003 and the studio album Bluebird in 2004. They toured until 2007.