Russell Malone, a jazz guitarist whose encyclopedic knowledge of musicians and songs, combined with a precise yet relaxed playing style, earned him appearances with Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and many others as well as a loyal following as a solo artist, died Friday in Tokyo. He was 60.

His death from a heart attack was announced on social media by bassist Ron Carter, in whose trio Mr. Malone had worked for many years. The trio, featuring Donald Vega on piano, was touring Japan and had just finished a performance at the Blue Note Tokyo when Mr. Malone died.

Mr. Carter said he and Mr. Vega would continue the tour as a duo.

Mr. Malone was highly regarded for his versatility: he could back a variety of singers and instrumentalists in a range of styles, but also had his own clearly defined sound as a bandleader and soloist.

He spoke openly about his influences – including BB King, Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino – and he repeatedly emphasized how much he had learned from them and how much of their sound was reflected in his playing.

“When I listen to a player play and don’t hear a hint of influence, I become suspicious,” he said in a 2023 interview with the online magazine Jazz Guitar Today.

He managed to carry the weight of these influences without sounding fake. He was known for his distinctive style, which was precise and economical, but at the same time warm and sensual.

“He was a natural musician,” said pianist Bill Charlap, who worked closely with Mr. Malone over the years, in an interview. “He had perfect timing and rhythm, and you could hear the whole history of jazz guitar in his playing.”

Mr. Malone emerged on the jazz scene in the late 1980’s with the organist Jimmy Smith. He joined Mr. Connick in 1990 and played with him on tours and on such groundbreaking albums as “We Are in Love” (1990) and “Blue Light Red Light” (1991). He was with Ms. Krall from 1995 to 1999.

He recorded ten albums as a bandleader, beginning with “Russell Malone” in 1992, while also working with a long list of notable artists, including BB King, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, David Sanborn and Sonny Rollins – all of whom said they appreciated his ability to blend in with and enhance their own sound.

“He had a great swing,” said drummer Lewis Nash, who often played with Mr. Malone, “but he was also like a chameleon in the sense that he could play in so many scenarios.”

Russell Lamar Malone was born on November 8, 1963, in Albany, Georgia. His father, Robert Barnes, died in the Vietnam War when Russell was two years old. His mother, C. Veronice Malone, who worked in a warehouse, later married Jimmy Jones and raised Russell with him.

He started playing music at the age of four after his mother gave him a green, four-string plastic guitar. He was interested in blues and gospel and played in the church band. At the age of twelve, he fell in love with jazz after seeing George Benson play with Benny Goodman on television.

He began teaching himself licks by listening to records by Mr. Benson, Mr. Montgomery and other guitar greats and practicing them over and over.

By the time he graduated from high school, he was already playing professionally in Atlanta, both solo and in groups. His repertoire went far beyond jazz and included country (Chet Atkins), rock’n’roll (Elvis Presley), and even punk (the Ramones).

After finishing a gig at a Holiday Inn one night in 1987, he went to a club to see Jimmy Smith perform. When Mr. Smith saw the young musician in the audience, still dressed in his tuxedo and sitting excitedly next to his guitar, he invited him to play.

Mr. Malone was a cocky guy at first, he later recalled, but he couldn’t keep up with the famous organist.

After Mr. Malone stepped off the stage, red-faced, Mr. Smith turned to the crowd.

“When we have young people come to us to do internships, we always want to make sure they learn something,” said Mr. Smith. “Well, did you learn something, Junior?”

“I said, ‘Yes, sir,'” Mr. Malone recalled.

As a consolation, Mr. Smith invited Mr. Malone to his hotel room, where they talked and played until 6 a.m. A year later, Mr. Smith asked him to join his band.

Mr. Malone’s wife, Belinda (West) Malone, passed away in 2006. He is survived by his partner, Mariko Hotta, his children Darius and Marla, his mother, his brothers Tony Barnes, Ricardo Jones and Stanley Jones, and his sisters Tametrice Jones and Felicia Campbell.

Mr. Malone joined the jazz department at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ as an adjunct professor in 2021 when guitarist Gene Bertoncini retired. Although he had never taught before, he proved to be a natural in the classroom.

“On the days he taught, his energy would transform the whole building,” said David Demsey, coordinator of jazz studies at William Paterson, in an interview. “He treated everyone equally.”

Mr. Malone brought the same humility to his playing.

“I don’t worry about whether I fit anyone’s idea of ​​the perfect jazz guitarist,” he told the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 2001. “Or what is considered innovative. But I am determined to be the best musician I can be.”