Like her on-stage vaudeville persona, Angel Russell herself is a variety act.

A barista, herbologist, florist and painter — most recently she has been painting large, close-up portraits of chickens — Ms. Russell is first and foremost a musician.

She currently lends her nimble fingers to four Island bands, playing piano, guitar, trumpet, drums and bass.

Speaking of range, Ms. Russell has catholic tastes in pets: she keeps a chihuahua/Pomeranian cross with an attitude at distinct odds with his diminutiveness; a white rat named Oscar; and Leelu, a degu, which is a Chilean rodent related to the chinchilla.

Part of four separate Island bands, she plays piano, guitar, trumpet, drums, bass, always willing to lend a hand — or her distinctive, dulcet voice. A vaudevillian wit magnified by operatic strength and range, she is the product of classical training and life experience. Her recently released solo album, Sunken Ships and Parlor Tricks, combines all her musical talents.

Ms. Russell describes her music as “Latin gypsy folk, inspired by love of the sea, Gypsy jazz, spaghetti westerns and flappers. Gypsy jazz is the backbone of much of the album. Percussion is handled by hand claps, spoons, wood blocks, washboards and a wooden clapper.” She played all the parts and mixed it herself on her laptop. It was mastered by a friend of hers, DJaq Anderson, in her hometown of San Diego.

Her latest endeavor promises to bring something new to the wider Vineyard community: a record label and a music magazine to go with it. “I wanted to self-release my album, so I came up with a record label, and then had to figure out distribution and promotion. The I thought, if I can make my own label, why not make my own music magazine?” Thus was born Sergeant Sparrow Records and its companion publication, Sergeant Sparrow magazine, a nonprofit monthly focused on bringing new talent the exposure it deserves and often goes without.

Ms. Russell went door to door, asking Island businesses for contributions for her pilot issue. “Our primary sponsor at this time is [Sweet] E’s Cupcakes in Vineyard Haven. Aboveground and E’s Cupcakes were very generous and supportive.” (Interested sponsors can e-mail at angel@sergeantsparrowrecords.com.) “Everyone I’ve spoken to has been very supportive. The Tisbury Printer has been phenomenal; they were so patient and incredibly helpful in helping get this thing off the ground.”

Ms. Russell is currently the editor, designer and publisher of her new magazine all at once. “The hardest part has been the layout. I had to teach myself the software. The finances involved are complicated, because each issue includes a compilation CD of music from the featured artists. Finding the right price to charge was difficult; it had to cover the cost of printing while leaving money for the artists.” The magazine costs $6, and the entire proceeds from each issue will go to the artists featured.

Featured artists in the magazine’s first issue include Milo Silva, also known as M. Davaadongrov, the son of the late, great Island bluesman Maynard Silva. The young Oak Bluffs resident is an accomplished player of the morin huur, or Mongolian horsehead fiddle. Others are Erinn Williams of Los Angeles; Em Brownlowe; Peter K. Ryan, who goes by Whales Whaling, from Portland, Ore.; and Arman Augusto, also known as The Walking from San Diego. Collaborating were several contributing photographers, Vineyard Haven artist Lily Morris who contributed an illustration, and Aster Jean whose comic appears.

The magazine also features an interview with Mike Barnes, proprietor of stalwart Island independent record store Aboveground Records, who said of Ms. Russell: “I give her a lot of credit for her enthusiasm, it’s not just another ’zine. In the past people have tried to do something with just the Island, but by going broader; she is avoiding the repetition that can happen if you stay focused exclusively on the Island. She does good work. When she puts her heart into something, she really makes it happen.”

“What shes doing is giving these people a platform for their art . . . broadcasting and media in general, like politics, should be local, and something like this is really important for the community . . . it seeks to inform, entertain and enrich,” said Greg Orcutt, general manager of Island radio station WMVY.

Ms. Russell expects her brick-and-mortar distribution to broaden its scope to include visual art, theatre and dance. The magazine is available at Alley’s General Store, Aboveground Records, Conroy’s Apothecary and Che’s Lounge. It’s also available at Ms. Russell’s record label Web site, sergeantsparrowrecords.com, where a PDF version is available for a dollar per issue.

A launch party is happening this Friday at 8 p.m. at Che’s Lounge in Vineyard Haven, which will also feature Milo Silva and the Moonlarks (Ms. Russell, Nina Violet and Andrew Prouty), Iridescent Pheasant, and her collaboration with her mate, muse and musical foil, guitarist Adam Howl.