Catherine Russell Alone Together

Catherine Russell
Alone Together
Dot Time

The daughter of Luis Russell (Louis Armstrong's big band leader) and pioneering guitarist-bassist Carline Ray, Catherine Russell has established herself as a superb jazz singer. "Alone Together" is her seventh studio album and is the vein of her prior recordings. It brings together a range of vintage material from the twenties until the seventies.

On this recording, she interprets songs associated with the likes of Rosa Henderson, Louis Jordan, Cecil Gant, Nat King Cole, Fats Waller along with standards from the American Song Book. She is backed by a band rooted in the swing style of the thirties and forties that include Matt Munisteri on guitars, Mark Shane on piano, Tal Ronen on bass, Mark McLean on drums, Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, John Allred on trombone, and Evan Arntzen on tenor sax, with a string trio employed on one selection.

Opening with a rendition of the Schwartz-Dietz title track, Russell delights with the warmth and delivery of her vocals. The backing band is superb with Allred and Arntzen soloing on this. This is an album full of songs touching on love and its pitfalls. Munsiteri's acoustic chording launches "You Turned the Tables On Me," as she wistfully sings about her ex who let her fall with a drop." Mark Shane is also outstanding on this hornless selection.

A lovely rendition of "When Did You Leave Heaven?", uses strings to cushion her vocal. Munisteri takes a tight electric guitar solo. Solid, personal interpretations of a couple of Louis Jordan songs, "Early in the Morning," and "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby?" follow with outstanding backing. Kellso provided the riff-based horn arrangement on "Early in the Morning," with a terrific tenor sax solo by Arntzen and Munisteri contributes some strong jazz-blues guitar. Russell ably handles the lyrics of "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby?" displaying just how good a blues singer she is. Kellso is exquisite with on his muted trumpet solo. Her revival of Cecil Gant's classic blues-ballad "I Wonder" captures the song's wistfulness.

Then there is her infectious, delightful revival of a 30's pop swinger, "You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes," and her swaggering rendition of Rosa Henderson's 1923 recording, "He May Be Your Dog But He's Wearing My Collar." Munisteri plays dobro on the latter song. Then there is an effervescent take on Nat King Cole's jumping jive, "Errand Girl For Rhythm," and the warmth in her rendition of "I Only Have Eyes for You."

A charming rendition of Fats Waller's "You're Not The Only Oyster In The Stew," closes another terrific Catherine Russell recording.

I received from my review copy from the record company. This review appeared in the March-April 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 383), although I have made some minor changes. Here is a video of Catherine Russell singing "He May Be Your Dog But He's Wearing My Collar."

The Classic Jazz Piano Of Art Hodes and Don Ewell

A new release on Audiophile, one of the George Buck Foundation family of labels is a CD split between the groups of pianists Art Hodes and Don Ewell Art Hodes Quintet/ Don Ewell Quartette. The Hodes session reissues Some Legendary Art and dates from a 1957 session with Eddie Burleton on Clarinet, Marty Grosz on guitar, Truck Parham on bass and Freddie Kohlman on drums. The Ewell 1959 session reissues Yellow Dog Blues which also had Grosz on guitar, along with Nappy Trottier on trumpet and Earl Murphy on bass. Both sessions were produced and supervised by Ewing D. Nunn.

Hodes was certainly a fine pianist well versed in the blues and the classic New Orleans and Chicago jazz traditions with the songs from the 20s and 30s starting with After You’ve Gone, and including Apex Blues, I Found a New Baby and Chimes Blues. Clarinetist Burleton is a new name to these ears but certainly plays well whether on Ain’t She Sweet, or B-Flat Blues with its three in the morning feel. Grosz acoustic 4-string guitar mostly provides chords to help propel the groove. On Apex Blues where Burleton and Kohlman sit out, takes a brief solo as he does on Ain’t She Sweet. The spare trio setting of Apex Blues” and also Chimes Blues, provides a setting in which Hodes displays his blues playing with a light touch. He conjures up more of a weary, late night feel as opposed to more of a stomping barrelhouse style. He does swing a bit harder on Angry. I have never heard a poor recording from Hodes, and this session with Grosz’s guitar is no exception.

I am not as familiar with Don Ewell, who grew up in Baltimore, before becoming another prominent pianist who was influenced by Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines and similar pianists. Ewell became part of the New Orleans revival working with Bunk Johnson and Baby Dodds, and later with Sidney Bechet, Muggsy Spanier, Miff Mole,Kid Ory, and Jack Teagarden. This drummer-less date opens with Michigan Water Blues which he opens with Grosz joining in with Trottier adding some nice trumpet. On Atlanta Blues there is a similar approach with the pianist's thoughtful bluesy playing followed by a brief guitar solo and then Trottier rides the song out. Trottier opens Tishomingo Blues with wistful playing before some nice bluesy piano. Like Hodes, Ewell plays with restraint yet a crisp attack that generates a bluesy feel. There is a nice mix of material including George Bo Bo (originally recorded by Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five under the name of Lil’s Hot Shots); and New Orleans Hop Scop Blues by George Washington Thomas (Sippie Wallace’s older brother). Trottier does not play on the earlier number, but opens New Orleans Hop Scop Blues, with a hot chorus before Ewell takes the lead, then takes a very nice solo with some nice muted playing that lend a bluesy flavor which Ewell adds some nice piano embellishments to. 

A nice rendition of the W.C. Handy composed Yellow Dog Blues concludes the reissue of the Ewell album. Both Hodes and Ewell are masters of the traditions explored here and approach the material in similar, but distinct styles. With the supporting players (especially Grosz whose four-string guitar enhances both sessions), this album presents some marvelous classic jazz. 

I purchased this. It is available from www.jazzology, louisianamusicfactory.com and other online retailers. Here is Art Hodes performing with Wild Bill Davidson.

Jimmy Rushing's Classic Blues Shouting

Avid Jazz is one of several European Public Domain reissue labels that have compiled reissues of vintage jazz albums primarily from the 1950s and among recent reissues is Four Classic Albums Plus by Jimmy Rushing. Rushing is best known as a vocalist with the classic Count Basie Band of the swing era. His career of course started prior to that and his first recording was made with the legendary Blue Devils. Later he was associated with the Bennie Moten Orchestra which after the leader's death eventually morphed into The Count Basie Band. While more than simply a blues singer, his vocals on such songs as Boogie Woogie, Good Morning Blues, Goin' To Chicago, Sent For You Yesterday, and Don't You Miss Your Baby, led him to be cast as a blues singer. Of course he did sing more than just blues as exemplified by the Hoagie Carmichael classic New Orleans, with Moten as well as such pop tunes and novelties as as Exactly Like You, Boo Hoo, Georgiana, and Mama Don't Want No Peas 'N' Rice 'N' Coconut Oil. Like his blues vocals, he always swung hard with his phrasing and his full-throated and ebullient delivery.

By the 1950s he had established himself as a single artist. He had recorded for Vanguard Records under John Hammond's direction in the early 1950s with members of the Count Basie band and boogie woogie legends like Pete Johnson and Sammy Price. Subsequently he recorded a number of albums for Columbia of which four are featured on this Avid Jazz compilation: Jimmy Rushing and the Smith Gals, Little Jimmy and The Big Brass, Brubeck & Rushing and The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing Esq. In addition to the music from those albums, these reissues also include a performance from the legendary TV show The Sound of Jazz and a rare British EP, The Way I Feel.

Altogether there are 49 songs over the two CDs included here so there is plenty of music. Some of the recordings are familiar to me from a Columbia vinyl reissue of the 1970s, but many of these specific recorded performances are fresh to the ears. On much of the recordings he is backed by some of the cream of the swing era musicians including Basie veterans like Walter Page, Buck Clayton, Dickey Wells, Sweet sEdison, Jo Jones, Vic Dickenson, and Buddy Tate, along with such other legends like Coleman Hawkins, Budd Johnson, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, Hilton Jefferson, Doc Cheatham, Danny Barker and Zutty Singleton. And of course one of the albums included here had Rushing backed by Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello.

From the opening moments of Arkansas Blues to the closing The Way I Feel, one is treated to some wonderful renditions of blues and classic pop songs that are sung with heart and humor. He can sound world weary on the blues like Down Hearted Blues, and Jimmy's Blues, yet wink about the fact Somebody Stole My Gal. He provides his own personal signature on classic blues like T'aint Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do, and I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town as well as interpretations of Louis Jordan's hit, Knock Me a Kiss, and the classic Earl Hines tune Rosetta. And we should not neglect to mention the welcome reissue of the rare EP with the terrific blues Go Get Some More.

While most of the recording has him with big band (or little big band in some cases), the album with Brubeck has its own charm with a bit more intimacy in the setting and the somewhat lighter backing provided on a revival of Evenin', one of the songs he recorded with Basie, Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin', and the torch song Am I Blue. There is a definite appeal to Brubeck's understated piano and Desmond's dry martini alto sound and if Brubeck may have been skeptical when Rushing first suggested they collaborate, the result was another stellar showcase of a vocalist who touched many years ago and whose singing still sounds fresh today.

Like other similar reissues, the liner notes are reproduced in the accompanying booklet (although in some cases only portions are). The music also sounds good to these deafening ears. There is not a solid overview of Rushing's Columbia recordings available on CD. This makes this reissue even more valuable in addition to the wonderful music contained here.

This was a purchase. Here Jimmy sings I Left My Baby, from the legendary TV show, The Sound Of Jazz.

Classic Commodore Reissues

The introduction of the compact disc had a definite benefit in allowing the reissue of vintage jazz and blues material, including much that had never been reissued on vinyl LPs. Back in June 1997, Jazz & Blues Report, issue 222, ran my review of several reissues of material from the legendary Commodore label. Amazon does show some of these as still available.

GRP Records recently acquired the Commodore label catalog of classic jazz recordings from the thirties and forties. Founded by Milt Gabler, owner of the Commodore Record Store, and later an important figure at Decca Records, it was among the most important of the early jazz independent labels that started to flourish during the swing era. GRP has launched an important series of reissues from the label with a collection celebrating Commodore, along with five albums devoted to artists.

The Commodore Story (CMD-2-400) is a double disc survey of the label which presents an overview of many of the artists represented on the label. It opens with a segment called Commodore Highlights, with six selections starting with Eddie Condon’s Chicago style jazz group on a rousing Love is Just Around the Corner, and Billie Holiday’s famous reading of Abel Meeropool’s powerful protest song, Strange Fruit. The remainder of the first disc is broken into segments - A Handful of Stars; A Handful of Guest Stars, and Revival and Reminiscence; while the second disc has segments devoted to Trumpets (and Cornets); Trombones; Reeds; and Pianists. It would take far too much space to list all of the performers, much less discuss all of the music, but highlights include Lester Young on Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, a rare sample of his clarinet playing, Roy Eldridge with Chu Berry on a take of Body and Soul that predates Coleman Hawkins’ classic recording, Jelly Roll Morton’s solo rendition of Mamie’s Blues, Bunk Johnson’s Franklin Street Blues, an early recording in the New Orleans revival, Will Bill Davison’s That’s a Plenty, the unique clarinet styling of Pee Wee Russell on Keeping Out of Mischief, Art Hodes’ wonderful blues piano solo, A Selection From the Gutter and Willie ‘the Lion’ Smith’s accurately entitled masterwork of stride piano, Finger Buster. This is a terrific sampler of the breadth of the Commodore catalog which is centered mostly on pre-bebop styles of jazz.

Billie Holiday came to Commodore after Columbia refused to record her singing the topical Strange Fruit in 1939. Commodore allowed her to do a four song session which included that song, the ballad Yesterday, her blues Fine and Mellow, and I Got a Right to Sing the Blues. After Columbia dropped Holiday, she returned to Commodore in 1944 with pianist Eddie Heywood for three sessions. Commodore’s Milt Gabler would soon produce more Holiday for Decca which would involve a shift from the swing combos that predominated on her many recordings. Holiday only recorded sixteen songs for Commodore, and these are presented with a a number of alternates for several titles on The Complete Commodore Recordings (CMD-2-401). Given the number of alternates (Only Fine and Mellow and On the Sunny Side of the Street are heard by single recordings), the chronological presentation of the material (alternates and all) does not serve a casual listener well. Holiday remains the jazz vocalist supreme, phrasing her vocals like a Louis Armstrong trumpet solo (to cite Tony Bennett and others). However, the studio bands anchored by Eddie Heywood’s piano suffer (as do any latter Holiday) when compared to the exquisite backings of the Teddy Wilson led combos, particularly those with Lester Young. The accompaniments, particularly a series of trios, get a bit lugubrious, an effect emphasized by the sequencing of the alternate performances together. But whatever her limitations, Holiday’s ability to turn a phrase, deliver her lyrics, and project her vulnerability and hurting still haunts over fifty years after these recordings were waxed. A single disc containing all of the performances along with the best alternates would be a near essential purchase. As good as the music is here, it is more for the jazz collector as opposed to the generalist.

Lester Young had been in New York when the recordings on The “Kansas City” Sessions (CMD-402) were made. The Kansas City refers to the Kansas City Five (or Six), the title for the small group ensembles that were recorded. After John Hammond recorded a Buck Clayton session with the Basie rhythm section with Eddie Durham’s electric guitar replacing the Count’s piano, Columbia rejected the session. Hammond brought three of the four sides to Gabler (he couldn’t find the fourth), and Gabler arranged to bring back the group, along with Lester Young, for five titles and released them as being by The Kansas City Six or The Kansas City Five (the tracks without Young). The sides with Young are particularly sublime, with Young and Buck Clayton playing with a mute for the heads before either of them or the fleet Durham would take a solo. The rhythm trio of rhythm guitarist Freddie Greene, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones define swing with their playing while Young, whether soling on tenor with a feathery, ethereal tone or a similarly velvety clarinet (as on Countless Blues and Pagin’ the Devil), is at the height of his melodious, lyrical, yet always earthy approach, with Clayton’s trumpet and Durham’s fleet single note guitar adding distinctive touches. Like Young’s recording debut on the Jones-Smith small group sides for Columbia, several of these recordings approach perfection, and if Freddie Greene cannot come close to his then girl friend Billie Holiday as a vocalist on Them There Eyes, Young’s tenor break certainly elevates it. Young would lead another Kansas City Six, five and a half years later with Jo Jones returning, along with trombonist Dickie Wells trumpeter Bill Coleman, pianist Joe Bushkin and bassist John Simmons for four tunes in which Young’s tenor saxophone dominates, but Wells provides more than a few delights including’ solos on the various takes of I Got Rhythm. Round this off with the four 1938 sides led by Buck Clayton, and you have a classic collection of small group session from swing’s heyday.

Last sessions (CMD-403) from Jelly Roll Morton collects a series of solo piano and small group recordings the pioneering jazz pianist and composer made for the General label shortly after making his famous Library of Congress Recordings (of which the music has been reissued on Rounder). By the time these were made, Morton’s career had fallen quite a bit from the days he was quite a dandy, as when he made the legendary Red Hot Pepper recordings for Victor. Constantly reminding others of his status as the creator of jazz, his solo pieces include a terrific rag, renditions of Winin’ Boy, Heard Buddy Bolden Say, the amusing children’s lyric on Animule Dance and Mamie’s Blues. Morton adds to the charm of several numbers with very amiable vocals and some commentary. The remainder of the album are small groups sessions, all of which have trumpeter Red Allen among others. If not having the precision of the Red Hot Pepper recordings (among the jazz masterpieces of the twenties), they all are spirited performances that show that even shortly before his passing, Morton could play and sing with vitality, and even have a little fun at the expense of the swing bands that had adopted his King Porter Stomp.

Perhaps not essential Jelly Roll, but still an important collection. Wild Bill Davison’s fiery trumpet graced many a “Dixieland” record date or jam session with his full speed ahead, take no prisoners uncompromising attack. The Commodore Master Takes (CMD-404) has the 24 sides Davison recorded as a leader in the company of such traditional jazz players as guitarist Eddie Condon, trombonist George Brunies and clarinet players Pee Wee Russell, Edmond Hall and Albert Nicholas. Many of the tracks are traditional jazz flagwavers, like That’s a Plenty, Muskrat Ramble, Original Dixieland One Step and High Society. The group can mute the energy level a bit for Baby Won’t You Please Come Home and Someday Sweetheart, while they get playful on Fats Waller’s Squeeze Me, which sports a particularly appealing solo by Russell on clarinet in addition to Davison’s wide open horn. This is not music for the head, and some of the ensemble playing lacks some of the charm of the better New Orleans ensembles (like those of George Lewis), but this is music for the heart and the feet, and he was still blowing strong until he passed away in 1989.

Clarinet Pee Wee Russell’s Commodore collection is titled Jazz Original (CMD-405) and accurately suggests his individuality. The Commodore recordings compiled here include several under Eddie Condon’s nominal leadership, an alternate of Squeeze Me from a Davison session, four selections with the Three Deuces (Russell, pianist Joe Sullivan and drummer Zutty Singleton), and the closing four titles by Pee Wee Russell’s Hot Four (heard on a total of eight takes). While the backing might suggest a traditional jazz backing, he was equally at home in the company of Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins and Red Allen, and with Allen appeared with Ornette Coleman’s rhythm section. Unlike Wild Bill Davison, Russell’s playing can’t be pigeon-holed as a traditional jazz or Dixieland. He’s too much a swing player as well as a helluva blues player, as he shows on two takes of Serenade to a Shylock which offer Jack Teagarden’s persuasive singing as well. The trio sides with Sullivan and Singleton are a particular delight, and display the melodic quality characteristic of his playing. The ensemble playing here is generally stronger than on the Davison collection, as can be heard on the spirited alternate take of a Muggsy Spanier-led rendition of Rosetta. This album will probably be the biggest revelation for many. After all, Pres, Lady Day and Jelly Roll are among jazz’s greatest legends. Pee Wee Russell’s music may not reach the Olympian heights of their finest work, but he soars fairly high.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I was provided the review copies by Jazz & Blues Report.