Catherine Russell Harlem on My Mind

Catherine Russell
Harlem on My Mind
Jazz Village


Some familiar with this blog may be aware, I am a fan of the singer, Catherine Russell. Regarding her 2012 release "Strictly Romancin'," I observed that, "Vocally she remains as commanding as in her past efforts as her vocals are delivered soulfully yet with a clarity that many vocalists today would benefit from listening to her mix of clean diction and musicality." The same can be said about this latest recording, with a mix of classic swing numbers mixed with intriguing renditions of fifties rhythm'n'blues and a few obscure songs that she introduces to many. 

On her latest release she is backed by a superb rhythm section of guitarist Mike Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean. Saxophonists Andy Ferber, Mark Lopeman and Dan Block along, with trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, are among those playing on horns. One track has centenarian Fred Staton (brother of the late Candy Staton). 


The title track is an Irving Berlin song that Ethel Waters originally recorded and is performed with small group backing as Russell so sonorously delivers "I’ve got Harlem on my mind /And I’m longing to be low down/ And my parlez vous will not ring true / With Harlem on my mind," and followed by the vibrant big little band (tentet) horn-driven  "I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me," with Munisteri providing solid rhythm guitar in the manner of Freddie Greene. This is followed by the ebullient swing of "Swing! Brother Swing!" with wonderful muted trumpet by Kellso, trombone from John Allred and Mark Lopeman's tough tenor sax. Then there is the wonderful rendition of Ray Noble's classic ballad, "The Very Thought of You," the delightful, slightly naughty, neo-trad reworking of the Clarence Williams' classic, "You Got the Right Key But The Wrong Keyhole" (with Lopeman's clarinet and Munisteri's banjo), and anogther lovely ballad, "Don’t Take Your Love From Me," with a marvelous, romantic tenor sax solo from Fred Staton.

An impish rendition Fats Waller-Andy Razaf gem “Blue Turning Grey Over You,” is followed by a wonderful rendition of a torch song, “You’re My Thrill,” with a marvelous Farber horn arrangement. I am not sure who first recorded “I Want a Man” (Esther Phillips?) but Russell's rendition reminds me of the sass and vigor Ruth Rrown brought to similar material. Benny ‘King’ Carter’s classic “When Lights Are Low,” receives a royal rendition followed by a terrific cover of Little Willie John’s “Talk To Me, Talk To Me,” along with her own, heart-felt take of Dinah Washington’s “Let Me Be the First to Know.”

The retro-swing “Goin’ To Town,” was part of Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club repertoire and recorded by Catherine’s father Luis Russell in 1931. The effervescent performance provides a lively close to another superb recording from Ms. Russell. No one is producing such a series of excellent joyful celebrations of swing jazz and jump blues as Catherine Russell, of which “Harlem on My Mind,” is simply the latest example.

I purchased this as a download. Here Catherine performs a blues Dinah Washington recorded,  "My Man Is An Undertaker."

Catherine Russell Is Strictly Romancin'

Catherine Russell, the daughter of the legendary Luis Russell and Carline Ray, has yet another collection of musical treats with her latest album, Strictly Romancin’ (World Village). It carries on in the vein of her well received Sentimental Streak and Inside This Heart Of Mine, with a similar collection of mostly long forgotten blues, ballads, love songs and swing from the twenties to today.

On this date, she is joined by guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Lee Hudson and drummer Mark McLean with Dan Block’s alto saxophone and clarinet. The tenor saxophone of Andy Farber is present on four tracks while Joe Barbato adds accordion to two selections. Vocally she remains as commanding as in her past efforts as her vocals are delivered soulfully yet with a clarity that many vocalists today would benefit from listening to her mix of clean diction and musicality.

She and her collaborators have such a way of uncovering lesser know gems from such well known composers and songwriters as Edgar Sampson, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Mary Lou Williams and Ivory Joe Hunter as well as bring a fresh touch to some very well known songs while Munisteri in particular adds some very neat guitar playing channeling at different times, Eddie Lang and Django Reinhardt as well Charlie Christian.

Certainly the yearning vocal of the swinging Edgar Sampson-Ken Harrison Under the Spell of the Blues, helps set the tone and then followed by the gypsy swing rendition of I’m In The Mood For Love, with Barbato’s accordion being stunning. If Ev’ntide is not a familiar Hoagy Carmichael song, Russell’s warm rendition should change that. The Ellington-Strayhorn I’m Checkin’ Out, Goodbye, has a lively backing anchored in part of Shane’s stride-base piano and John Allred’s gruff trombone and some nice alto sax fills from Block along with Jon-Erik Kellso’s bright horn arrangement. Then there is the hep lively jive of Mary Lou William’s tribute to Louis Armstrong, Satchel Mouth Baby, with Munisteri providing vocal harmony.

It is a joy to listen to Catherine Russell deliver Lil Green’s classic ballad blues In the Dark, with Shane taking a solo. No More is a choice uptown blues as she sings about not needing nor caring for her lover with the horns caressing her vocal. There is some more Left Bank Gypsy jazz flavor on Everything’s Been Done Before, with Barbato’s accordion and Munisteri’s deft single note acoustic guitar contribute to this romantic performance. It is followed by the yearning and pleading vocal on Ivory Joe Hunter’s Don’t Leave Me, with Shane evoking the late blues and country balladeer’s piano style while Munisteri perhaps takes his finest solo. Then there is a lively rendition of the early jazz classic Everybody Loves My Baby, that swings hard with some fine muted trumpet from Kellso and clarinet from Block that is more in the vein of Benny Goodman than Buster Bailey (who played on the original by Eva Taylor which had Louis Armstrong on cornet).

Russell’s mother, Carline Ray, adds her vocal to He’s All I Need, a gospel classic from Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight with Shane providing solid, idiomatic piano. This disc closes with the jaunty “Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain’t No Swing?” As long as Catherine Russell is around we don’t have to worry about that question, because we won’t be blue because she will keep us swinging. Strictly Romancin’ is another varied and marvelous recording by Catherine Russell. Those who have her prior albums likely have been waiting for more from her and will not be disappointed. Others will discover just how wonderful a performer she is.

I received my review copy from a publicist for this release. Here is Catherine doing the title track of Inside This Heart Of Mine.

Catherine Russell Delves Into the Heart of Classic Songs

It has been about two years since Catherine Russell delighted us with the marvelous disc Sentimental Streak on World Village. The daughter of legendary bandleader, Luis Russell and bassist Carline Ray, Russell has another excellent release “Inside This Heart of Mine,” also on World Village. This present session is produced by Paul Kahn with Catherine as Executive Producer. Like the prior disc, it is rooted primarily in swing tunes from the twenties to the sixties. . The core of the backing band is the trio of Mark Shane on piano, Matt Munisteri on guitar and banjo and Lee Hudson on bass (although Neal Miner is on two selections). Brian Grice and Rob Garcia play drums where heard, while Howard Johnson adds brass bass (tuba) to two selections and Sara Caswell adds violin to a different pair of performances.

In my prior review, I noted that Ms. Russell evokes a variety of influences including Alberta Hunter, Billy Holiday, Ivie Anderson, and Nellie Lutcher. I find Holiday an apt comparison as she phrases the lyric. She does not come across as a Holiday sound-alike in the style of a Madeline Peyroux,. Rather her delivery and timing is reminiscent of Lady Day, and the backing is complimentary and sympathetic. The selection of songs is immaculate starting with the title track, a chestnut that Fats Waller and J.C. Johnson authored with lovely horn solos and Munisteri’s graceful rhythmic riffing in the backing with her expressing the sadness of love being a stranger ‘inside this heart of mine.’ “All the Cats Join In,” is a spicy swinger taken from a Peggy Lee recording with growling trumpet from Jon-Erik Kellso and a strong tenor solo from Dan Black. Andy Razaf is among those who wrote the swinging “We the People,” that Fats Waller first recorded, with lyrics that we don’t care about taxation as long as legislators give us syncopation. Shane takes a lively stride-inspired solo with Munisteri adding short riffed guitar break. “Troubled Waters,” penned by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnston, comes from a 1934 Duke Ellington recording that featured Ivy Anderson. Kellso’s growling trumpet (echoes of Cootie Williams) underscores Russell’s lamentation here.

A 1969 Maxine Sullivan recording is the source for the delightful rendition of “As Long As I Live,” with another nice piano solo. Paul Kahn’s “November” with backing including accordion and violin has a gypsy jazz ambience as Russell sings about the change of seasons with it getting cold outside while her lover is not by her side. Sara Carswell’s violin and Munisteri’s banjo also lends a gypsy jazz tinge to Rachelle Garniez’s original “Just Because Your Can.” Joya Sherrill handled the vocal in 1945 when the Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded Duke’s “Long Strong and Consecutive,” and the intimate setting here has Russell sound like a female Nat Cole as she sings about wanting long strong and consecutive kisses as “no short snort will suit” her. Perhaps the most fetching, dreamy and romantic number on this album is the rendition of “Close Your Eyes,” with a lovely guitar solo. Its followed by a nice reworking of Wyonnie Harris’ jump blues, “Quiet Whiskey,” with its classic lines

“Whiskey on the shelf,
You were so quiet there by yourself
Things were fine ‘till they took you down
Opened You Up and Passed Your Around.”

Russell and her group take this jump blues recording and transform it into some hep jive.

Russell then directs her interpretative talents to Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful,” with backing from Munisteri’s banjo, Rob Garcia’s drums and Howard Johnson’s tuba. To this trio, horns are added for “Slow as Molasses, originally recorded in 1929 by the Jungle Town Stompers. On the original recording, her father Luis played piano and celeste. Lyrics were added by Rachelle Garniez. which evoke the jazz age. The disc closes with a spirited rendition of one of the most famous of jazz recordings, Lil Hardin Armstrong’s sassy,“Struttin’ With Some Barbecue.”

Catherine Russell continues to mine lesser known songs from decades past and revive them in a lively fashion that avoids being campy. Her vocals are a model that many singing jazz and blues would do well top listen to and learn from how she delivers her songs as well as marvel from the sensitive and sympathetic support she receives. Like her prior recordings, “Inside This Heart of Mine,” is a recording to treasure.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I received a review copy from the record company.