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."

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."