Catherine Russell

CATHERINE RUSSELL ON

STRICTLY ROMANCIN' EPK:

STRICTLY ROMANCIN' (2012)




Strictly Romancin', jazz/blues vocalist Catherine Russell's fourth solo release, is a paean to natural attractions; to a lover, an art form, and to one's family heritage.  On the album, Catherine explores love's foibles, failures, and bliss, from amorous to humorous, embodying the lost art of song savvy, inhabiting the lyric, and allowing each melody to shine.  On this 14 song collection, this ever soulful vocalist takes us on a journey; from Harlem dance hall, to Parisian Café, to Store Front Church, to New Orleans Gin Joint, to Uptown Cabaret, blurring distinctions between the carnal and the eternal, in a musical tour de force.

INSIDE THIS HEART OF MINE (2011)

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Praise for Catherine Russell at Lincoln Center's Ethel Waters Tribute

"Ms. Russell, who combines a strong, rich voice with understated but penetrating insight, made something special of “Bread and Gravy,” Hoagy Carmichael’s ode to a comfortable life that Waters, who was born into poverty, had to struggle to achieve.”
- New York Times

"The elegant Russell starts with a deceptively casual, conversational "Harlem on My Mind" (Irving Berlin) that sneakily blossoms into glory...and a sophisticated "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (Sam H. Sept–Sidney Clarke) that builds to a spectacular finish."
- Backstage

“The splendid Catherine Russell offers Irving Berlin’s “Harlem on My Mind,” stylishly but with appropriate attitude..."
– WomanAroundTown

“Catherine Russell, who only recently performed in a solo show for Jazz at Lincoln Center, confidently handled Hoagy Carmichael’s “Bread and Gravy,” and Irving Berlin’s “Harlem on My Mind.” On one of Ms. Water’s signature songs, “Am I Blue,” Ms. Russell showed her ability to bend a note to her will. Russell’s most impressive turn of the evening was with “When I’m Gone,” just an amazing performance.”
– The Andy Gram

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STRICTLY ROMANCIN' in the press:

#1 Bestselling Jazz Album on iTunes & Amazon (2/22 – 2/25)

#6 Billboard Jazz Chart

#5 Billboard Traditional Jazz Chart

#1 Jazzweek Chart 3/5/12

NPR Fresh Air Interview/performance 2/21/12

JazzHouse Best Vocal Album 2011

"a deliciously diverse collection that travels from sly blues and glorious gospel to rollicking jump blues and spirited swing...Top-shelf stuff."
- Minnesota Star Tribune

"A truly remarkable CD capturing the sensational Swing Era... Catherine Russell is superb!"
- Featured Artist, Jazz Monthly

"Russell sings in a marvelously full, rich alto and hangs just a hint of a blue scrim over her cheerful, straight-shooting, girl-next-door innocence. Her soulful, R&B triplets on the Lil Green classic "Romance in the Dark" will heat up any Valentine's date"
- Seattle Times, Paul de Barros

"Strictly Romancin,' " is a superb showcase for her lively and inviting voice, from her easygoing elegance on Hoagy Carmichael's "Ev'ntide" to the sweet gospel of "He's All I Need," sung with her 86-year-old mother.”
- Seattle Times, Tom Keogh

“Picking favorites isn't easy, but some songs are almost impossible to shake after hearing them so evocatively arranged. Retro excursions are seldom as much fun as listening to Russell reinvigorate 'I'm Checkin' Out, Goom'bye’”
- Editor’s Pick, The Washington Post

"one of the most exciting of all new jazz singers. Finding people who aren’t at least a little in love with what Catherine Russell does…would be an interesting scientific experiment...Her fourth disc and perhaps her best."
- The Buffalo News

"When Russell goes classic, it's a natural thing, a refreshing thing, a necessary thing and yes, a romantic thing."
- San Antonio Express-News

"The whole album is a treasure trove for classic American music fans and for curious listeners."
- 4 ½ Stars, The Sun Herald

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BIO:

Catherine Russell is a New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a native of Panama who moved to New Orleans and then New York City, becoming a pioneering pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, an outstanding bassist and vocalist, has performed with Mary Lou Williams and International Sweethearts of Rhythm. Considering her roots and family pedigree, it’s no surprise that Catherine Russell is a one-of-a-kind singer and musician. Cat is in demand as a backing singer and multi-instrumentalist, having performed and recorded with artists including Steely Dan, Levon Helm, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Carrie Smith, and Rosanne Cash.

Of her debut album "Cat", (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), she made critic and Sinatra biographer, Will Friedwald's top 10 list who stated "She is a fresh and original voice. The most exciting debut album I've heard in a long time." "It's a delight to hear the real thing in Catherine Russell", wrote the dean of jazz writers, Nat Hentoff, in The Wall Street Journal.

Catherine Russell's second album on World Village, "Sentimental Streak", was released in 2008 to universal acclaim, hitting the Billboard and I-Tunes Jazz Charts, and JazzWeek and Living Blues Radio Charts. Cat was a guest on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and NPR's "Fresh Air". She won the prestigious German Record Critics' Award in the Jazz category and Living Blues magazine's 2008 critics' poll as "Artist Deserving More Attention." L'Acadamie du Jazz in France chose "Sentimental Streak" as finaliste for Prix du Jazz Vocal 2008, while Grammy Award winning writer and jazz critic Francis Davis picked "Sentimental Streak" as Vocal Album of the Year in the 2008 Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll.

Since the release of her albums, Catherine Russell has performed on three continents. She's been the surprise hit at major events including the Chicago Blues Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Bern Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lotus World Music Festival, I Love Jazz Festival in Brazil, Panama Jazz Festival, and at premier venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, The Dakota in Minneapolis, and Yoshi's in San Francisco. All Music Guide says, "Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages."

Catherine Russell's "Inside This Heart of Mine" is a personal selection of gems from the 1920s through the Present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. Deepening the approach of her previous recordings -- an off-the-beaten-path song selection, sparkling small group acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach -- with "Inside This Heart Of Mine", vocalist Catherine Russell joins the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

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VIDEOS:

"NOVEMBER" BY TWO CAHOOTS (THE PELLETIERS)


"JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN" BY MARCIA & CHRIS PELLETIERE


RTV RIJNMOND IN THE NETHERLANDS


More songs from RTV Rijnmond available HERE!

CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL


LIVE @ JOE'S PUB!

"I'm Lazy That's All"


"Kitchen Man"


"Luci"

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