Catherine Russell - Alone Together

Styles: Vocal, Swing 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:34
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Alone Together
(3:40)  2. You Turned The Tables On Me
(5:05)  3. When Did You Leave Heaven
(4:12)  4. Early In The Morning
(5:08)  5. Is You Or Is You Ain't My Baby
(2:38)  6. You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes
(3:44)  7. Shake Down The Stars
(4:53)  8. I Wonder
(4:08)  9. He May Be Your Dog But He's Wearing My Collar
(2:47) 10. Errand Girl For Rhythm
(3:30) 11. How Deep Is The Ocean
(3:43) 12. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:50) 13. You're Not The Only Oyster In The Stew

Alone Together is vocalist Catherine Russell’s seventh album, and with each release she seems to inhabit more fully a liminal space between past and present. Without indulging in sentimentality, she captures the spirit of the era out of which the pieces she sings emerged.Part of the timeless yet vintage quality of her music flows from her fine-grained voice and a blues sensibility reminiscent of Dinah Washington and Helen Humes. And part of it is the company she keeps. On Alone Together she’s again joined by a nonpareil band featuring guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Mark McLean, essentially the same core of players who’ve been with her for the past decade. About half the tracks include tenor saxophonist Evan Arntzen, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, and trombonist John Allred, who provide more texture and melodic counterpoint than propulsion. What’s most striking about the album is its restraint, as if Russell is keeping a Ferrari in second gear. Opening with a magnificent version of the title track, she brings the same sense of discovery to familiar tunes like “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” and “How Deep Is the Ocean?” as she does to lesser-known fare such as the Jimmy Van Heusen/Eddie De Lange gem “Shake Down the Stars” and the hoary blues “He May Be Your Dog But He’s Wearing My Collar.” Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Russell jumped ship from her thriving career as a rock & roll backup singer only 15 years ago. Alone Together offers a welcome reminder that there’s no one else in jazz doing what she does, and that the scene would be immeasurably poorer without her. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/catherine-russell-alone-together-dot-time/

Personnel:  Vocals – Catherine Russell; Bass – Tal Ronen; Guitar – Matt Munisteri; Piano – Mark Shane; Tenor Saxophone – Evan Arntzen; Trombone – John Allred; Trumpet – Jon-Erik Kellso 

Alone Together

---

Catherine Russell - Send For Me

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:18
Size: 108,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:26) 1. Did I Remember
(4:44) 2. Send For Me
(3:04) 3. At The Swing Cats Ball
(4:41) 4. Make It Last
(3:37) 5. Going Back To New Orleans
(3:40) 6. If I Could Be With You
(2:52) 7. You Can Fly High
(3:48) 8. East of The Sun (and West of The Moon)
(4:11) 9. In The Night
(3:24) 10. You Stepped Out of A Dream
(3:07) 11. Blue And Sentimental
(2:59) 12. Sticks and Stones
(3:38) 13. Million Dollar Smile

GRAMMY® nominated vocalist Catherine Russell, when asked to characterize her new album, Send For Me, replied, “I love romance that swings.” Send For Me features a baker’s dozen of newly recorded tunes on her eighth album as a leader, meeting a simple exacting standard. “Songs that inspire or touch me in some way. When I find a song I like, it haunts me until I learn it.” Her mission is finding songs that you might not have heard but deserve attention.

Russell’s deep connection to her chosen material is part of a calling. As the daughter of pioneering and legendary musicians, pianist/orchestra leader/composer/arranger Luis Russell, and bassist/guitarist/vocalist Carline Ray, Catherine Russell was born into jazz royalty. In culling material for her new album from the likes of Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Luis Russell, Betty Carter, Kay Starr, Joe Liggins, Earl King, Jack Teagarden, Helen Humes, Frank Sinatra, Dakota Staton, Henry Red Allen, and Louis Armstrong, the vocalist swims in familiar waters. She sings a language that comes naturally, furthering a profound legacy.

Send For Me is a follow up to Russell’s 2019 release Alone Together, which received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and landed on the JazzWeek year-end radio chart as the #1 most played album. “I like to invite the people in,” she says of her new album, which is also her philosophy of performing live. The album is an invitation, welcoming the audience to come along on a journey. https://www.dottimerecords.com/product/catherine-russell-send-for-me/

Personnel: Catherine Russell – vocals, percussion (5,7); hand claps (2); Matt Munisteri – guitar, musical director, banjo (5,6); Tal Ronen – bass (except 5); Mark McLean – drums; tambourine (5); Mark Shane – piano (1,3,4,7,12); Sean Mason – piano (2,6,8,9,10,11,13); Jon-Erik Kellso – trumpet (1,3,4,7,9,12); John Allred – trombone (1,3,4,6,7,9,12); Evan Arntzen – reeds (1,3,7,9,12); Paul Nedzela – baritone saxophone (9); Mark Lopeman – tenor saxophone (2); Aaron Heick – tenor saxophone (2); Philip Norris – Tuba (5); Paul Kahn – hand claps (2)

Send For Me

---

Catherine Russell - Cat

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:59
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Sad Lover Blues
(2:43)  2. Can't We Be Friends
(2:17)  3. The Late, Late Show
(3:46)  4. Where Can I Go Without You
(2:35)  5. Put Me Down Easy
(2:48)  6. My Man's An Undertaker
(2:42)  7. Blue Memories
(2:26)  8. Juneteenth Jamboree - Royal Garden Blues
(3:00)  9. Back O Town Blues
(3:13) 10. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You
(2:46) 11. The Poker
(2:23) 12. You Were Made For Me
(2:37) 13. Darn That Dream
(2:56) 14. Deep In a Dream
(3:49) 15. New Speedway Boogie

The world is never short of new jazz/blues singers, but with Cat, Catherine Russell stands out from the crowd. The child of very musical parents, she's inherited their genes, but added her individuality, which can move from the pop-blues of Sam Cooke's "You Were Made for Me" (one of two Cooke songs here, both with real identity) to the New Orleans style of "Juneteenth Jamboree." Interesting touches in the arrangements help the album, too, such as the mandolin on "Sad Lover Blues" (it features elsewhere, too) or the pedal steel that colors "The Late, Late Show." Russell isn't a belter. She prefers to shade her material and does it well. There are a few surprising choices, the most obvious being "New Speedway Boogie," the cover of a Grateful Dead song that more or less works (they were so idiosyncratic that anything written specifically for them seems a little misplaced done by anyone else), but it's a joy to hear someone singing outside the usual box of standards. Whether she'll become a major star remains in the lap of the gods. But she's definitely one of the more adventurous and friendly singers mining the seam of jazz-blues. ~ Chris Nickson https://www.allmusic.com/album/cat-mw0000408202

Cat

---

William Bell - This Is Where I Live

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:55
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. The Three Of Me
(2:56)  2. The House Always Wins
(3:15)  3. Poison In The Well
(2:52)  4. I Will Take Care Of You
(3:17)  5. Born Under A Bad Sign
(2:56)  6. All Your Stories
(2:52)  7. Walking On A Tightrope
(3:14)  8. This Is Where I Live
(4:19)  9. More Rooms
(3:00) 10. All The Things You Can't Remember
(3:48) 11. Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge
(2:58) 12. People Want To Go Home

Stax Records was recently revived under the umbrella of the Concord Music Group, in a commendable gesture to acknowledge the southern soul artists on the legendary label. When Stax (formerly Satellite Records) originated in 1961, one of the first artists signed was a young singer/songwriter named William Bell, who hit the charts that same year with "You Don't Miss Your Water." But it would be for his monumental song "Born Under A Bad Sign" co-written by Booker T. Jones, and recorded in 1967 by Albert King that he is remembered. Bell, now age 76, returns to Stax after forty years with This Is Where I Live, a testament of truthful soul singing at its best. Teaming up with producer John Leventhal, Bell revisits that classic Stax sound where he began so long ago, like returning home, picking up where he left off. Memphis is the home of Stax, so there is a mild undercurrent of country, but this is pure soul. From the mid-tempo groove of "The Three Of Me," Bell wastes no time in setting the stage, and showing he is a singer of the highest caliber. His mastery of lyrics and ability tell a story everyone can relate to is evident on "The House Always Wins," a tale of life told in terms of gambling and losing. The tempo picks up with "Poison In The Well," and it drops way down on "I Will Take Care Of You," a poignant promise to an ailing love.

He revisits "Born Under A Bad Sign," this time a bit softer, but he still has no luck at all. Digging into the Jesse Winchester songbook, "All Your Stories," is an acoustical look in the mirror, a perfect vehicle for a man with a long and interesting past. Bell sings of this life in "This Is Where I Live," and how music has been his sanctuary and refuge, whereas "More Rooms," depicts an empty house, after the love is gone. The impact of harsh words shaped "All The Things You Can't Remember," as forgiveness is erased from possible options. The Staple Singers groove springs into "Mississippi-Arkansas Bridge," a colorful painting of a musician's life in the south, and he goes back to his roots with "People Want To Go Home." There was a lot of pressure in the making of this record. The sheer magnitude of the Stax legacy is a hard act to follow, so it had to be someone who came from the primordial source. William Bell is that person. An introspective soul singer who not only has the credentials, but most significant, has the voice. ~ James Nadal https://www.allaboutjazz.com/this-is-where-i-live-william-bell-stax-records-review-by-james-nadal.php

Personnel: William Bell: vocals; John Leventhal: guitars, electric bass, acoustic bass, keyboards, percussion, drums; Shawn Pelton: drums (3, 8); Dan Rieser: drums (2); Victor Jones: drums (4, 5); Rick DePofi: tenor sax, baritone sax; Tony Kadlek: trumpet, flugelhorn; Dave Eggar: cello; Entcho Todorov: violin, viola; Laura Seaton: violin; Amy Helm: backing vocals (11); Catherine Russell: vocals; Curtis King: vocals; Marc Cohn: vocals; D Train: vocals; Kenny Williams: vocals; Keith Fluitt: vocals; John Leventhal: vocals; Rick De Pofi: vocals.

This Is Where I Live

---

Catherine Russell - Harlem On My Mind

Size: 122,1 MB
Time: 52:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Harlem On My Mind (4:13)
02. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (4:08)
03. Swing! Brother, Swing! (2:30)
04. The Very Thought Of You (5:03)
05. You've Got The Right Key But The Wrong Keyhole (3:52)
06. Don't Take Your Love From Me (4:49)
07. Blue Turning Grey Over You (3:07)
08. You're My Thrill (4:40)
09. I Want A Man (3:52)
10. When Lights Are Low (4:47)
11. Talk To Me, Talk To Me (3:16)
12. Let Me Be The First To Know (5:00)
13. Goin' To Town (2:58)

With her sixth album, Harlem On My Mind, Grammy® Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell journeys to the blue heart of the great African American songbook. Swinging forth with soulful interpretations, Russell taps the golden age of Harlem, as befits this vibrant daughter of jazz. Vocalists Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Dinah Washington provide inspiration where tunesmiths like Benny Carter, Irving Berlin, Andy Razaf and Fats Waller once ruled the roost of a renaissance which continues to reverberate. Of the title track, Russell says, “It’s about not forgetting your roots,” which also serves as her modus operandi for the entire 12 song collection. “The album is comprised of songs from artists who played at The Apollo in Harlem, where all African American artists of note appeared.”

Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Russell notes, “My mother was born and raised in Harlem and my father led one of the leading orchestras in Harlem, which was part of the inspiration for this album.

Harlem On My Mind

---

Catherine Russell - Bring It Back

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:21
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Bring It Back
[2:28] 2. I'm Shooting High
[4:05] 3. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[3:07] 4. You Got To Swing And Sway
[4:38] 5. Aged And Mellow
[2:37] 6. The Darktown Strutter's Ball
[3:52] 7. Lucille
[2:36] 8. You've Got Me Under Your Thumb
[5:20] 9. After The Lights Go Down Low
[3:04] 10. I'm Sticking With You Baby
[3:28] 11. Strange As It Seems
[3:10] 12. Public Melody Number One
[4:59] 13. I Cover The Waterfront

Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was born in Panama, emigrated to New Orleans and then New York City, becoming a legendary pianist/bandleader/arranger/composer, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time collaborator and musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering bassist/guitarist/vocalist and holder of advanced degrees from Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Ruth Brown. Not surprisingly considering her pedigree, Catherine Russell is a one of a kind musician and vocalist. A graduate of American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Catherine has toured the world, performing and recording with David Bowie, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Carrie Smith, and many others.

Catherine's 5th album, Bring It Back hit the streets in February 2014 on the Jazz Village label, and received a rave Five Star review in Downbeat Magazine. With her new album, Catherine Russell digs deeper into a rich vein of musical treasures. Mining collaborations between her legendary father, Luis Russell, and the great Louis Armstrong, Catherine brings along the same team from her two previous chart-topping albums. Gems from the Jazz Age and Swing Era performed with new arrangements for 10 piece orchestra, blend seamlessly with reinventions sourced from Blues icons Esther Phillips, Al Hibbler, Wynonie Harris, and Little Willie John.

Catherine Russell is that rarest of entities – a genuine jazz and blues singer – who can sing virtually anything. Her voice is full blown feminity incarnate; a dusky, stalwart and soulful instrument that radiates interpretive power yet remains touchingly vulnerable. She launches fearlessly into each tune, getting inside the melody and capturing every emotion. Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920's through the Present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell joins the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

Bring It Back

---

Catherine Russell - Bring It Back

Styles: Vocal, Beyond Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:58
Size: 110,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Bring It Back
(2:31)  2. I'm Shooting High
(4:08)  3. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:09)  4. You Got To Swing And Sway
(4:40)  5. Aged And Mellow
(2:39)  6. The Darktown Strutters' Ball
(3:55)  7. Lucille
(2:39)  8. You've Got Me Under Your Thumb
(5:24)  9. After The Lights Go Down Low
(3:07) 10. I'm Sticking With You Baby
(3:30) 11. Strange As It Seems
(3:13) 12. Public Melody Number One
(5:01) 13. I Cover The Waterfront

New York City vocalist Catherine Russell is the brilliant eutection of two bright tones. Her father, the late Luis Russell, collaborated with Louis Armstrong as his bandleader and arranger. Russell's mother was the inestimable Carline Ray who concluded her seven decade career with her debut as a leader Vocal Sides (Self Produced, 2013) before passing away at aged 88 July 27, 2013). Russell was intimately involved in the project with her mother. These spirits mixed to create the formidable talent that is Russell. Bring It Back is Russell's fifth recording and her first for the Harmonia Mundi Jazz Village imprint.

Russell creatively stretches with both a larger ten-piece band and an equally enlarged repertoire spanning from the dawn of jazz to the heyday of rhythm and blues. Russell and her cadre of arrangers opted for a more earthy presentation, giving the music a sepia hue without turning it into an all-out period piece. There is a comfortable and familiar 1930s cinematic feel to this music sans the rudimentary sonic technology. This is that honest music made by Esther Phillips, Al Hibbler, Wynonie Harris, Johnny Otis and Little Willie John, music that existed in the interface between jazz and R & B, where the two genres and all that made them linger and embrace.  The disc's true center is the first full performance of Russell's father's composition, "Lucille," which was recently found in the Louis Armstrong archives as a demo. It is a shimmering ballad that migrates into a Count Basie riff-fest. Russell addresses the slow blues in "After the Lights Go Down Low" complete with Glenn Patscha's Hammond and Matt Munisteri's thin, metallic guitar fills raise the song above gutbucket into the Chittlin' Circuit realm. "I'm Sticking to You Baby" is a Henry Glover jump blues. 

Perfectly wedged in is Fats Waller's "Strange as it Seems" and the Koehler/Arlen hidden swing treasure, "Public Melody Number One." Russell's title Bring It Back is a call for reconsideration. The primary focus in jazz, or music in general, need not be the ever- expanding trajectory outward. It can also be inward, old forms well considered. Russell provides essential and emphatic interpretations of songs close to her life and spirit making this an exceptional recording. ~ C.Michael Bailey   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46402#.Uvw1koW2yNA

Personnel: Catherine Russell: vocals, percussion (6, 10); Matt Munisteri: guitar; Mark Shane: piano; Lee Hudson: bass (1-5, 7-13); Nicki Parrott: bass (6); Mark McLean: drums, percussion (6); Andy Farber: tenor saxophone; Jon-Erik Kellso: trumpet; Brian Pareschi: trumpet (2-13); Dan Block: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone (5), clarinet (4); John Allred: trombone; Mark Lopeman: baritone saxophone; Glen Patscha: Hammond B-3 (6, 9, 10).

Bring It Back

---

Catherine Russell - Sentimental Streak

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 46:33

Size: 106.6 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2008

Art: Front

[2:32] 1. So Little Time (So Much To Do)

[3:03] 2. I'm Lazy, That's All

[3:03] 3. Kitchen Man

[2:23] 4. Oh Yes, Take Another Guess

[3:13] 5. New Orleans

[3:17] 6. My Old Daddy's Got A Brand New Way To Love

[6:09] 7. South To A Warmer Place

[2:44] 8. Thrill Me

[2:56] 9. You Better Watch Yourself, Bub

[2:53] 10. I've Got That Thing

[3:16] 11. I Don't Care Who Knows

[3:20] 12. Broken Nose

[4:59] 13. Luci

[2:36] 14. You For Me, Me For You

On her second album, SENTIMENTAL STREAK, Catherine Russell turns back the clock to the era of blues, ragtime, and swing, summoning the ghosts of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and a young Billie Holiday. Russell may draw comparisons to contemporary old-time revivalists like Madeleine Peyroux, yet there's an exuberance and vitality to the singer's performances that give SENTIMENTAL STREAK the ring of authenticity. Suitable for playing softly in the background or turning up to jitterbug levels, Russell's trip down music's memory lane charms and seduces.

Catherine Russell (vocals); Larry Campbell (guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, violin); Matt Munisteri (guitar, banjo); Rachelle Garniez (accordion); Erik Lawrence (saxophone); Steven Bernstein (trumpet, slide trumpet, cornet); Howard Johnson (tuba); Larry Ham, Brian John Mitchell (piano); Lee Hudson, Byron Isaacs (acoustic bass); James Wormworth (drums).

Sentimental Streak 

---

Dan Block - Duality

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:24
Size: 117.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:06] 1. Long Ago And Far Away
[3:30] 2. I'm Bringing A Red Red Rose
[3:02] 3. Chorino For Dennis
[6:08] 4. If You Could See Me Now
[4:17] 5. Out Of Touch
[3:08] 6. Pitter Panther Patter
[4:58] 7. Lyric Waltz [from Dance Of The Dolls]
[7:25] 8. In The Dark
[4:09] 9. My Own Morning
[4:45] 10. The Jazz Samba
[4:52] 11. I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise

It must be one of the most pure ways to improvise: the duet. Call and respond are the basic elements of jazz music, born a century ago ..... Dan Block had the audacity to make such an album, entitled Duality - almost a dozen duo-specials, featuring Dan Block in duet with pianist Ted Rosenthall, guitar player Paul Meyers, awards winning vocalist Catherine Russell, baritone saxophone player Scott Robinson, vibist Mark Sherman and a handfull of others.

Recording information: Cathedral Sound (02/16/2011-05/??/2011); Zebulon Sound Factory (02/16/2011-05/??/2011); Cathedral Sound (05/17/2011/05/21/2011); Zebulon Sound Factory (05/17/2011/05/21/2011).

Duality

---