By Marilyn Lester***There’s no question that Grammy Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell is the queen of any stage she’s gracing. After all, she is jazz royalty, the daughter of Luis Russell, pianist-leader and Louis Armstrong’s musical director, and jazz singer Carline Ray. At her most recent Dizzy’s Jazz Club gig, Russell performed an exquisite and varied program, from trad jazz and R&B to the blues to standards. She was preceded by her uber-talented band, Matt Munisteri (guitar), Mark Shane (piano), Tal Ronen (bass) and Mark McLean (drums), on a swinging “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead” (Sam Theard), which set the tone for a full-bodied evening of jazz and blues riches to come.
Like many history-minded performers, Russell almost always gives a nod to a writer or recording artist about the tune she’s performing, such as her jazzy/R&B rendition of “Send For Me” (Ollie Jones), an R&B hit for Nat King Cole and McCoy’s Boys in 1957. Brava to her. Russell knows, and is invested in, the notion that this knowledge is important. It’s not only vital to keep this music alive, but for performers to understand whose shoulders they stand upon. That’s one big ingredient of greatness. Likewise she delivered a slow, smooth “Make It Last” (Dick Haymes), a superb Betty Carter tune recorded by that late icon in 1958.
There were standards, such as “East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)” (Books Bowman) with smooth, easy phrasing; a swinging ”Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (and Dream Your Troubles Away)” (Harry Barris/Ted Koehler/ Billy Moll); and “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (Nacio Herb Brown/ Gus Kahn) with a creative bass solo by Ronen. These standards also brought to the fore that Munisteri’s superb guitar was mostly almost forward in the musical support and accompaniment of Russell’s vocals.
Russell’s stage persona is bright and cheery. She’s full of life and energy and every ounce of it comes through in her various song interpretations. Her narrative is always perfectly timed and succinct to give the just the right setup to her numbers. Her “Caribbean portion of the program” revealed a wry gift for humor in “Make It Do,” a hit for Bulee “Slim” Gaillard, a versatile musical eccentric—as well as a downright funny “I’m Lazy, That’s All” ( Mackie), a staple in the Russell repertoire, inspired by Pearl Bailey’s 1948 recording of the tune.
As for blues, Russell is a master of the genre, from straight ahead numbers such as “In the Dark” (Lillian Green) to good old-school low-down blues, with a “raw” tune recorded in 1929 by Ethel Waters, “Do What You Did Last Night” (James P. Johnson/Andy Razaf). New Yorker Russell considers New Orleans a second home, and so her delightful set concluded with two tributes to the Big Easy, a swinging “Going Back to New Orleans (Ellis Walsh) and a zydeco-tinged up-tune, Earl King’s “No City Like New Orleans.”
At the beginning of her show, Russell noted how invigorating and wonderful to be performing live again after the 18 months of pandemic lockdown. She related poignantly that the last time she was in Dizzy’s Club was for a Jazz at Lincoln Center live-stream. The room was empty of an audience. Simply and eloquently, Russell articulated what it means to be in a space together when music happens. It’s priceless, as is the talent and artistry of the diva herself—and so it was a joy and privilege to once again experience Russell and her amazing band in that beautiful club overlooking the wondrous skyline of the City of New York.
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