Catherine Russell "Strictly Romancin'" (USA) 

 

 

Over her still yet young career, Catherine Russell has managed to put out 4 critically acclaimed albums since 2006. Catherine, has of course, toured the world, and has performed and recording with many greats including "Paul Simon, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, and Rosanne Cash", to name just a few. Catherine has also been part of many World Class Festivals and Venues, including Chicago Blues, Montreal Jazz, Bern International Jazz, Detroit International Jazz, Panama Jazz, I Love Jazz - Brazil, to really name just a few. Catherine's records and performances continue to garner worldwide critical review, with all agreeing "Catherine Russell is that rarest of entities – a genuine jazz and blues singer – who can sing virtually anything."

 

 

 

Catherine Russell starts the show rolling with a great Edgar Sampson cover called "Under the Spell of the Blues". It is an oldie for sure, and after listening to a 1936 recording of it featuring a then 19 year old Ella Fitzgerald, I must say that Catherine and her band certainly did it justice. The theme of doing some of the oldies, even if they may not be readily familiar, is a theme that runs throughout "Strictly Romancin'", with marvelous renditions of songs written by greats such as, Hoagy Carmichael ("Ev'ntide"), Duke Ellington ("I'm Checkin' Out, Goom'bye"), and Rosetta Tharpe ("He's All I Need"), to touch on just a few of the covers that were written by a Who's Who of masterful artists.

 

It did not take long into "Strictly Romancin'" before I got it that Catherine Russell is one heck of a Vocalists, but beyond that I also got the fact that she was being backed by one heck of a group of artists, that simply shone throughout this album and offered up lots of interesting and tantalizing takes. A few cases in point was the addition of Joe Barbato to the mix on 2 of the Tracks as an Accordionist, my favorite being Track 2 "I'm In The Mood For Love", which comes across with a distinctive French Cafe feel and the wonderful Jazzy feel that Matt Munisteri brought to the mix on nearly all the Tracks, even stepping in with Banjo on Track 14 ("Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing?").

 

There is no doubt as one listens to "Strictly Romancin'" that Catherine Russell has the god given ability to bend her voice to suit the song, as she does throughout this album, especially on Tracks 6 "I'm Checkin' Out, Goom'bye", a rollicking Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn cover which has a great conversational piece pitting her against John Allred's Trombone and the Gospel tinged Rosetta Tharpe cover ("He's All I Need"), which she shares Vocals with her mother, Carline Ray. "He's All I Need" was one of my favorites and certainly one of the more moving Tracks on this album.

 

Being more on the Jazzier side, "Strictly Romancin'" is not an album I would usually review, simply due to the fact that I am a Blues/Blues Rock reviewer, however there are times when I am sent an album, for review, that simply transcends my preference as a reviewer and in doing so, opens up my eyes and ears to yet another amazing album and the artists performing on it. "Strictly Romancin'" was certainly one of those albums.

 

Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)

 

 

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