Catherine Russell will bring Harlem to Main Street with her Harlem on My Mind show at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.
Russell’s album of the same name, her sixth, was released in Sept. 2016 and received a Grammy Nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Downbeat magazine gave it four stars, saying, ”Russell inhabits these vintage tunes so plausibly they seem simultaneously old and new, thanks to the clarity and theatricality of her delivery.”
Russell is that rarest of entities — a genuine jazz and blues singer who can sing virtually anything. Her voice is full-blown femininity 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 1920s 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, Russell joins the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.
Russell, a native New Yorker, was born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, as well as Louis Armstrong’s long-time collaborator and musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering bassist, guitarist and vocalist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Ruth Brown.
Not surprisingly considering her pedigree, Russell is a one-of-a-kind musician and vocalist. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she 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, Toshi Reagon, Wynton Marsalis, Dr. John, Joan Osborne, Vince Giordano, and many others, appearing on over 200 albums.
Russell’s performance is the second of three programs celebrating Black History Month at Landmark. The first was Songs of Protest: Reframing the Conversation About Race in America on Feb. 7 and the third will be singer Darlene Love on Friday, Feb. 16.
Tickets are available through Landmark’s Box Office, 516-767-6444 or online at www.landmarkonmainstreet.org.
