Catherine Russell at Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Allen Room

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Grammy Award winning vocalist Catherine Russell will premiere a program inspired by collaborations between her father, pioneering pianist and orchestra leader Luis Russell, and his life-long friend and the greatest jazzman of all - Louis Armstrong. The concerts will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room on Friday and Saturday March 30 & 31, 2012, with two shows nightly (7:30pm & 9:30pm), located on Broadway at 60th Street in New York City.

For these shows, Catherine will lead a 10 piece orchestra, featuring new arrangements performed by the musicians on her new album "Strictly Romancin'":

Catherine Russell - vocals
Matt Munisteri – guitar, arranger, musical director
Mark Shane – piano
Jon Erik-Kellso – trumpet, arranger
John Allred – trombone
Dan Block - sax, clarinet
Andy Farber-sax, arranger
Lee Hudson – bass
Mark McLean – drums
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Dave Brown – trumpet
Scott Robinson – horns

Catherine Russell's 4th solo album, "STRICTLY ROMANCIN''" (World Village/Harmonia Mundi) was released on February 14, with rave reviews appearing in The Seattle Times, NPR "Song of The Day", Buffalo News, Living Blues magazine, and many more. Catherine and her guitarist Matt Munisteri, were featured on a performance/interview on FRESH AIR with TERRY GROSS on NPR. The album has been most added at Jazz Radio and jumped to #1 on the JazzWeek Chart, while also hitting #1 on I-Tunes and Amazon Jazz Charts, and #6 on Billboard's Jazz Album Chart.

"STRICTLY ROMANCIN'" 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.

On her new album and at The Allen Room, Catherine draws from a deep well of American culture. Highlights include The classic Dorothy Fields – Jimmy McHugh composition, "I'm In The Mood For Love", plucked from the fruitful recording collaboration of Louis Armstrong and Luis Russell. "Everything's Been Done Before", from the same source, is an unusual melody. Both are impeccably rendered by Catherine's lush croon. "Ev'ntide" comes from the same rich period in 1936 when Louis Armstrong was churning out masterpieces for the Decca label, this one written by Hoagy Carmichael, and rarely recorded since.

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker born to musical royalty.
Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a pioneering pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, is a bassist, guitarist, vocalist, who has performed with Mary Lou Williams and International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Catherine's professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she embarked upon a rich journey backing artists like Carrie Smith, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, and Rosanne Cash.

Her 2006 debut album "Cat", (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), garnered rave reviews, paving the way for her 2008 sophomore release, "Sentimental Streak". Catherine has been a guest on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" PBS-TV's "Tavis Smiley Show", and NPR's "Fresh Air", "Piano Jazz", "Mountain Stage", "World Café", "JazzSet", and "Riverwalk Jazz". She has won a prestigious German Record Critics' Award and a Hot Club of France Discovery Award. Catherine Russell's third album, "Inside This Heart of Mine", reached #1 on JazzWeek, Roots Music Report, and I-Tunes Jazz Charts. In addition to her own albums, Ms. Russell joined elite company on various compilations, including the GRAMMY AWARD winning Soundtrack Album for the award winning HBO-TV show "Boardwalk Empire", NPR's "The New Jazz Divas", "Putumayo Presents Rhythm & Blues", and "Walkin' and Swingin'" from The Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival.

Catherine Russell has headlined on three continents, performing at major Jazz Festivals including North Sea, JazzAscona, Montreal, Bern, Rochester International, Detroit, Panama, and at sold out venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Scullers in Boston, The Dakota in Minneapolis, Dizzy's Club in NYC, and Yoshi's in San Francisco. All Music Guide says, "Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages."

A curator of lesser known blues, jazz and swing tunes from the American Songbook, Catherine Russell breathes new life into standards - and "should be" standards. "STRICTLY ROMANCIN'" establishes Catherine Russell as one of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

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