THE EARLY SET With Gabrielle Stravelli Welcomes Catherine Russell

Gabrielle Stravelli welcomes Catherine Russell to "The Early Set" this Wednesday, August 26, at 6PM EDT, to discuss her solo career and her work as a backup singer for David Bowie, Steely Dan, and more.

Catherine Russell, was born to musical royalty; her father was a big band leader and long- time musical director to Louis Armstrong, and her mother was a jazz instrumentalist and vocalist who performed with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm during World War II.

Catherine's early career was spent as an in-demand back up singer for rock acts such as David Bowie, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper and Steely Dan. In 2006 she released her debut album "Cat" and launched a solo career that has yielded two Grammy nominations. Catherine recently released a new digital single of Alberta Hunter's "You Reap Just What You Sow". All sales of the single benefit the Jazz Foundation of America.

Recent episodes of "The Early Set" have featured intimate conversations and music by vocalists Janis Siegel, (The Manhattan Transfer) and Lauren Kinhan (New York Voices); multi-instrumentalist, composer and conductor Damien Sneed; jazz trumpeter and vocalist Benny

Bennack III; pianist, vocalist/arranger Billy Stritch; comedian, actress and jazz musician Lea DeLaria; vocalists Aisha and Darius deHaas; pianist/vocalist Dena DeRose; vocalist Cheryl Bentyne, and Japanese jazz flugelhorn player and vocalist TOKU.

"The Early Set" aims to reveal insights into the music-making process. Guests illuminate their creative choices for viewers with a wide range of musical knowledge - from experienced musicians to those just beginning their musical journey as well as music lovers. Each episode also raises funds for a charity chosen by the featured guests, which have included Black Lives Matter; The Ali Forney Center; One More Dog Rescue; Jazz Foundation of America.

Gabrielle Stravelli, celebrated jazz/pop vocalist and songwriter - debuted the online talk show, "The Early Set", featuring conversations with American and international jazz artists Wednesday, June 24. "The Early Set" is a weekly talk show dedicated to the artists who make live jazz (and more) happen in NYC and beyond. The show is produced by singer/actress Julie Garnyé, with the support of Birdland Jazz Club in New York City.

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Gabrielle Stravelli's pairing of a jazz artist's musicianship with an ability to interpret lyrics and connect with an audience has led to a richly varied career. She premiered pianist Fred Hersch's song cycle "Rooms of Light", toured the U.S. premiering Wynton Marsalis's "Abyssinian Mass", has headlined international and domestic jazz festivals and regularly leads her quartet in performances at the country's finest jazz clubs and performing arts centers.

"Dream Ago," her 2017 release which consists primarily of original material, received a rare 5- star review from Downbeat Magazine and her 2019 release "Pick Up My Pieces: Gabrielle Stravelli Sings Willie Nelson" was featured by noted music critic Will Friedwald in the WSJ and awarded the 2020 Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording.

A 2014 run of solo shows at New York's Metropolitan Room earned her a career-launching rave review in The New York Times, followed by a second Times rave for a run of shows at Feinstein's/54 Below in 2015. That same year she was chosen for the U.S. State Department's "American Music Abroad" program for which she has performed and taught throughout Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.

"THE EARLY SET WITH Gabrielle Stravelli" welcomes Catherine Russell on Wednesday, August 26, at 6 PM EDT.