Review: Swinging Catherine Russell is Sultry and Sublime at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

Catherine Russell levels the playing field. With a connoisseur's passion for primarily 1930s-40s music, preternatural comprehension, and protean musical talent, this artist personifies the enduring relevance of vintage numbers with a freshness that makes the material feel immediate. Russell is never less than fully committed and infectiously entertaining.

Thursday night at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center), with city lights twinkling as a backdrop, she and her blue-chip band (Music Director Matt Munisteri on guitar (in photo, right); Mark Shane on piano, Mark McLean on percussion, and Tal Ronan on bass) played Russell's show Sultry Summer Swing to two sold-out houses of faithful and burgeoning fans.

The vocalist starts her party with an up-tempo, syncopated "I Got Rhythm" (George & Ira Gershwin.) Drawing us in, she moves with it as the music moves through her. This is one classy lady, so there's no flamboyance, nothing artificial, just a cool dance in place transmitting visceral pleasure. An appealing vocal 'conversation' with the bass in call-response mode appears periodically.

Billie Holiday's "With Thee I Swing (Baby)" is ebullient. Russell seems to be singing above accompaniment, brightening the song. Holiday's "You're My Thrill," on the other hand, is honey dripped. Part admission, part invitation, part resignation, the number is seriously plumy. "In the Dark," (L'il Green), one of the performer's signature songs, similarly luxuriates in lamentation, emerging as if delivered through a haze of gin fizz. Legato expression is as precise as earlier, clip, declaratory phrasing.

"Bring It Back" made popular by a Wynonie Harris single released in 1952, delivers scalloped octaves dipping and returning line by line. Russell's well calibrated, vocal elasticity creates seemingly easy transitions. She puts a subtle stamp on everything. This is a straight from the hip rendition, full of feeling. Munisteri's knees bend as he leans forward and back in measured churn.

A church meets the blues choice, "Aunt Hagar's Blues" (W.C. Handy/J. Tim Brymn) would sound like bump'n grind burlesque without the vocal (fascinating how often this is true). It's flat out sassy. Lyric struggle with the devil is both warning and enticement. There's a wail, but Russell never loses warmth: Oh, tain't no use to preachin'/Oh, tain't no use to teachin', each modulation of syncopation/Just tells my feet to dance and I can't refuse/When I hear the melody they call the blues, those ever lovin' blues . . .

Upbeat tunes include Louis Armstrong's "Monday Date": Don't forget our Monday date/That you promised me last Tuesday, the iconic "Sugar" (Maceo Pinkard/Edna Alexander/Sidney D. Mitchell) with a hearty arrangement by Munisteri, a slap happy Fats Waller number, and a high lather Kern/Hammerstein selection.

"Aged and Mellow" (Little Esther-Phillips) is a sultry, suggestive stroll; a wah-wah, mute- horn vocal with gorgeous piano riff. About now, you want to wrap yourself in this voice.

"It's good to have lived awhile, that's all I'm sayin," the vocalist comments. Hallelujah. A version of "Harlem On My Mind" identified as "Irving Berlin by way of Ethel Waters," closes the evening conjuring The Cotton Club. The hip-swinging instrumental is lush. Few contemporary performers can belt "heidy ho!" and make it sound authentic. Catherine Russell is an old soul. A thoroughly rewarding evening.

Photos by Elizabeth Leitzell

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