September 21, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Grammy Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell teams up with Jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader John Pizzarelli for a stunning evening of music. Dubbed “the essential duo,” Pizzarelli and Russell transport audiences to the glory days of Jazz with masterful ease. Pizzarelli has been hailed by The Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing Jazz,” while All Music Guide says, “Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages.”
The world-renowned guitarist and singer, John Pizzarelli, has established himself as a prime contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook, and expanded that repertoire to include Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names as varied as Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Van Ronk, and leading jazz artists including Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor’s American Standard in 2021.
“A voice that wails like a horn and whispers like a snake in the Garden of Eden” (NPR). With universal acclaim, vocalist Catherine Russell has performed on four continents. 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, Catherine Russell has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song. Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with Carrie Smith, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, and Rosanne Cash, among others, appearing on over 200 albums.
