via WRTI
Catherine Russell has long had a gift for breathing new life into old songs, with no special trick beyond the clarity of her singing and the purity of her intention. Her latest single perfectly illustrates why those two elements are more than enough: it’s a beautifully faithful new version of a song written and first recorded by Billy Eckstine more than 75 years ago.
“‘I Want to Talk About You’ is one of my favorite love songs by one of my favorite artists, a singer and instrumentalist who deserves to be remembered,” Russell says. “I choose songs by the lyrics, melody and harmonic structure and all of these appealed to me.”
Russell — whose 2022 album on Dot Time Records, Send For Me, was rapturously received — is releasing her single in conjunction with Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, with all proceeds supporting the Jazz Foundation of America. WRTI is proud to premiere the track before its official release this Friday.