Michael Bourne for WBGO – Catherine Russell is one of the most Herculean singers I know. She sings all across the musical spectrum, but she’s especially full of blues and swing.
She blew the roof off Mohonk last month, in a Blues Jam and in a Singers Jam. Cat and Roseanna Vitro singing together at the climax of the Singers Jam was seismic.
Her new album, Alone Together, comes out March 1, but she previewed the album with me on Singers Unlimited, with pianist Mark Shane. Heart-lifting ballads: “Shake Down The Stars” and “How Deep Is The Ocean?” Classic swingers: “Errand Girl for Rhythm” and “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby?” And feisty songs like only Cat sings best: “You’re Not The Only Oyster in the Stew”; “He May Be Your Dog But He’s Wearing My Collar.”