Catherine Russell (born 1956) is a contemporary jazz and blues vocalist.
Her father, the late Luis Russell, was Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director, and her mother, the late Carline Ray, held degrees from both Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music and performed with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm during World War II.
From 2002 through 2004, Russell worked with David Bowie as a band member, providing backing vocals and featured contributions on guitar, keyboard and percussion for Bowie's Heathen Tour, A Reality Tour, and his late-2003 album Reality.
With the 2004 suspension of Bowie's touring career, Catherine signaled a new dedication to her solo career as a leading jazz and blues singer, and respected interpreter of popular and forgotten standards. Six fully conceived and excellently produced albums have followed, about one every two years, supported by an extensive touring schedule in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US.
With Russell's deep and genuine roots in jazz and the blues, a reputation for talent and quality performances, significant exposure in the country's jazz and other music venues (including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center), Russell has become well known in jazz circles and, as of January 2014, was the second best-selling female artist on several jazz charts. [source coming]
Russell's cover of the 1920s song "Crazy Blues" was used in Episode 10, Season 1 of the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire. This song was included on a soundtrack recording that won in 2012 for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Awards
- German Record Critics Award for Sentimental Streak (2008)
- Prix Decouverte from Le Hot Club de France for Sentimental Streak (2008)
- Grammy Award - Best Americana Album for Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (2009) guest artist
- Grammy Award - Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Boardwalk Empire Vol. 1 (2011) featured artist
- Prix du Vocal Jazz from L'Academie du Jazz for Strictly Romancin' (2012)
- Grand Prix from Le Hot Club de France for Strictly Romancin' (2012)
- NYC Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Performer (2012)
- Bistro Award for Outstanding Achievement, Recording for Strictly Romancin' (2013)
- Fans Decision Jazz Award from Hot House Magazine & Metropolitan Room for Female Vocalist (2016)
- The Louie from The Louis Armstrong House Museum for Preserving and Promoting the Legacy of Louis Armstrong (2016)
- Grammy Nomination - Best Jazz Vocal Album for Harlem On My Mind (2017)
Discography
As Leader
- Cat (2006)
- Sentimental Streak (2008)
- Inside This Heart of Mine (2010)
- Strictly Romancin' (2012)
- Bring It Back (2014)
- Harlem on My Mind (2016) Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album
Soundtracks and compilations as featured artist
- The New Jazz Divas: NPR Discover Songs (2010)
- Walkin' & Swingin': Highlights from The Kennedy Center Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival Vol. 2 (2011)
- Boardwalk Empire, Vol 1. (2011) Grammy Award Winner
- Kill Your Darlings - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2013)
As backing singer, musician or guest lead singer
- Amina - Amina Claudine Myers (Background Vocals) 1988
- The Immaculate Collection - Madonna (Vocals - Background) 1990
- Planet of Love - Jim Lauderdale (Vocals - Background) 1991
- Chitlins Parmigiana - Vivino Brothers (Band Member - Vocals) 1992
- The Wheel - Rosanne Cash (Vocals - Background) 1993
- The Rainy Season - Marc Cohn (Vocals - Background) 1993
- Kamakiriad - Donald Fagen (Vocals - Background) 1993
- The Uptown Horns Revue - Uptown Horns (Vocals - Background)1994
- Happy Hour - Buster Poindexter (Vocals) 1994
- Twelve Deady Cyns...and then Some - Cyndi Lauper (Vocals - Background) 1995
- Soul of A Man: Live/Rekooeration - Al Kooper (Guest Artist, Vocals - Background) 1995
- Something Borrowed, Something Blue - Jerry Vivino (Vocals) 1995
- Retrospective - Rosanne Cash (Vocals - Background) 1995
- Relish - Joan Osborne (Vocals - Background) 1995 Multiple Grammy Award Nominee
- Alive In America - Steely Dan (Percussion, Vocals - Background, Human Whistle) 1995
- Sisters of Avalon - Cyndi Lauper (Composer, Mandolin, Vocals) 1997
- Live - Count Basic (Vocals - Background) 1997
- Child: Music for the Christmas Season - Jane Siberry - (Vocals) 1997
- What’s On Your Mind - Naked Music NYC (Composer, Vocals) 1998
- Soul Drug - Ron Sunshine (Vocals - Background) 1998
- Right Around The Corner - Frankie Paris (Vocals) 1998
- Refuge - Gabrielle Roth (Vocals) 1998
- If I Fall - Naked Music NYC (Vocals) 1998
- I’m Still Here...Damn It! - Sandra Bernhard (Vocals - Background) 1998
- Gloria! - Gloria Estefan (Vocals - Background) 1998
- Burning The Daze - Marc Cohn (Vocals - Background) 1998
- The Righteous Ones - Toshi Reagon (Vocals, Mandolin) 1999
- Terrapin - Joe Gallant (Vocals) 1999
- Revival - Sam Harris (Vocals) 1999
- Here Comes The Bride - Spin Doctors (Vocals - Background) 1999
- Crash Course in Roses - Catie Curtis (Gut String Guitar) 1999
- Tribe - Gabrielle Roth (Vocals) 2000
- Live at Shanghai Jazz - Earl May Quintet Introducing Catherine Russell (Vocals) 2000
- Speaking In Tongues - The Holmes Brothers (Mandolin, Vocals, Vocals-Background) 2001
- Talkin’ About Soul - Luther “Guitar Junior†Johnson (Composer, Vocals, Arranger) 2001
- Creole Moon - Dr. John (Vocals - Background) 2001
- Toshi - Toshi Reagon (Mandolin, Vocals) 2002
- Sleepless - Peter Wolf (Vocals - Background) 2002
- Saturday Morning Music - Ivan Neville (Vocals - Background) 2002
- Figments - Anton Fig (Vocals - Background) 2002
- Beautiful Tomorrow - Blue Six (Vocals) 2002
- Rules of Travel - Rosanne Cash (Vocals - Background) 2003
- Reality - David Bowie (Vocals - Background) 2003
- Everything Must Go - Steely Dan (Vocals - Background) 2003
- A Reality Tour - David Bowie (Vocals, Mandolin, Percussion, Guitar, Keyboards) 2004
- Jackpot! - Buckwheat Zydeco (Vocals - Background) 2005
- Have You Heard - Toshi Reagon (Vocals) 2005
- Christmas Means Love - Joan Osborne (Vocals - Background) 2005
- Black Yankee Rock - Chocolate Genius (Vocals - Background) 2005
- Black Coffee - Al Kooper (Vocals - Background) 2005
- Black Cadillac - Rosanne Cash (Vocals - Background) 2006
- State of Grace - The Holmes Brothers (Vocals - Background) 2007
- Let Us Get Together - Marie Knight / Larry Campbell (Vocals) 2007
- I Love You - Diana Ross (Vocals - Background) 2007
- Aquarian Angel - Blue Six (Vocals) 2007
- The Orchard - Lizz Wright (Vocals - Background) 2008
- Silverlined - Donna The Buffalo (Vocals -Background) 2008
- Between Yesterday and Tomorrow - Ute Lemper (Vocals - Background) 2008
- Electric Dirt - Levon Helm (Vocals, Guest Artist) 2009 Grammy Award Winner
- Midnight Souvenirs - Peter Wolf (Vocals - Background) 2010
- Feed My Soul - The Holmes Brothers (Vocals - Background, Cowbell, Mandolin) 2010
- Matthew Morrison - Matthew Morrison (Choir / Chorus) 2011
- Cicada - Hazmat Modine (Vocals - Background) 2011
- Sunken Condos - Donald Fagen (Vocals - Background) 2012
- Brotherhood - The Holmes Brothers (Vocals - Background) 2013
- 13 Live - Jimmy Vivino & The Black Italians (Vocals - Lead & Background) 2013
- The River and The Thread - Rosanne Cash (Vocals - Background) 2014 Multiple Grammy Award Winner
- Tales from the Realm of The Queen of Paradise - Suzanne Vega (Vocals -Background) 2014
- Love and Hate - Joan Osborne (Vocals - Background) 2014
- Great Big World - Tony Trischka (Vocals) 2014
- Soultime! - Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes (Vocals - Background) 2015
- Didn't It Rain - Amy Helm (Vocals - Harmony & Background) 2015
- This Is Where I Live - William Bell (Vocals - Background) 2016 Grammy Award Winner
- A Cure For Loneliness - Peter Wolf (Vocals - Background) 2016
References
External links
- Official Website
- National Public Radio (NPR) Catherine Russell Artist Page
