Customer Reviews

Sentimental Streak

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Catherine Russell's second disc for Harmonium Mundi is full of pleasures both simple and profound. This should be a cross over hit. While I enjoy the nostalgic sounds of Madeleine Peroux or the warm milk comfort of Norah Jones, Catherine Russell has more power, emotional clarty, swing, complexity and joy in her voice than those currently more commercially well known singers. Whether in covering her father's legendary tunes (he was a bandleader for Louis Armstong) or offering her own stone cold chilling orignal 'Luci,' Catherine Russell never feels false or forced. If you long for the real deal--a modern singer whose roots clearly extend back to Bessie Smith (that's particularly clear on this set) and run all the way through Sam Cooke to the present day, this disc is for you.

Catherine Russell has a great voice, but there are a lot of great voices out there. What makes her so distinctive and enjoyable is her ability to deliver the song as if she's "telling" you a story rather than just singing the song. Even the old songs are delivered with a modern interpretation that is uniquely hers. The musicians she works with are fantastic. I own her first album which is why I bought this one and she just keeps getting better and more fun to listen to. Catch her live if you have the chance - she's a lot of fun and a great performer.

Was Catherine Russell born in the wrong era? Her musical heritage is detailed in the informative liner notes that accompany this album. Her father was noted jazz pianist and bandleader, Luis Russell. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a bass player and vocalist. Hearing some of these songs, especially `So Little Time (So Much to Do)', `Oh Yes, Take Another Guess' and the innuendo-laden `Kitchen Man', you can well imagine Catherine Russell belting them out to glorious acclaim in the New Orleans venues that her father played when jazz was in its hey day. Her voice is strong and pure, but, perhaps inevitably, with female jazz singers these days, comparisons are going to be made with the current crop of superstars like Norah Jones, Diana Krall and Madeleine Peyroux.

If you haven't heard Catherine Russell's voice, think Norah Jones with some of the velvet whittled away, add a dash of Madeleine Peyroux and an occasional hint of Abbey Lincoln. The irony with the Norah Jones comparison is that Catherine Russell has been around as a performer for far longer. However, `Sentimental Streak' is only Ms Russell's second solo album.

It's an album that grows on you over several listens, but I must admit to being a little disappointed with some of the musical accompaniment. At times, it seems like the songs are completely submerged by the strength of the singing while the music is flat and one-paced. One reason for this, in my opinion, is the absence of drums from some of the line-ups. When a tune needs to be driven during the music-only sections, it is too often plodding and I found it frustrating that the players didn't, or couldn't, take the opportunity of cutting loose before Catherine took up the reins again.

Of the fourteen songs on this album, only one, `Luci', is written by Catherine Russell. This song veers away from the tone of the rest of the album. It displays a more modern feel and is probably the track that best shows off Catherine's more soulful side. Too often these days, new jazz vocal albums are over-reliant on standards that have already been done to death, so it's good to have one that doesn't go down that road. Sure, there are plenty of old songs here, but they're not widely covered by other artists. Included on this set are Hoagy Carmichael's `New Orleans' and, keeping it in the family, Luis Russell's `I've Got That Thing'.

On her 2nd cd, Sentimental Streak, Catherine Russell delivers a brilliantly conceptualized artistic triumph, with a nod to her pedigree (dad Luis Russell was a legendary pianist and bandleader who bridged the gap from early jazz to swing). Her delicious vocals put a personal stamp on a wonderful collection of songs culled from the 1920's through the present, drawing on retro jazz, r&b and classic blues. Instead of overworked "standards", Russell has chosen underexposed tunes by Hall of Fame songwriters like Willie Dixon, Hoagy Carmichael, and Alec Wilder. And her original "Luci" belongs in the same league! Buy the CD (rather than download) so you won't miss out on the packaging which includes great photos, plus extensive and fascinating liner notes.

Miss Russell captures an era long gone by.She brings blues,jazz,folk and sexy back to what music once was.A warm feeling comes over me from within when Cat puts her heart and soul into each of her pieces.You'll feel her---I thank her and applaud her art and style and overwhelming sexiness !

I was in a CD shop in Paris a few weeks ago and this album was playing on the loudspeakers. Everything about the recording was impressive: the choice of songs, the arrangements, and most of all Russell's beautiful voice and interp.

I'd never heard of her but I'm glad I bought the disc. I've played it a several times since I got home and there's not a bad track on it!

As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of New Orleans' recreations. (Hence my 4-star review to Maria Muldaur's fine disc from a year ago or so). But this is so good I gotta go 5.

Ms. Russell doesn't look anything like Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter or Ma Rainey, to name but three; but with this production, and her beautiful, strong and self-assured voice front and center, she certainly brings back memories of Bessie Smith. And that's a profound compliment: I can't think of a naturally bigger-voiced singer ever than Bessie.

One thing that sets this c.d. apart from other "New Orleans retro" recordings is its contemporary feel. "South to a Warmer Place" and Ms. Russell's original, "Luci," are most compatible with the 21st century. Yet, the bawdy "Kitchen Man," "You Better Watch Yourself, Bub," and "My Old Daddy's Got a Brand New Way to Love" most definitely evokes the strong, self-assured, wise Black women of the early 20th Century.

Andy Breslau says it best in his liner notes: "When listening to this CD, one finds nothing mannered or smacking of mimcry. It is fresh - effortlessly swinging, innate, urbane and joyful." Amen, bro. RC

Catherine Russell has become one of my favorite vocalists. I listen to this and her other CDs over and over, often just pressing the re-start button.

'Sentimental Streak' is a great collection of jazz songs from Catherine Russell, which shows her smooth, soulful voice off to good effect. This album has a very laid back, jazzy feel to it and is very obviously influenced by the great female jazz singers from various decades. The booklet has an excellent essay about the albums recording and history, as well as some nice photography of Catherine as a child in Louis Armstrong's arms. This is perfect background, dinner party music, but is worthy enough to not be relegated to that role alone. Great for late at night when you want to kick back and chill out. If you like your jazz smooth and soulful then this is well worth a try.

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old time jazz greats reincarnated in a wonderful, fresh young talent.
Smooth, clean, never derivative.
Cat is a star!