INTERVIEW: Jazz singer Catherine Russell to honor Ralph Ellison at NJPAC
Jazz singer Catherine Russell will join famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, singers Angélique Kidjo and Patti Austin, and music director Andy Farber and His Orchestra for an evening of reflection and songs on the great American novelist Ralph Ellison. The author of Invisible Man and Living With Music will be remembered by the performers and a host of speakers, including actor Joe Morton, hip-hop artist Talib Kweli, Don Katz and Robert O’Meally.
The event, part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, is set for Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tickets are still available for the performance, which is being billed as Jazz in the Key of Ellison.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Russell about her performance at NJPAC, her illustrious career and her new album, Harlem on My Mind.
Russell started her musical appreciation at a young age. Her father is the late Luis Russell, the collaborator and musical director for none other than Louis Armstrong. Her mother is Carline Ray, who was an important bassist / guitarist / vocalist with advanced degrees from The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music.
Russell, an alumna of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, is an influential performer and vocalist herself. She has toured with the likes of David Bowie, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper and Paul Simon, among others. This year is the 10th anniversary of her debut solo album, Cat, which was honored by NPR as a top jazz CD. Other albums include Sentimental Streak, Inside This Heart of Mine, Strictly Romancin’ and Bring It Back. She also won a Grammy Award for her contributions to the soundtrack of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can your fans expect at NJPAC’s performance of Jazz in the Key of Ellison?
Hello John, and thank you for the interview. Our audience will hear classic jazz and blues tunes with wonderful arrangements by Andy Farber and his excellent big band! I am honored to be performing with all these incredible artists to honor Ralph Ellison, one of our great American treasures!
With both of your parents being legendary musicians, was a career in music always the route you wanted to take professionally?
I never imagined I would actually have a career in music. All I had was a musical ear. Dance was my first profession as a child; singing followed a few years after that. My first professional singing job was recording childrens’ educational recordings when I was 9 years old. I studied acting, thinking I would pursue a career in the theater, but music turned out to be a constant in my life. In my late teens and as a young adult, I sang in clubs in different bands, and in the recording studios, then started to develop as a performer from there. There was never a plan, but I’m very happy with the great opportunities that come my way, such as this concert!
When do you know it’s time to head back into the studio? What inspires you to record an album?
I keep myself on a schedule of recording every couple of years. This way, I continue my research into the vast catalogues of our great pioneering recording artists and composers. Plus, our audiences ask for new material every few years, so they help to keep me on my toes!
How did Harlem on My Mind come about? What is your hope the audience takes away from the album?
The Irving Berlin song, “Harlem On My Mind,” which was originally recorded by Ethel Waters, grabbed my attention when I was looking for material for an Ethel Waters themed show curated by Michael Feinstein. I put the song into my own shows after that, and it got a positive response. So we built on that theme with a collection of songs recorded by African-American artists who were very popular in Harlem, playing frequently at the popular clubs and theaters of the day. My mother was born and raised in Harlem, and my father lived in Harlem from time to time as he had many engagements over the years with his big band, in popular places including the Savoy Ballroom. I spent much time in Harlem growing up, as relatives on both sides of my family lived there, and our church was also located there. My aunt and two of my cousins still live there. So it’s a family connection as well as a musical one.
What are your thoughts on the impact and influence of Ralph Ellison?
The depth and scope of Ralph Ellison’s achievements and contributions to American history and the world are timeless. His life experience is part of the fabric of our culture, enriched by his study of music and the influence that jazz had on him. Thank you to those scholars whose tireless work keep Ralph Ellison’s name alive for us and future generations.
You will be joined by several other celebrated performers at NJPAC. Do you like these types of concert experiences with so many collaborators and creativity on stage?
It’s thrilling to collaborate with artists whom I’ve admired for years and learned so much from. Sometimes I can’t believe I get to share the stage with such luminaries! It reaffirms and strengthens what I do. It’s the school of life!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Catherine Russell will perform as part of Jazz in the Key of Ellison on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. Click here for more information.
