Applaud the Singer, Fire the Producer
After hearing Catherine Russell on NPR, I rushed out to buy this CD, eager to find a rare new (to me) incarnation of a true jazz standards singer. Unfortunately, her wonderful voice is unbearably loud on this recording, smothering the instrumental, which I chalk up simply to poor producing. Her voice almost comes across as blaring at times. A strong voice like Ms. Russell's can certainly stand up for its own in a mix that's much more balanced with the rest of the music. I simply find it hard to listen to, which is a shame, given the artist's talent.
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Swings When She's Singing
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'.
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