Keep (it) Swinging: Catherine Russell warms up a wet and chilly Middelburg

Catherine Russell warms up a wet and chilly Middelburg (English) - Catherine Russell warmt een kil en nat Middelburg op ( Nederlands) Catherine Russell: Inside This Heart of Mine (English) - Catherine Russell te horen op Nederlandse podia. (Nederlands)

An in-shop concert at the Drvkkery as a warm-up for her Dutch tour.
CATHERINE RUSSELL warms up a wet and chilly Middelburg
Hans Koert

On a chilly and rainy Saturday afternoon in October Catherine Russell brought warmth into the hearts of tens of people at the Drvkkery book shop in Middelburg, in the southwest part of The Netherlands. Where am I? Middelburg? Okay, Hi Middelburg, it's great to be here. Thank you for coming. If we have this kind of weather in New York City nobody would come ............ Thank you for that !! The small in-shop concert was organized by her record company Harmonia Mundi and The Drvkkery as a warming-up for her extensive tour along Dutch theatres and clubs.

Catherine Russell at The Drvkkery ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

During a small concert she sung half a dozen tunes. She started with my favourite We The People, the well known Fats Waller classic, but seldom played now a days. It's one of the tracks available on her latest album Inside This Heart of Mine.

Mark Shane ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Mark Shane, piano player on her new album, told me that he likes to play those Waller stride piano tunes from the 1920s and 1930s, to share them with the audience. These tunes don't belong in a museum, it shouldn't be handled like museum pieces - it are great compositions, still worth playing.

Catherine welcomed the audience and focussed her welcome especially to some young kids on the front row, who became a little disconcerted. Ze zegt Hallo tegen jullie, a staff-member of The Drvkkery translated Cat's words.

Catherine Russell ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

The tunes she sung were all from her three albums, Cat, Sentimental Streak and Inside This Heart of Mine, like the tune Quiet Whiskey ( on the shelf) as originally recorded in the 1950s by Wynonie Harris, an American Blues shouter and Rhythm & Blues singer. She ended with a negro spiritual to be released on one of her next albums. Catherine did started her career as a professional singer in a gospel group led by Carrie Smith and with that group she visited Europe for the very first time. Now's it's the third time we are in Holland this year, isn't it Mark? she verified.

Catherine Russell ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)
She still loves to listen to the music made by her father, the great band leader and arranger Luis Russell. He made his last recordings in 1946 ( with vocalist Lee Richardson), for the Apollo label, Cat told me, because for an arranger of big band music there was no work anymore. New styles of music, new interest, you know. And oh, he was such a nice man ........ maybe he was too nice, you understand? During her youth a lot of jazz musicians visited her parental home, like Louis Armstrong who had sung in her father's orchestra during the 1930s.

Catherine Russell ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

It feels great to sing these old traditionals for such nice people as here in Middelburg, Cat told me. And she really liked Middelburg: What a nice people - I love to have a photo from all of you and at the end of the small concert she suited the action to the word.

Catherine Russell can be heard this month in half a dozen performances in our country. Find a complete list of her gigs here.

Mark Shane ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

It would be great if The Drvkkery could organize more of those free-accessible in-shop performances, together with Harmonia Mundi or other record companies. These concerts could be a first acquaintance to jazz music for a lot of people.

For half an hour Cat and Mark made the sun shine in The Drvkkery .......... Thanks for that, Cat!!

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

On Saturday afternoon the 24th of October, 2010 Catherine Russell, Cat for friends, performed at a small in-shop concert at The Drvkkery in Middelburg in the southwest part of The Netherlands. She makes, together with her piano player Mark Shane, a tour along Dutch theaters.

For half an hour Cat and Mark made the sun shine in The Drvkkery .......... Thanks for that, Cat!!

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