Harlem On My Mind Review Quotes - Jazz Village JV 579004
“...a loving homage to a panoply of classic, though sometimes unjustly obscure, songs that range from risque blues (“You’ve Got the Right Key But the Wrong Keyhole”) to Billie Holiday’s “Swing! Brother, Swing!” to ballads like “The Very Thought of You.” Her triumph is Russell’s natural, unforced way with a song, and the personal touch she brings to it...she virtually stands alone on today’s jazz landscape.”
— Kirk Silsbee, Los Angeles Times
“Russell inhabits these vintage tunes so plausibly they seem simultaneously old and new, thanks to the clarity and theatricality of her delivery ⭐⭐⭐⭐Four Stars”
— Paul de Barros, Downbeat
“If there’s a postmillennial answer to Dinah Washington, surely it’s Catherine Russell: same remarkable vocal dexterity—blues shouter meets jazz stylist; same espresso-strength power; same immaculate clarity; same ability to shift seamlessly from sassy to torchy”
— Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes
“She has a sound all her own – rich, full, trumpet bright but saxophone resonant and tinged with no small theatricality....it’s her repertoire that’s irresistible.”
— Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News
“Russell is blessed with perfect intonation, vocal warmth and a natural inclination to give these time-honoured lyrics their proper due. Old-fashioned values maybe, but in a good way. Miss Russell should tour here. Soon.”
— London (UK) Jazz News
“Russell’s latest record is a love letter to a place — and its people - she knows well. “Harlem on My Mind” is beautiful and refreshing.”
— Aarik Danielsen, Columbia (MO) Daily News
“...a sleek, winning album…”
— Suzanne Lorge, New York City Jazz Record
“...another instant classic, brimming with impeccable style, faithful interpretations, and top notch arrangements.”
— Brenda Nelson-Strauss, Blackgrooves.org
“Catherine Russell is a rarity. She can sing a story like no one else. Harlem On My Mind is Catherine Russell’s sixth album, and her finest.”
— Gary Walker, WBGO
“With her trademark confidence, sass, and ability to enunciate feeling in every lyrical note, Russell records another winner…”
— Carol Banks Weber, axs.com
“...if Audra McDonald peaked your curiosity about history with her Billie Holiday show, Russell’s latest will blow your mind.”
— Midwest Record Review
“Catherine Russell stands out in Harlem On My Mind the eloquent reserve of its title song, which leads the listener on by the ear, like a lover by the necktie, through the entire program which stands out in the balletic grace, the relaxed propulsion and playful conversational ease of her vocal phrasing”
— JazzdaGama
“There are no lines between blues, soul and jazz when Catherine Russell sings, as she evokes the era when all those genres were swirled together in popular song. She’s currently touring behind her slyly personal sixth album, “Harlem on My Mind,” recalling Ethel Waters on the title track and Dinah Washington on the smooth, tender plea, “Let Me Be the First to Know.””