Catherine Russell's 'My Ideal' (A Listening Party)

Summary

All Of It: Catherine Russell's 'My Ideal' (A Listening Party) - Detailed Summary

Hosted by Alison Stewart on WNYC, the episode titled "Catherine Russell's 'My Ideal' (A Listening Party)" delves deep into the creation, influences, and personal journey behind Kathryn Russell's Grammy-nominated album, "My Ideal." Released on January 7, 2025, this episode offers listeners an intimate look into Kathryn's artistic process, her collaboration with pianist Sean Mason, and her efforts to preserve her musical legacy.

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Introduction to Kathryn Russell and 'My Ideal'

Alison Stewart opens the episode by highlighting Kathryn Russell's significant achievement: her latest album, "My Ideal," has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. Kathryn's rendition of the title track sets the tone for the discussion, offering a glimpse into her soulful interpretation of classic jazz standards.

Notable Quote:

• Kathryn Russell reflects on the personal significance of the title track:

  "It just reminded me of how many years I spent by myself looking for my soulmate and just thinking, will I find this person?" [01:43]

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Collaborative Dynamics with Pianist Sean Mason

A pivotal part of "My Ideal" is Kathryn's collaboration with 25-year-old pianist Sean Mason. Their partnership began during performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where they first worked together on New Orleans-themed programs.

Meeting Sean:

• Kathryn recounts their initial virtual collaboration during the pandemic:

  "We found ourselves on that program, actually, during the Pandemic... I asked him to work with me." [02:27]

Why Sean?

• Kathryn is drawn to Sean's ability to compose in the moment and his diverse influences:

  "Sean is... he just continually creates while you're listening to him... he’s influenced by many, many styles and many classic styles and also modern styles all at the same time." [03:24]

Recording Process:

• Their recording journey was spontaneous and organic, with minimal rehearsals:

  "We pretty much found everything we found right in the... recording studio... we did the album in a couple of days." [04:52]

Impact on Kathryn's Performance:

• Kathryn feels that Sean's playing allows her to delve deeper into the lyrics and the story behind each song:

  "I feel like I get deeper in the lyric. Maybe I get deeper in the story... deeper in the natural rhythm and flavor." [05:25]

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Exploring Classic Jazz through 'A Porter's Love Song'

The episode features Kathryn performing "A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid," a selection from "My Ideal." This song, introduced to Kathryn by Michael Feinstein, pays homage to service workers in Harlem during the 1930s.

Song Selection:

• Kathryn explains the song's historical context and its significance:

  "This song actually was introduced to me by Michael Feinstein... from a kitchen mechanics review in honor of service workers in Harlem back in the 1930s." [08:55]

Artistic Interpretation:

• She balances the original humor and underlying sadness of the lyrics, drawing inspiration from Fats Waller's storytelling:

  "He was a great storyteller... He gets the humor out of it, yet it can be a sad subject like this." [10:19]

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Transition to a Solo Career

Kathryn shares the challenges and fears she faced when deciding to pursue a solo career, moving away from being a backup singer.

Decision to Go Solo:

• Encouraged by her then-fiancé after David Bowie's last world tour:

  "He got me into that, and then I could always hear music and everything like that. So she supported me in gaining confidence and would always recommend me for gigs." [11:13]

Facing Fears:

• Kathryn admits to her apprehensions about leading her own band and making all creative decisions:

  "I had to learn that Part of it by myself... but my mother was very, very supportive of my coming into my own as an artist." [11:48]

Building Confidence:

• Through perseverance, she became more comfortable leading performances:

  "Just working and working and working and working and just doing it over and over and over... I learned how to just be more comfortable with myself." [12:10]

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Influence of Family and Preserving Legacy

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Kathryn's family legacy, particularly her parents' influence on her musical journey.

Parental Support:

• Kathryn's mother, Carleen Ray, was instrumental in nurturing her artistic talents:

  "They weren't front people... she was very straight, lace focused... she wanted whatever was going to keep me alive on the planet." [13:45]

Legacy Preservation:

• While cleaning her mother's closet, Kathryn discovered forgotten tapes featuring her father, Lewis Russell, performing with legends like Louis Armstrong:

  "We took them to a gentleman who, Doug Pomeroy, who restored them for us... Louis Armstrong is on there and singers that my dad's orchestra backed." [14:38]

Continuing the Legacy:

• Kathryn feels a responsibility to share and preserve her father's contributions to jazz:

  "It's my job to continue that legacy and have people know who Lewis Russell was... we are trying to keep our legacy going." [16:06]

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Conclusion and Reflections

Alison Stewart wraps up the episode by reiterating Kathryn Russell's achievements and the profound cultural and personal narratives embedded in "My Ideal." The album stands not only as a testament to Kathryn's vocal prowess but also as a bridge connecting past jazz legends to contemporary audiences.

Final Thoughts:

• Highlighting the Grammy nomination and the rich musical heritage showcased in the album, the episode underscores the importance of preserving and evolving cultural legacies through music.

Notable Quote:

• Kathryn emphasizes the significance of legacy:

  "It's a legacy. It's my dad's. My parents were very into legacy... so I feel like it's my job to continue that legacy." [16:08]

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Overall, this episode of "All Of It" offers a comprehensive exploration of Kathryn Russell's album "My Ideal," blending discussions of musical technique, personal growth, and the preservation of jazz history. Through candid dialogue and heartfelt performances, listeners gain a deep appreciation for Kathryn's artistry and her dedication to honoring her family's musical heritage.

Transcript

[WNYC Studios]

Listener support, WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. New York Vocalist Kathryn Russell's latest album is nominated for a Grammy Award this year in the Best Jazz Vocal album category. The album is called My Idea Deal. Let's listen to a bit of the title track.

[WNYC Studios]

Will I ever find the man in my mind the one who is my ideal?

[Kathryn Russell]

Maybe he's a dream and yet he.

[WNYC Studios]

Might be just around the corner Waiting for me.

[Alison Stewart]

To listen to Kathryn singing is also to get a history lesson on the early pioneers of ragtime and jazz. On this album, recorded as a duet with pianist Shaun Mason, we hear Russell's interpretations of songs written by composers like Irving Berlin, James P. Johnson, Spencer Williams, and Ray Charles. Kathryn joined us in August when her album came out, and I started by asking her about the title we just heard My Ideal and what she hears in the song that made her want to put her own spin on it.

[Kathryn Russell]

It just reminded me of how many years I spent by myself looking for my soulmate and just thinking, will I find this person? Or. You know, I spent a lot of years thinking about that. So when I heard the song, actually, one of my students brought the song into a class, and I thought, that's a good song. Do you mind if I borrow that? So. And Richard Whiting is such a wonderful writer, so I adopted it.

[Alison Stewart]

The pianist on this album is Sean Mason, who was just 25 when you recorded the album together.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes. Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you first meet Sean?

[Kathryn Russell]

Sean and I were on a couple of programs at Jazz at Lincoln Center. So the first one was a New Orleans themed program with New Orleans artists, and Sean was the piano player on that. And then we did a. They have a family show series. So we did a. We found ourselves on that program, actually, during the Pandemic. So it was a virtual program. And then I asked him to work with me. So he joined my band for about a year, a little over a year, and we went all over the world. And then I asked him, I said, you know, do you. Do you think it. Because I knew he had his own debut album coming out. And I said, what do you think about recording with me? And he said, yes.

[Alison Stewart]

When you first heard him play, what made you think, I'd like to record with this gentleman?

[Kathryn Russell]

Well, Sean is. He composes in the present. He's very much in the moment. And so he just continually creates while you're listening to him. And it's kind of like the science lab. You know, he just puts the music in There and mixes it up and comes out with something different every time and. And which is his own, you know, so he's influenced by many, many styles and many classic styles and also modern styles all at the same time. So you never know, you know? And he's rhythmic, and he's. His wonderful harmonic sense. So it just brings something else out in me. So I just love working with him, as I say, because it just brings me out. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

I was gonna ask. You sung with big bands, and on this, it's just you and the piano played by Sean Mason. What did you notice about your singing when you're playing just with piano?

[Kathryn Russell]

Well, it's very exposing, you know, so there's no place to hide, really. Not that I want to hide, but.

[Alison Stewart]

I know what you mean.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah. And so it's just. It's. It's freer in one sense, because you can just do. Basically do what you want with the other person in the moment. And so we pretty much found everything we found right in the. In the recording studio, you know, so there was no. We. I think we had one rehearsal, but basically we said, no, we don't want to over rehearse.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, just one.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah, we had one. We got together one time. I picked the tunes, and then he said, well, okay, don't write me any music charts. I'm just gonna learn these tunes. And then he came in, having arranged everything and just knowing everything from his heart. So that was really unique, you know? And so we basically did the album in a couple of days.

[Alison Stewart]

What does something that Sean's playing brought out in your voice?

[Kathryn Russell]

I don't know. I feel like I get deeper in the lyric. Maybe I get deeper in the story, because that's the most important thing to me. So deeper in the story and deeper in the natural rhythm and flavor of whatever we're doing. So the Ray Charles flavor is different, obviously, than the classic American songbook flavor. So maybe there's a little more church influence in the Ray Charles flavor, a little more soul influence. So he knows all about that. So he brings that out, and I'm able to create with him in the moment.

[Alison Stewart]

We've gotten texts about you. We haven't even given out the phone number. Kat Russell, about five exclamation points. A shout out for a Bronx gal. I'm always happy to hear you. Another text we got. We love Kathryn Russell. Have seen her many times. She does her parents proud. We'll talk about your parents in just a minute. Right now, we're speaking with Kathryn Russell about her new Album My Ideal. Let's get into another song. Now, from My Ideal, we're going to play a Porter's love song to a chambermaid. First song on the album. Why was this the first?

[Kathryn Russell]

You know, we spend a lot of time sequencing. So that's basically my partner and my husband, who does all the sequencing, and he'll run it by me. But his sequencing sense is really great, so I'm really glad he chose this to open it.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen to a Porter song. Porter's Love Song.

[Kathryn Russell]

Though my position's considered low degree Some fellow travelers may look down on me.

[WNYC Studios]

I'll go smiling through Long as I have you I am the happiest of troubadours Thinking of you while I'm massaging floors in my leisure time I made up this rhyme. I will be your oil mop, you could be the oil so we both could mingle every time we toil. I would be your dustpan if you could be my broom.

[Kathryn Russell]

We could work.

[WNYC Studios]

Together all around the room and Daddy, I would be your shoe brush. If you would be my shoe then I could keep you bright, dear, shining just like new I would be your razor.

[Alison Stewart]

That's Kathryn Russell singing A Porter's love song. I love that you just take on the main character in your song. You have something going on. Like, I'm gonna tell you a little bit of something.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah. This song actually was introduced to me by Michael Feinstein. And then I started to learn more about it. And nobody's really doing this tune. And it was from a kitchen mechanics review in honor of service workers in Harlem back in the 19. Back in the depression era, back in the 1930s. And so Andy Razaf is such a great lyricist who wrote so many great tunes also with Fats Waller. He wrote this with James P. Johnson. And Sean does such a great thing of honoring James P. Johnson's style in this tune. And it's just so wonderfully written. And so actually, I went between the Ethel Waters version and the Fats Waller version of this. And I just thought to make a love song out of Cleaning is really beautiful.

[Alison Stewart]

I know. And make it for people who were working at the time. I had jobs at the time, but I have time for love as well.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Alison Stewart]

You also have Fats Waller on the album. You stayed away too long.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

When you think about Fats Waller, what feeling do you get from his music as a listener? And then what feeling do you get when you perform it?

[Kathryn Russell]

His stories are also. He was a great storyteller. And whether he wrote the song or not, he owns it. And so that's what I get from him. And I get also a real. The way life is. You know, the way life really is. It can be happy and sad at the same time. So you. He gets the humor out of it, yet it can be a sad subject like this. Like this example. And so I like to bring that. I like to know how to live through the material. And when I hear Fats Waller, I just feel like he was always living in. Through the material. Living in the. You know, working things out through the material.

[Alison Stewart]

Eventually, you decided to start a solo career. What went into that decision? You could have been a backup singer forever, which is a great gig, by the way.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

[Alison Stewart]

You decide to go solo.

[Kathryn Russell]

Well, after we came home from David Bowie's last world tour, which was 2004, my fiance then at the time said, you know, there's one thing you haven't done, which is make your own recordings. And I think this is the time to do it. So I said, no, wait, I don't know about this. And then he said, look, just give me 12, 14 tunes you like. I got a friend out in Chicago, near. In the Chicago area. We're gonna go out there and make a record. And that turned into my first album, Cat.

[Alison Stewart]

Wow.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Were you scared?

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

Yes.

[Kathryn Russell]

What were you scared of? Everything. Like, you know, now I gotta make all the decisions now. Cause I had watched band leaders for so many years, and I thought, gee, now everybody's gonna be asking me what to do, and I don't know what to do. And then it was kind of like, how do I do a whole show in. As a leader in the front.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Kathryn Russell]

You know, and what do I say to the people and what do I do? How do I dress? What do I do? And so from just working and working and working and working and just doing it over and over and over, I learned how to just be more comfortable with myself. Took. Took some time, though.

[Alison Stewart]

I have to imagine you took something from home a little bit from. From your parents.

[Kathryn Russell]

Oh, yeah. I mean, they.

[Alison Stewart]

For people who don't know, your parents are Lewis Russell and Carleen Ray.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah, they taught me more of the nuts and bolts of the business.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, interesting.

[Kathryn Russell]

Because they weren't front people.

[Alison Stewart]

Interesting.

[Kathryn Russell]

You know, they were still in bands and people that were doing the business and all this type of thing, but they weren't the center of attention, see? So they really didn't want to do that. Yeah. So I had to kind of learn that Part of it by myself, but my mother was really, really. My dad died when I was young, but my mother was very, very supportive of my coming into my own as an artist.

[Alison Stewart]

So what does she teach you about the business?

[Kathryn Russell]

To keep the drama on the stage. Don't even look, don't. Don't listen to all that mess out there. Just don't get involved in it. Keep it simple, be on time, keep smiling, be easy to work with, and that's it.

[Alison Stewart]

Do you think you had. Did you have any choice about joining the music business? Or was that always going to be what your. What your folks, what your mom wanted?

[Kathryn Russell]

She wanted whatever was. Was going to make me successful as a human being because I was not a very. She was a Juilliard graduate. She was very straight, lace focused, and I was not. So she wanted whatever was going to keep me alive on the planet, you know, without going down the wrong path, basically. So it didn't matter what career that was, but she did recognize that I had talent as an artist, you know, so I was a dancer first, and she got me into that, and then I could always hear music and everything like that. So she supported me in gaining confidence and would always recommend me for gigs, you know, so she'd hire me, she'd recommend, oh, I have a daughter that sings. You know, she'd do that. So this is how I got really started in the beginning.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Kathryn Russell. Her new album is called My Ideal. I understand you were cleaning out your mom's closet and you found some forgotten tapes of your father playing with Louis Armstrong.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yes, yes, yes. She was still with us at that point, and I was cleaning out her place, you know, and she said, don't throw anything out because it might be important. And, boy, was she right. So I opened one of. One of her closets, and on a shelf that was almost collapsing from the weight of what was on it turned into all this memorabilia of my dad. Photographs and press clippings and all of it, because he saved everything. And in the midst of that were these disks, glass discs and acetate discs. And we didn't know what was on them. And so we took them to a gentleman who, Doug Pomeroy, who restored them for us. Turned out to be from the Grant Louis Armstrong Louis Russell Orchestra from the Grand Terrace in Chicago between 1938 and 1940. And it was amazing. So Louis Armstrong is on there and singers that my dad's orchestra backed. And also we have reel to reel tapes of my dad playing solo piano pieces. So we compiled those and put them into a cd. And so it's very exciting. So that was volume one. Now we're working on volume two because we keep finding different materials. You know, it's really fun.

[Alison Stewart]

If you go on YouTube, you can see some of the video.

[Kathryn Russell]

Yeah, it's really great.

[Alison Stewart]

Why did you decide to share it?

[Kathryn Russell]

Oh, because it's a legacy. It's my dad's. My parents were very into legacy, so that's why they saved everything. So I feel like it's my job to continue that legacy and have people know who Lewis Russell was because a lot of people just don't know his history and that he was. It was his orchestra that Louis Armstrong fronted, you know, in the 30s, in the late the second half of the 1930s. And you know, it was a great orchestra. So. And they did a lot of recording together. So we're trying to keep, keep our, our legacy going.

[Alison Stewart]

That was vocalist Katherine Russell for a listening party for her album My Ideal. It's a duet project with pianist Shaun Mason. The album is nominated at this year's Grammy Awards in the Best Jaz Vocal album category.

[WNYC]

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