If jazz was the explosive union of Europe and Africa on American soil, then surely New York singer Katherine Russell is the concise and universal expression of it. Her multi-component musical profile condenses the entire spectrum of a century-old life of an idiom, including, at the center of improvisation, in equal doses the musical tradition of Europe and the African American blues.

In an online chat with her, the sought-after musician and performer talks authoritatively but gracefully about his memories of Louis Armstrong and David Bowie, beloved musicians, and about the upcoming visit to Athens to sing together under the Acropolis an extensive jazz anthology. with leading performers and musicians of the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra.

Asked if she thinks the “folk” American songs from The Great American Songbook are still relevant, she emphatically replies that they are still alive “because they are so well written” and clarifies that while they were written for cinema or theater, they eventually got their own distribution and “became timeless hits, melodies that connect deeply with the audience.” But he tries to make it clear that the same applies to the blues, which he says is “one of the most important American artistic styles.”

When we talk about her favorite jazz composers and musicians, she does not hesitate to mention composer Harold Arlen first because “he wrote a lot of songs with blues elements that were intended for African Americans”, and among her musicians she chooses two its jazz icons, Lester Young and Miles Davis, and Mary-Lou Williams. As for the singers, she opposes the “empress” of the blues, Bessie Smith, as well as Billie Holiday, because “no one brought as much sensuality to her performance as she did.” From the 50s, he mentions Diana Washington and Dakota Staten and adds with a smile: “If I had to choose a white singer, it would be Peggy Lee.”

Satsmo

When we talk about her father, Louis Russell, musical director of the Louis Armstrong Orchestra, she tells us that from Satsmo she remembers frequent calls to his house with many friends, food and a lot of music. “I remember what a gentle person he was and how much he loved children,” she notes. Regarding David Bowie and her participation in his band’s tours from 2002 to 2004, she emphasizes that he was never overbearing. “He wanted every musician in the band to be free to express themselves. He was an incredible ‘boss’ – a real gentleman,” he adds.

Asked about her time as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center and her forthcoming concert at the Herodeum, the great modern jazz diva replies: “Preserving the traditions of jazz and blending it creatively with modernity is our mission at Jazz at the Lincoln. Center. Different generations of musicians work together there, we are veterans and young people are next to us. And there are so many great young jazz musicians, which makes us very optimistic. As for the concert that we will give in Herodium, it will be interesting both for the initiated, since we have the best musicians in the orchestra, and for the uninitiated, as this is an excellent introduction, a very good “window” into different types of jazz and quite a lot of classic songs. Songs that, whether we know them or not, we immediately associate with them.”

Concert “Songs We Love – Jazz at Lincoln Center”, September 13, Irodio.