Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify   
Grammy-nominated vocalist Catherine Russell’s deep connection to her chosen material is part of a calling. As the daughter of pioneering and legendary musicians, pianist/orchestra leader/composer/arranger Luis Russell, and bassist/guitarist/vocalist Carline Ray, Catherine was born into jazz royalty. When asked to characterize her new album, “Send for Me,” she replied, “I love romance that swings.” She features a baker’s dozen of newly recorded tunes on her eighth album as a leader, pieces associated with Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Betty Carter, Helen Humes and others. Her mission is finding songs that you might not have heard but deserve attention.

     Organist Tony Monaco celebrates 50 years in the business on his 12^th recording as a leader, “Four Brothers.” “After 50 years I want to take the opportunity to honor my hometown, Columbus. To find myself recognized as a part of this town’s vibrant musical scene is personally very rewarding! But this is also my chance to shine a light on one of my major teachers, Columbus’ own Don Patterson.” For this hard-swinging new recording, Tony handpicked some of Columbus’ finest talent to join him, including Edwin Bayard on sax, Kevin Turner on guitar and Willie Barthel II on percussion.

Also in the mix this week, trombonist and composer Sean Nelson’s New London Big Band, a 17-piece ensemble made up of the finest musicians in New England, offers up “Social Hour”;

 Toronto-based trombonist, composer and educator Karl Silveira debuts with “A Porta Aperta”;

    and drummer, composer, and recent graduate of the famed Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Marcello Carelli, also unveils his debut release, “The Era.”