Colin Hancock's Jazz Hounds Featuring Catherine Russell: Cat & The Hounds

Catherine Russell teams up with Colin Hancock's Jazz Hounds for the release Cat & The Hounds, a recording exploring the roots of Black popular music from the early 1920s. Far from simply nostalgic, the project acts as a lively revival of an evolving art form, balancing the syncopated ragtime style and blues-infused improvisations that defined the Jazz Age. Russell's commanding voice, rich with warmth and character, serves as the perfect centre of attention as the band uncovers rare and overlooked treasures from the era. Joining Russell and Hancock in revitalizing 1920s Black jazz and blues traditions is a superb ensemble featuring trombonist Dion Tucker, multi-reedist Evan Christopher, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jerron Paxton, pianist Jon Thomas, drummer Ahmad Johnson, tubist Kerry Lewis and, on two tracks, bass saxophonist Vince Giordano.

Russell built her reputation interpreting vintage repertoire with authenticity, and she does not disappoint, starting with the first track, "Panama Limited Blues." After Paxton opens the tune with a railroad imitation on harmonica, Russell follows with a thoughtful interpretation centered around Hancock's unique cornet solo. "Cake Walkin' Babies (From Home)" captures the lively energy of a dance hall with its syncopated bounce, giving Russell space to deliver her vocals with gusto. Christopher, in his solo, offers an energetic improvisation on clarinet.

In "You've Got Everything A Sweet Mama Needs But Me," Russell's phrasing emphasizes some of the nuances of the early blues but is delivered with energy. Special guest Giordano appears, trading breaks on his bass saxophone with Hancock's C-melody sax. Vocalist Noble Sissle and pianist Eubie Blake are two seminal figures in the history of Black music in the United States. They wrote many popular and jazz tunes, including "Gypsy Blues (Introducing Serenade Blues)," a contrafact based on the melody and chord changes of Victor Herbert's "Gypsy Love Song" and Franz Schubert's "Serenade," providing the same antecedents for "Serenade Blues." The interpretation by the Jazz Hounds showcases expressive ornamentation that evokes the cosmopolitan influences of the period. Alberta Hunter was an under-appreciated pioneering blues singer who recorded "Everybody Mess Around" in 1926 for Okeh Records. Cat and the Hounds includes an energetic version of the number, drawing in the whole band, which gives Lewis a low-down solo, lending the interpretation an authentic period sonority.

James P. Johnson was a pioneer of stride piano. His 1921 recording of "Carolina Shout" was among the first jazz piano solos to be put on record. The Jazz Hounds and Thomas tackle this technically challenging piece with a propulsive stride feel, while Johnson provides a lively and subtle rhythmic foundation. The closer is "Sweet Man," with an elegant mix of swing and blues inflection, which simmers under Russell's memorable vocal. Ultimately, the album honours the past while infusing it with contemporary vitality.

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