In 1933, the Civic Auditorium, a large, neoclassical building standing on the eastern shore of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, opened. Three years later, the immortal Louis Armstrong performed there, backed by a crack band which included celebrated pianist Luis Russell.
Now, nearly 90 years later, Russell’s daughter, Catherine, will make her Grand Rapids debut, playing at St. Cecilia Music Center on October 9th. She, too, is a celebrated musician, with a storied career, multiple Grammy nominations, and reams of critical plaudits. “At a moment when the world can seem dangerously out of balance,” The New York Times wrote of a live performance, “it is still possible for a musician to convey a groundedness and a joy.”
Toward the end of his life, her father was too ill to play much, although she remembers him sitting at the piano and playing classical pieces. Her mother was always busy. Catherine wasn’t left with a babysitter or taken to daycare; instead, she went to recording sessions. Things were fast in those days: a recording made one day could appear on the radio the next. “I stayed very still and watched,” she said. “It was so exciting.”
For a while, she danced at the Katherine Dunham School. Dunham, who’s been referred to as “the matriarch and queen mother of Black dance,” eventually left; when she did, Russell did, too. She began to sing in bands, choirs, gospel groups; she left New York for California. She developed a reputation as a dependable backup singer with perfect pitch. Musical acts as exacting as Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, David Bowie and others hired her, often as a backup singer but sometimes as an instrumentalist.
“I love to back up good people,” she said. “These were really great opportunities. And I like to work! Whatever they needed, I wanted to do it. I wanted to do well for those who chose me—not only for them, but for the people who recommended me, too.”
Her time working with Bowie was particularly meaningful. “He pushed everyone around him. He used everything I had to offer musically.” She would work with keyboard technicians early in the morning, working to get the sounds she (and Bowie) wanted from the instrument. Bowie would arrive in the afternoon. When he did, she was ready. She would later says she was blessed to have known him.
In 2004, Paul Kahn, Russell’s husband, suggested she record a solo album. She resisted the idea at first. She didn’t need a career; she had a career, one in which she supported musicians she greatly admired. In the end, though, she gave it a shot. Reviews were rapturous. She was praised for her technical abilities. Critics compared her to legendary jazz vocalists. And she began to tour across the world, refurbishing old standards, some of them a century old.
Excellence drives her. “I’m very concerned with technique,” she said. “I’m trying to sing as well as I possibly can. But at the same time, I like to have fun.”
She likes her audiences to, too. “I hope they enjoy my work. And that they enjoy my band, all of whom are excellent musicians. You know, people have come away from my shows and told me, ‘I’ve never heard this kind of music live before. I wasn’t sure if I’d like jazz.’ And they did. That’s what I want. I want to swing ‘em real good. Let’s have some fun.”
Catherine Russell is one bright spot in the star-filled firmament of St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2025-2026 season. As has become standard for the venue, the season’s split into three separate series: jazz, folk, and chamber music.
JAZZ
October 9th
Catherine Russell
Vocalist Catherine Russell has appeared on over 200 albums, performed on four continents, and earned a sterling reputation as an exceptionally strong and joyful singer.
2026
January 15th
John Pizzarelli
Jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli’s latest album, 2023’s Stage & Screen, features nine decades’ worth of classic songs from Broadway and film.
February 26th
Emmet Cohen Presents Miles & Coltrane At 100
Award-winning pianist 35-year-old Cohen began playing the piano at three years old and quickly established himself as a prodigy; he’s since earned a number of awards.
March 19th
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Branford Marsalis has performed with his quartet since its formation in 1986. In the four decades since, the Grammy Award-winning group has thrilled audiences and critics alike.
FOLK
September 9th
The Milk Carton Kids
The multi-Grammy Award-nominated duo debuted in 2011 and quickly became known for their skilled musicianship and beautiful, sibling-like harmonies.
September 23rd
Leo Kottke
For over a half century, Kottke’s intricate, skillful playing has delighted audiences, whether through his solo work or his work with fellow musicians like Phish’s Mike Gordon.
September 25th
Sierra Hull
Bluegrass star Sierra Hull has played Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and the White House and collaborated with Dolly Parton, Allison Krauss, and Garth Brooks.
October 23rd
Chris Thile
Already sold out, this performance is sure to showcase the talent that led to mandolinist Thile’s winning a Macarthur “Genius Grant.” A contemporary giant in American roots music.
November 2nd
Josh Ritter
Born in Idaho and inspired by Dylan, Cash, Cohen, and Welch, Josh Ritter made his mark with 2002’s The Golden Age of Radio and hasn’t stopped since.
November 18th
Joy Oladokun
The daughter of African immigrants, Oladokun wowed the folk world with her first two records: In Defense of my own Happiness and Proof of Life. A daringly vulnerable singer.
December 4th
Yonder Mountain String Band
For nearly three decades, Yonder Mountain String Band has honored the heritage of roots music while helping drive it farther, mixing bluegrass, country, indie rock, and more.
2026
March 26th
Sam Bush
In 2009, the Americana Music Association awarded Bush the Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his lasting contributions and growing influence.
CHAMBER MUSIC
November 20th
Gilbert Kalish & The Viano Quartet
The critically acclaimed and award-winning quartet will perform a program with music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, accompanied by piano and string instrumentalists.
2026
April 16th
Quintet Revelations
Pianist Wu Han, a St. Cecilia staple, returns with Chad Hoopes, Richard Lin, Milena Pajaro-Van DeStadt, and Dmitri Atapine for an evening of music, including a piece by Saint-Saëns.
May 14th
Schubertiade
Music for strings and piano composed by Franz Schubert. Wu Han will perform alongside Anne-Marie Mcdermott, Benjamin Beilman, and David Finckel.
