As the Halloween weekend approaches many people are getting prepared for costumes, candy and endless reruns of classic horror films.
However, some options are available for those who want to do something a little different this weekend, whether they are in the mood to relax with nice music or if they need a good laugh.
Fans of good performances would enjoy knowing that Catherine Russell will be performing at the American Cabaret Theater on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31.
Russell, a New York based vocalist, has performed at jazz clubs, cabarets and blues festivals in cities across the world.
A graduate of New York’s High School of Music and Art and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Russell toured Europe with a gospel group before being hired as a background vocalist for artists such as Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and many others.
Recently she has appeared with Green on “Late Night With David Letterman” and with Bette Midler on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
In 2006 she released her first solo album, “Cat”, and her 2008 follow up, “Sentimental Streak,” received rave reviews and landed respectable spots on the Billboard jazz chart and was listed as one of the top 10 songs to download on the iTunes jazz chart.
Russell contributes the success of the album to the fact that her record company has given her plenty of creative space and freedom. That arrangement gave her the ability to explore all of the genres she loves, including jazz, blues, R&B and classic soul.
“I don’t have anyone telling me I should be doing something different than I’m doing” Russell said. I was able to add the instrumentation I needed, add the tunes I wanted, do swing music and add blues or rhythm and blues to that. It’s really great to have a project that offers something for everyone.”
People who enjoy good jokes and down-to-earth humor shouldn’t be disappointed by comedian Spanky Brown, who can be seen downtown at Crackers Comedy Club from Thursday, Oct. 29 to Saturday, Oct. 31.
Brown, a native of Memphis, left his career as an advertising executive and car salesman in 1997 to try a career at stand up comedy, rising from local clubs to national television shows. He has been featured on programs such as BET’s Comic View and The Bob & Tom Show. He has also been a writer for The Tom Joyner Morning Show and host of Barber Shop Critics on the Black Family Channel.
Brown’s show has been described as being more like a conversation in his living room than a stage performance. He uses his experiences as a businessman, twice divorced bachelor, soldier, and preacher’s son and lover of country music to deliver funny stories that can be appreciated by both urban and mainstream audiences.
“I’m on a one-man mission to put real comedy back in comedy,” Brown said. “A lot of the comedy today is not like it was when Richard Pryor used profanity; it’s more vulgar. I just try to be funny, clever and relatable to people, and I hope comedy continues to move back in that direction.”
When asked to describe his most memorable show, Brown went back to his early days as a relatively unknown standup comedian.
“One night I sat at a table with the mic in my hand, and did my act sitting there with people who had come to the show,” he said. “Three of them were there because they’d just had an accident and were waiting for the cops to arrive. The club manager paid me in coins that night.”
SEE THE SONGSTRESS
Who: Catherine Russell
When: Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Where: The Cabaret at the Connoisseur Room , 127 E. Ohio St.
Tickets: $25, $30 and $40. To order visit www.thecabaret.org or call (317) 274-7005.
For more info: Visit www.catherinerussell.net.
GET READY
TO LAUGH!
Who: Spanky Brown
When: Friday, Oct. 29 through Saturday, Oct. 31. Show times are 8:30 p.m. for Thursday, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Where: Crackers Comedy Club (downtown), 247 S. Meridian St.
Tickets: $10 for Oct. 29, $15 and $20 preferred seating for Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. To order, visit www.crackerscomedy.com or call (317) 631-3536.
DID YOU KNOW:
n Catherine Russell’s father, Luis Russell pioneering bandleader and pianist who serve as Louis Armstrong’s musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, is a vocalist and bassist who has performed with artists such as Mary Lou Williams and Wynton Marsalis.
n Out of Bounds, a radio program featuring Spanky Brown, airs on weekday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on ESPN 1180.
