Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue

Steven Reineke has established himself as one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music. In addition to his role as Principal POPS Conductor of the Houston Symphony, this season, he celebrates his 10^th anniversary as music director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, he is principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Steven is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and his extensive North American conducting appearances include Atlanta, Cincinnati, Edmonton, San Francisco, and Sarasota.

On stage, he has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip hop, Broadway, television, and rock, including Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered leading the National Symphony Orchestra, in a first for the show’s 45-year history, performing live music excerpts between news segments. In 2018, Steven led the same orchestra and hip hop legend Nas performing his seminal album, Illmatic, on PBS’s Great Performances.

As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Steven’s work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare commemorated the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands worldwide.

A native of Ohio, Steven is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He lives in New York City with his husband, Eric Gabbard.

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with stars such as Steely Dan, David Bowie, and Cyndi Lauper, among others, appearing on more than 200 albums. 

Her 2006 debut album, Cat (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), garnered rave reviews and was followed by Sentimental Streak. Inside This Heart of Mine, reached #1 on JazzWeek, Roots Music Report radio charts, and Billboard. A fourth album, Strictly Romancin’ was awarded Prix du Jazz Vocal (Vocal Album of The Year). In 2012, she won a Grammy Award as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for the HBO-TV series, Boardwalk Empire. Her fifth solo album, Bring It Back, was released worldwide in 2014 on the Jazz Village label, receiving a Five Star Review in Downbeat Magazine. Later albums, Harlem on My Mind and Alone Together earned Grammy nominations. 

Catherine has guested on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, PBS’s Tavis Smiley Show, and NPR’s Fresh Air, among others. She has won a prestigious German Record Critics Award and a Living Blues magazine critics poll. She appeared in the feature film Bolden and contributed vocals to the soundtrack album by Wynton Marsalis. 

With universal acclaim, Catherine has performed on four continents. She has been a hit at major jazz festivals and at sold-out prestigious venues. Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920s through the present with vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the-beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, she has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American popular song.