Billie Holiday: A Concert Celebration live streaming from Y92, NYC - Dec. 6

Catherine Russell (vocals); Veronica Swift (vocals); Tivon Pennicott (tenor sax); Emmet Cohen (piano); Yasushi Nakamura (double bass); Kyle Poole (drums)

Located on 92nd St, NYC, Y92 has been hosting cultural events for something like 145 years. This New York live stream was actually recorded on November 21. Two weeks later, no doubt following considerable promotion, it finally became available to view, fifteen bucks, to you. Billie Holiday: A Concert Celebration featured stellar names, it couldn't be anything other than good ...

A cavernous, exposed brick performance space, Y92 would, one imagines, in pre-pandemic times, be filled to the rafters. The now familiar sight, and sound, of musicians playing to, and looking down, a camera lens, is how it was for this celebration of Billie Holiday. The Emmet Cohen Trio, as good a piano trio you'll find anywhere, augmented by tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, provided impeccable support to the two star vocalists paying tribute to Lady Day. 

Catherine Russell, daughter of famed bandleader Luis Russell, emerged from the wings to sing the first of the evening's numbers - Time On My Hands. Yes, this was good alright. I Wished on the Moon introduced tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott supporting Ms Russell. The one time tenor player with Gregory Porter didn't seek to emulate Lester Young, he is his own man, a fine player. Fine and Mellow took it down, bluesy tenor accompanying our vocalist. 

Time to introduce Ms Veronica Swift. Our vocalists exchanged compliments as they went into Ain't Nobody's Business. Great stuff! It helps to have an ace 'backing band' in the shape of Cohen, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Kyle Poole! The collective cv spoke volumes - Berklee, Juilliard, NYC first callers, international festival appearances, major concert hall touring musicians etc. 

Ms Russell exited stage right. Ms Swift remained on stage to sing a spellbinding You Go to My Head accompanied by Pennicott's exquisite tenor saxophone playing. More from Swift - If You Were Mine, Did I Remember? and a sensational Ella-like scat chorus on What a Little Moonlight Can Do (Kyle Poole's brushes on an uptempo round of fours, Pennicott effortlessly referencing the great tenor players!). 

Our vocalists momentarily left the stage to Pennicott and the trio to play Lover Man with Cohen inventively incorporating McCoy Tyner-esque chords - most impressive! Catherine Russell returned once more to sing God Bless the Child accompanied by Cohen. The evening drew to a close in an entirely unexpected way. The musicians' work done, an image of Billie Holiday filled the screen. We were left listening to Billie singing Strange Fruit.    

Russell