'Nobody Got Off Scat-Free'
Sandi Russell is to be commended for organising this, the first Musicon Durham Jazz Festival. 
The event took place at St Chad's College - a seat of learning only a wing and a prayer away 
from the cathedral, the castle and the prison.
Not that Ms Russell took any prisoners. Looking very svelte in a beige posh cardi with gold decorations 
and brown trousers - the epitome of cool - the Harlem born, Dunelmian resident, gave an exuberant, 
even astonishing, display of vocal pyrotechnics - this was Tina Turner meets Dee Dee Bridgewater 
with a touch of Ella and Sassy (Sarah Vaughan) and a Covent Garden coloratura thrown in to 
the melting pot - an outré performance!
There were moments of sanity on The Nearness of You, Skylark, Send in the Clowns but mostly it was 
wild scatting that, whilst I found it a bit over the top, the bulk of her audience loved it.
Alan, John, Alec and the ever smiling Steve were in scintillating form. They opened up with Yardbird 
Suite with Alan on alto and John Horler playing some grand piano on the grand piano.
Steve and Alec made sure no one flagged - least of all them.
Alan blew tenor on a Cottontail that soared effortlessly - Ben Webster would have been impressed. 
Later they did I Thought About You and a bossa - O Grande Amor - the bass part of which was written 
on a piece of till roll from the pub - or so Alan/Alec said!
Sandi finished off with a nod to Ella on How High The Moon followed by That's All for an appropriately 
entitled encore. Lance Liddle (Bebop Spoken Here 4-03-11)

‘An extraordinary singer’    Lionel Hampton

‘Magnetic, moving’    Johnny Hartman

‘Big voice, big presence’    Geoffrey Smith  (Jazz Record Requests, BBC Radio 3)

‘Sandi Russell achieves a compelling swing’ Humphrey Lyttleton  (Best of Jazz,  BBC Radio 2)

‘A commanding presence’     Bruce Crowther  (Jazz Journal, UK)

‘This unique vocalist … an entertaining  singer … smart and savvy’   Dave Miele  (Jazz Improv, USA)

‘Sandi Russell was the hit of the evening’    Robert Maycock  (The Independent)

‘Sandi Russell is a class act’   John Fordham  (The Guardian)

‘Sandi Russell is strictly superb’   Jack Lloyd  (Philadelphia Enquirer)

‘Bright, strong voice and an awareness  of the emotive power of a lyric’   Richard Sudhalter  (New York Post)

‘Ms Russell personifies the maxim that the human voice is the most expressive of all musical instruments’
 Matthew Wells  (Darlington & Stockton Times) 

‘Everyone ought to hear Sandi Russell’   Alan Twelftre (Metro Radio)