Catherine Russell on Mountain Stage

Catherine Russell has an impressive pedigree; with her father being Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong's musical director, and her mother Carline Ray, a bassist and vocalist with advanced degrees from Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music; Russell was, from birth, poised to be a great jazz musician.

It is not surprising that she has taken to jazz, and, as a vocalist, she has performed with everyone from Jackson Browne and Rosanne Cash to Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, and David Bowie. And earlier this week, on the 23rd of December, she played on the Mountain Stage.


At Mountain Stage, she played several tracks from her new album, Sentimental Streak, and also a few from her '06 Debut Album, Cat. The lineup from her set was as follows: "This Joint Is Jumpin," "Back O' Town Blues," "New Orleans," "Darn that Dream, " and "Kitchen Man."

To listen to Catherine Russell's set on Mountain Stage, please CLICK HERE.
To learn more about Russell, please visit her Web site: CLICK HERE.

Caroline Kennedy Meets with Syracuse Mayor

John Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, the NY State Senator hopeful, recently came to Syracuse for a meeting with Mayor Matt Driscoll. After exiting the meeting, Ms. Kennedy confirmed her interest in the position by stating: "As some of you may have heard, I've told Governor Paterson that I'd be honored to be considered for the position of United States Senator. I wanted to come Upstate and meet with Mayor Driscoll and others to tell them about my experience and also to learn more about how Washington could help these communities."

Mayor Driscoll had this to say about her visit and her interest in the position: "It's an appointment, not an election. So anyone who wants to come and ask me what are the issues that we see in Syracuse, I'd be happy to share that with them. But, at the end of the day, I'll be respecting the governor's process and that is it's his appointment, it is not an election and I also let Ms. Kennedy know that as well."

To read more about this, and to view a live video report, please CLICK HERE to visit News 10 Now.

Do you think Ms. Kennedy would be a good NY State Senator? Why or why not? Share your view on this by clicking on "Comments" below.

Cedar Walton Trio at the Village Vanguard

Jazz Pianist Cedar Walton has released over 30 albums since he put out his first in 1967.

A savvy veteran of jazz's hard-bop heyday, pianist Cedar Walton has always been in high demand. When he arrived in New York, musicians like Art Blakey and John Coltrane employed him on canonic recording sessions. These days, venues around the world clamor to book a jazz great of a bygone era who still fronts his own small groups. Lucky for U.S. audiences, Walton has made it an annual event to play two weeks at New York's Village Vanguard every December. Hear the Cedar Walton Trio in concert at the Vanguard, broadcast live on air by WBGO and live online at NPR Music.

To listen to the entire show online, please CLICK HERE.

Unbelievable Miracle Shot Wins the Game

SUNY Oswego's basketball team is getting some National, possibly even International attention right now as a result of a recent loss to SUNY Geneseo. However, this is no normal loss.

In the last 20 seconds of the game, SUNY Geneseo sunk a basket bringing them 1 point up...then SUNY Oswego replied with another 2-pointer, putting them 1 point up...then, with 1/10 of a second left in the game, senior SUNY Geneseo guard Scott Morton sunk a miracle, diving, over-the-shoulder shot to win the game.

This incredible sequence is certainly well worth wathcing. Check it out by clicking on the video below!

Obama Names Clinton Secretary of State

Barack Obama named Senator Hillary Clinton, his former rival for the Presidential Democratic candidate in this past election, as his Secretary of State today.

During a press conference earlier today in Chicago, Obama stated "I have known Hillary Clinton as a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel, and as a campaign opponent. She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic. Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances."

For the full story, and to listen to NPR's Tom Gjelten and Renee Montagne discuss Obama's selection on "Morning Edition," CLICK HERE.

What do you think of Obama's selection? Will Clinton prove a good Secretary of State? Voice your opinion by clicking on "Comments" below.