Guitarist/bassist/vocalist Carline Ray’s direct link to Armstrong naturally stems from her marriage to Luis Russell, Armstrong’s longtime musical director. Her story is a fascinating one that intersects with James Reese Europe (with whom her father played), breaking color lines as a graduate of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, and touring with the legendary International Sweethearts of Rhythm as a young woman. Her daughter Catherine Russell attended her mother’s celebration at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, among the many honors Ray gathered. A beloved member of the jazz community for decades, her story is ripe for a renaissance.
Panelists will include Catherine Russell, NJMH Senior Scholar Loren Schoenberg, and there will be a musical performance by a special guest TBA.
This program is supported in part by a grant from The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.
National Jazz Museum in Harlem
We are your go-to venue for off-site meetings, receptions, film screenings, workshops, networking events, socials and more. Located in the heart of Central Harlem’s thriving culinary and entertainment district, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is the perfect place to hold your next gathering.