Catalpa bignonioides I believe.

Do you think? Catalpa is usually heart shaped leaves, isn't it ? I feel fairly certain if I could see/touch/feel (or maybe have better pics), I'd know this tree.

The photographer (shudder) believes she knows Catalpa and doesn't believe it is that.

IMO almost certainly catalpa -- pretty sure it's not paulownia. Bark looks like catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa). Northern catalpa bark is more furrowed rather than flaky.

This link shows the variable leaf shape and the bark of C bignoniodes https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Catalpa+bignonioides

The pictures are not good enough quality to tell, but it does look like the same sort of general shape as striped maple, Italian maple, which is also closely related to red-leafed indian bean tree.

Yeah, I know...but these are better (believe it or not) than the first photos which I sent her back to retake.

What tree do you mean by striped or Italian maple? I’ve searched and they appear to be different species? Acers are not closely related to Catalpas so do you mean a different genus altogether?

What tree do you mean...?

Presumably the sequence was supposed to be Acer pensylvanicum (or other Sec. Macrantha maple), A. opalus and Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea'.

I too, thought it was a Macrantha maple (pensylvanicum is the only North American species) until I saw it was a Catalpa.