KatieCat & Cain

Artist Information

Biography

KatieCat & Cain delight audiences and share their love of music and life.
With terrific musicianship, eclectic repertoire and cool presentation they appeal to a wide audience demographic.
They offer a hip, easy-going, artistic and fun musical entertainment experience.

(Go to "Video" above to see a short video demo overview of KatieCat & Cain performing live.
Go to YouTube link below to see everything from Classic Jazz, Brazilian, French, cabaret, silly stuff and "camp"retro-pop.)

Instrumentation

KatieCat & Cain perform as a duo:
KatieCat-Vocals John Cain-Piano, Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica

Depending on the event, the venue and the budget extra musicians may be added.
One or more of the following:
Bass
Drums
Latin percussionist
Sax player
Guitarist

Discography

KatieCat's debut CD -The critically acclaimed "Blue Cat Diamonds"
"KatieCat Jazz! Live With the John Cain Jazz Trio."
"Bossa Nova Love"- A tribute to the great bossa nova jazz classics.

Links

• KatieCat and Cain Website
• YouTube Videos of KatieCat & Cain
• KatieCat's Website
• John Cain's Website

Audio

• You'd Be so Nice To Come Home To-from KatieCat Jazz!
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• You're Gonna Miss My Love-duet
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• Something Stupid-duet
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• I Got You, Babe-duet
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• Caravan-from KatieCat Jazz!
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• Song of Brazil-from Life's A Good Gig
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• Beyond The Sea-
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• Dream A Little Dream of Me-from Blue Cat Diamonds
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• Things
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• Palomar-from Life's A Good Gig
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• I Almost Felt Alive- from Blue Cat Diamonds
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• Route 66
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• Me and the Blues-from Blue Cat Diamonds
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• Back To Being Myself-from Blue cat Diamonds
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• Estate- (Sung in Italian)
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• Ya Me Voy
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• Short Clip of "The Look of Love"
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• Short Clip of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"
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• Short Clip of "Black Coffee"
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• Short Clip of "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
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• Short Clip of "It Might As Well Be Spring"
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Lyrics

• Things
• Song of Brazil
• I think I almost felt alive.
• Back To Being Myself
• Ya Me Voy

Video

Introducing KatieCat & Cain

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review of Blue Cat Diamonds [+ Show ]
  

  San Diegan KatieCat (nee Catinella) has been a performer for some time in various bay area and l...
  
  San Diegan KatieCat (nee Catinella) has been a performer for some time in various bay area and local jazz clubs, singing jazz and blues standards. Her debut disc, Blue Cat Diamonds, is a collaboration with local jazz composer/performer/one-man-band John Cain. Cain co-produced with Cat and wrote two of the songs and the result is a delightful mixture of styles and sounds.
  
  Cain plays all the instruments, adds touches of orchestrations, and frames Cat’s clear, expressive vocals in a way that makes the most of her singing talents. Cat, for her part, avoids the temptation to over-sing the vocals, giving just the right inflection to the songs. She knows other singers have done these songs before, like Karen carpenter, Judy Collins, Dionne Warwick, and some of the best big band singers; she is content to interpret rather than try to reinvent.
  
  The selection of songs on the disc is inspired. Cain and Cat have mined the American Songbook, Broadway Musicals, country-rock, and the 1960’s pop charts to find the covers here and the songs are instantly memorable.
  The disc opens with a Cain original, “I Almost Felt Alive,” which has some great word play. This clever mid-tempo jazz tune sets the tone as shimmering keyboards and acoustic guitar figures floats behind Cat’s easy harmonies and scat singing. Then a keyboard—guitar jazzy version of “Both Sides Now,” the country-rock feel is sustained as Cat’s phrasing gives the song a jazz edge. Cain’s piano and bass lines anchor the highlight next cut, “I Thought About You.” This song has Cat giving herself some good background harmony support, and with Cain’s playing the effect sounds like a record from a 1940s vocal combo. “Like a Lover” and “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” are both exquisitely realized. “Love” gives Cat a chance to stretch out on a jazzy shuffle, and “Day” is a bright reading of the familiar Carpenter’s song minus the heavy strings and overdone vibrato of the original.
  
  “It Might as Well Be Spring,” a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical classic is another high point. Burt Bacharach’s “The Look Of Love” is performed very well and this version of the often-covered song measures up well to the Dusty Springfield original. Things conclude with another Cain original, “Back To Being Myself.” This tune has also a Bacharach –style flavor with catchy pop hooks, and Cat pulls it off with flair.
  
  Blue Cat Diamonds is a very enjoyable collection of good music by a singer with a great feel for the songs. She sounds right at home and helps the listener feel the same way.
  
  
  
  
  

• On Air Interviews [+ Show ]
  

  John Cain has been interviewed on KUSI TV San Diego, Ca Groovin U Broadcast Network Las Vegas, Nev ...John Cain has been interviewed on KUSI TV San Diego, Ca
  Groovin U Broadcast Network Las Vegas, Nev
  AM 1030 El Tremendo Radio Tijuana, Mexico
  KSWT-TV CBS affiliate, Yuma, Arizona
  Am 1410 Radio Aquamarina-Zihuatanejo, Mexico

• Interview from The Presidio Sentinel, San Diego, December 2007 [+ Show ]
  

  LIFE’S A GOOD GIG DOT COM John Cain’s enjoyable book about making it - or not - in music might ...LIFE’S A GOOD GIG DOT COM
  
  John Cain’s enjoyable book about making it - or not - in music might be called the
  “anti-Ron Woods” story. That is, it’s drugless. Cain’s story, and info for his cd’s
  and book is on his website. The unofficial John Cain - is right here:
  
  LW: For any hip-less reader living under a rock, tell us: what’s a “gig” - ?
  
  JC: A gig is a musician’s paid performance. Many younger cats trying to make it
  are too ready to perform for free. They’re hobbyists. A professional plays for
  free only for charitable causes - and knows: if you don’t value your talent, no
  one else will.
  
  The “music business” is the bar/hotel/restaurant business! Live music is the
  incentive to make sales. That’s what the gig is all about.
  
  LW: And ... what makes a “good one” -?
  
  JC: At a good gig, you get to do what you want! The venue’s good, the audience
  appreciative; you play music you like, and of course, you get paid. (Gee, here’s
  where artist-turns-mercenary!) And, you’re respected for what you do.
  
  LW: OK. Do you get any?
  
  JC: (Once in a while, but ………oh, you mean gigs!) I was at the Hotel Del for seven
  years, Elario’s (now Clay’s) for two, at Avanti (now Rippongi) for eight.
  
  I’ve gigged steadily at Humphrey’s, the Town and Country Hotel and more.
  
  But you rarely get it all. The pay might be good, but ... you could be stuck in a
  corner by the kitchen where waiters parade in front of you all night. You have to
  wear a uniform - or play music - that you don’t like? But - that’s the deal. To
  work steady, you accept the circumstances! A jazz musician in a country western
  bar just sucks it up without whining. For bad gigs the pro’s attitude is,” ...close
  your eyes until it’s over and collect the cash.”
  
  LW: You’re at the Sheraton (off La Jolla Village Drive), Tuesday nights. A good
  gig?
  
  JC: The Sheraton is a good gig. It’s run by the same folks who own Humphrey’s. They
  have decades of experience; it’s a joy to work for them. I’m at the Bahia Resort
  Hotel on Wednesdays - another good one. Besides locals, hotel guests and tourists
  from all over the world drop in.
  
  LW: You’re a musician, singer, song- and- book- writer, and maybe you have other
  talents we don’t know about. Order them up for us:
  
  JC: I just published a children’s book and CD that I illustrated. So maybe I’m
  also a cartoonist of
  sorts.
  
  Performing live music: instant rewards! The performance and the audience are
  present in the moment. (And, you can also bomb in the moment!) Writing is more of a
  vicarious marathon. (Hmm… good name for a band…? “Vicarious Marathon.”) You hope
  people like it, but it takes a while before you know.
  
  I didn’t think of getting rich or famous in the music biz. (And that’s exactly how
  it’s worked out!) But, I kid. I love performing and entertaining. I’m a big ham, so
  being a musician/entertainer is a good profession for me.
  
  Being an author seems to give one status that a “mere” musician doesn’t have. As an
  author, I get treated with more deference. Yet I express my ideas and feelings in
  the language of music more easily, so writing a book is hard work. Writing lets
  you get your say, tho, without being interrupted - even if it’s a challenge to put
  down your ideas and opinions in words and have them clearly understood.
  
  Now I’m creating a new career as an “author/musician.” From Seattle to San Diego, I
  perform in art centers, college campuses, libraries, book stores and sometimes music
  stores.
  
  LW. Your book cheerfully resonates with anyone in music, around musicians, and
  around town.
  
  JC: Since I was 15. I’ve watched the world go by from a bandstand. I wanted to share
  this unique view, and dispel myths and stereotypes about musicians. History books
  are always about famous leaders, but never about the grunts on the front lines.
  Same with books about musicians - little about the everyday, non-famous, working
  pros. Many musicians have helped and inspired me - older cats who shared their
  gifts and renewed my spirit, but they never made the “big time.” I’m telling their
  stories.
  
  LW. It takes a weird and wild imagination to create a rap version of “Beowulf” (in
  your book.) What got INTO you?
  
  JC: In my seminars in schools, I shock kids when I say that rap is not new. In fact
  it’s one of the oldest forms of music. Beowulf is probably the earliest rap song in
  the English language that is still extant. When it was written, before the advent
  of modern musical instruments (even before Hanna Montana), what we call rap was a
  popular form of musical entertainment. It goes way back before then, even to ancient
  Africa. It’s simply telling a story in rhythm and rhyme- with minimal musical
  accompaniment.
  
  LW: You’ve been gigging ‘round for ... umm, several decades - and still going
  strong. Want to change anything?
  
  JC: I’ve been a musician so long I realize that my entire life is the gig - and I
  want it to continue. Any time someone wants to pay me to play the piano and sing,
  I’m grateful for letting me be who I am.
  
  LW. You’re a very tolerant guy - you let me & my flute sit in with you at the
  Sheraton, before you even KNEW I could provide this amazing column. Tell me the
  truth, tho ... should I hang it up?
  
  JC: It’s your life - so make it a good gig. Never, ever, ever, give up! You may not
  have the fame and wealth of your dreams but at least you’ll go down swinging.
  
  (LW: hmm. WHAT is he trying to tell me?) ###
  Visit: lifesagoodgig.com
  
  
  

• May I Have This Dance? [+ Show ]
  

  Another petite spot for 'touch' dancing is the Avanti Restaurant in La Jolla, where the excellent no...Another petite spot for 'touch' dancing is the Avanti Restaurant in La Jolla, where the excellent northern Italian cuisine competes with the dance floor for the attention of the patrons. But, John Cain who leads a three piece combo doesn't worry about that. Performing from 6:30 to 11 p.m., he knows the dancers will eventually find their way to the adequatly sized 900 square-foot floor. The emphasis is on leisurely paced romantic Latin music. And the 30-odd couples seemed quite content to sway for more than six minutes to Cain's soft bossa nova arrangement of "Girl From Ipenema," which concluded his fifth set of the evening.
  

• Life's A Good Gig [+ Show ]
  

  A Good Gig If You Can Get Reviewed by: I am a Music Lover This is a many-faceted memoir spann...
  A Good Gig If You Can Get
  Reviewed by: I am a Music Lover
  
  This is a many-faceted memoir spanning several decades in the life of a multi-talented individual. It jumps around a bit from entertaining stories about the lives of working musicians, which every working stiff can relate to, to discourses on art, music history, and travel in Latin America, which would appeal to music teachers, students, and travel buffs. Some of the stories have nothing to do with music but are interesting in their own right. Cain recounts some of the strange characters he has encountered during his lifetime. Some of the stories are funny, like the “gig from hell;” some spooky, like a ghost encounter in Spain; some poignant, like Tijuana street musicians; and some downright dubious, like a singing dog. His brushes with greatness, where he name-drops all the famous people he has met, are juicy gossip: illuminating and at times shocking. Like every profession, musicians have their own lexicon and jokes, and Cain has gathered them here, some with explanations for those the not familiar with the jargon.
  He also acknowledges the great musicians who have taught him and gigged with him.
  The companion CD is relevant, because you can hear the voice of the real guy who is spilling his guts to you in the book. He sings great, by the way!
  
  

• Review of Mas Latino [+ Show ]
  

  By Mary Montgomery Singer/songwriter John Cain, along with a troop of guest musicians and a mass ...By Mary Montgomery
  
  Singer/songwriter John Cain, along with a troop of guest musicians and a mass of instruments mixes Latin with mainstream rock and pop, navigating smoothly through the melodies, creating something that sounds as if it were made effortlessly. Latinate overtones set the mood as Cain performs songs in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
  
  The song “From TJ to L.A.” includes a bi-lingual female vocal accompaniment. His website calls his music “gringo salsa” and describes “From TJ to L.A.” as “sardonic.”
  
  “From TJ to L.A.
  it’s the land where the grown up children play,
  we dream and we die as the palm tress sway from L.A. to TJ.
  See ‘em running up the middle of freeway,
  It’s not very far but it’s sure a long way from TJ to L.A.
  Look at this magic mess,
  I’ll fake a lot for less,
  TJ to L.A.”
  
  A rolling rhythm and perky guitars make this track the most memorable on the album, but the ending lacks a certain fullness when it switches gears with and closes with an out-of-place piano solo. However, by album’s end, Cain’s talents leave an impression with his insistent beat and flagrant guitar licks.
  
  
  

• Cain on Groovin U Radio Network [+ Show ]
  

  Cain's music and book "Life's A Good Gig" was featured on a special which will be aired in Jan. 200...Cain's music and book "Life's A Good Gig" was featured on a special which will be aired in Jan. 2008 by the Groovin U radio network. The station is associated with the University of Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nev. and is heard all over the world with millions of listeners. The special will be archived as part of the networks "Roots of Music" series and can be listened to from their website. www.groovinu.com

• Cain's Music gets International Airplay [+ Show ]
  

  Cain's tunes have been selected to be aired on Kanaljazz. Kanaljazz is an online radio station Ba...Cain's tunes have been selected to be aired on Kanaljazz.
  
  Kanaljazz is an online radio station Based in Paris, France and broadcasts from the Shoutcast server based in the United States. The station specializes in contemporary and indie jazz music along with other genres of the like. The station has a special interest in the sounds of French, British, Australian and European jazz. Kanaljazz streams 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of continuous airplay.
  
  Today, the station is mostly listened to in the USA, France, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and South America.
  
  

Setlist

KatieCat & Cain select appropriate material to fit the venue:

Original songs, jazz standards, songs from the American Songbook, cabaret show tunes, blues, bossa novas, retro pop, classic Cuban and Mexican boleros, international standards from France and Italy.

Music by Michael Buble, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Getz/Gilberto, Jobim, Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Bacharach, Cole Porter, Gershwin, Berlin, Karen Carpenter, Beatles, Joni Mitchel, Dusty Springfield, Tony Bennet, Michael Franks, Anita O'Day, Duke Ellington etc.

Basic Requirements

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