Jimmy Catlett

Jimmy Catlett- Waiting To Fall Off the Earth-Glass Tube Records

Now and again a record comes out that turns your head
and raises goose pimples on your flesh. More and more
regularly those records are coming from this area or
region, which should not be a surprise. The art scene
and culture of Virginia, and especially Richmond,
makes this a fertile breeding ground for currently
under-the-radar musicians. Jimmy Catlett is just one
of those artists. Growing up in Richmond, working in
it's music stores and on it's stages for 20+ years,
Catlett has honed his musicianship to a sterling sharp
edge. Add to that living in today's digital age where
music is so easily recorded WELL, and is out there
floating around, accessible to the masses, or the few-
regardless of fame or popularity and you have the
makings of a tremendous success story.

After a string of winning releases by various bands
throughout the years (most recently in 2004 with the
bar-rocking Nat King Kong), Catlett steps into the
spotlight on his own with Waiting To Fall Off the Earth, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. This solo debut is a must-hear for local and national music aficionados, alike. It is a record made for fans of music made for music's sake. Engineer Kevin Pittman does such a great job in not only getting the most from acoustic instrumentation, but in adding textures, and mixing at ideal levels, his Shadewood Recording Ranch might be overrun after folks hear this offering. As an artist not tied to any particular genre nor easily pigeonholed, Catlett's music moves from what many would call classic singer-songwriter to sweet power pop, with as many stops along the way as there are songs on the platter (13). While largely acoustic based with a toe in Americana, this album cuts a much wider swath than what you’d expect- i.e.: its way more Lloyd Cole than Guy Clark.


Debut records typically suffer from going in one of two
directions: it all sounds alike or it all sounds
different. Waiting To Fall Off the Earth is a sublime mixture of the two- with strains that pull disparate rhythms and styles together while casting a melodic net wide enough to engross fans from at least 3 generations. Catlett's musical prowess- he does everything on this record but dance- cannot be overstated. From dexterous stringed instrument performance to angelic singing in several styles, Waiting To Fall Off the Earth has a polished flair that is seldom heard on self-produced albums. With songwriting as strong as that heard on the jangly “Trampoline”, the poignant “To See You Smile”, and my fave “Lincoln and Lafayette” (John Hiatt should be so lucky!!), Catlett's first foray into solo gamesmanship might surprise even his longest-term fans. Before long, they just might have to pay more than bar-band prices to experience his world-class performances. Stellar in every way. A++.

J. Holdren
Plan 9 Correspondent
- Plan 9 Records Online

July 6, 2005

Richmond music vets may remember Jimmy Catlett’s mid-’90s band, DumDums, and more recently, Nat King Kong (with WRIR DJ and Richmond music mainstay Buzzy Lawler). Catlett’s back with a new CD called “Waiting to Fall Off the Earth.” The album, which teams Catlett with fellow Nat King Kong member, drummer and producer Kim Haynie, is an “earthy soundscape” that includes dobro, mandolin, autoharp, harmonica and of course Catlett’s six- and 12-string guitars. Catlett and Haynie chose former bandmate Kevin Pittman and ex-Cracker and Silos member Bob Rupe for production and engineering duties. Find out more at www.sonicbids.net/jimmycatlett. - Jay Smack

March 2007-

Jimmy Catlett is preparing for the release of his 2nd solo CD, The Big Beat. This will be Jimmy's first release for Lost Cat Records.

Jimmy is currently in reheasals for live shows that will prominently feature the new record as well as songs from 2005's Waiting to Fall Off the Earth.

An in store appearance at local Plan 9 records and a show at long time favorite Poe's Pub are on the books with a show at Richmond's 11th Annual Cinco De Mayo Festival and shows in Charlottesville, DC and Maryland in the works.

For more information please Contact Oakstone Management at 804-357-9291 or email at oakstonemanagement@verizon.com - Oakstone Management

February 25,2007-

Oakstone Management is proud to announce Jimmy Catlett's signing to Atlanta based independent music label, Lost Cat Records. Jimmy's new CD, "The Big Beat" will be his first release for the label and will be available through Lost Cat digital distribution channel partners like iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and others. For more information on Lost Cat Records, please contact www.lostcatrecords.com - Oasktone Management

Nat King Kong “Kong of the Jangle” (Glass Tube) *****

Straight out of the garage, these 12 original tunes capture rock ‘n’ roll’s timeless heart. You just can’t beat a sound graced by plenty of sturdy electric leads, tasteful slide guitar, Elvis Costello-tinged vocals, powerful drumming and terrific songwriting. The band certainly tips its stylistic hat to classic music-makers such as George Harrison and the Kinks, but this is in no way a retro project. From the opening sonic wail, set-opener “Whose Side Are You On?” alerts a listener that this record has some good stuff in store. “I Don’t Want to Wake Up” throws a listener a nice Latin-flavored tempo change and features some of that fine slide and a bass that moves the tune along. “Roll” reveals that Kong can play a ballad as well as crunch out cranked-up rock. “Any Planet at All” comes off as a strange and clever 21st-century version of a Hank Williams song. And any project that includes a tune called “God Save the Kinks” captures this listener’s heart. Recorded with few overdubs and tons of spirit, “Jangle” is a blast of sound recommended to those who are hungry for live, unadorned bass, drums and guitar. There’s nothing fancy here. There’s nothing experimental here. Yeah, it’s been done before. But these guys do it great one more time. Nat King Kong gives a listener punchy and raw, cut-to-the-bone pop-rock music at its best.

— A.A.
- Ames Arnold

One CD out, another in works
But Nat King Kong also tries to entertain people at its live shows

BY HAYS DAVIS
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Sep 25, 2003


If Benny's, Max's Corner Cafe, Diamond Jim's or the 5:38 Club rings a bell with you, it's possible that you shared either an audience or a stage with the members of Nat King Kong.

"That's my autobiography, when I write it: 'Every Place I Ever Played Is Closed,' says singer-guitarist Jimmy Catlett.

"Or a parking lot," suggests drummer Kim Haynie. Formerly acoustic Catlett, along with guitarist Buzzy Lawler, bassist Dan Lancaster and guitarist David Bragassa, played at various times with Dirty Secrets in the'80s and were among those who regularly haunted the aforementioned long-gone locales.

In 2000, the four came together as Nat King Kong, initially as an acoustic group.

"That's when we were doing all the back yards and basements and living rooms," Bragassa says. "We just took that and said, 'Let's do it professionally.' We were going to be folky-rootsy-acoustic-y."

"Which we are, at some points, but not at all points. It's hard to cubbyhole us," Lawler says. Shifting gears With the addition of Haynie, who is formerly of the Wit Lincolns and more recently has done some Los Angeles session work, there was a notable shifting of gears.

"We said, 'Hey, let's grab a drummer,'" recalls Lancaster. "Out the window went the acoustic. Except for Buzzy."

Haynie remembers how quiet he played the first time out. "'I'll just bring a snare and some brushes,'" he remembers thinking.

"That lasted all of one rehearsal," laughs Catlett. "'OK, bring the Marshalls and the Strats . . . '"

'Kong of the Jangle' Anyone who's had a chance to catch the band around town or pick up its new CD, "Kong of the Jangle," knows that the guys have increased the volume since their acoustic days.

Fans of the wit and craft of artists such as John Hiatt and John Prine will find plenty to like in the disc's rootsy, vibrant tunes. Rockers such as "Whose Side Are You On" and "Think About You" brush against the more casual grooves of "The Searchlight" and "Certain Girl," making it plain that these guys might try anything. And have.

"We have opened up for ourselves under another name as an acoustic band," says Bragassa. "Of course, everybody knew what the joke was."

"It's good to start things out on a low key like that," says Catlett. "Ease into the harder stuff." Longtime rockers With loving tributes to their heroes such as "God Save the Kinks" and their nod to George Harrison, "Goodnight Sweet Prince," band members have no qualms about revealing their influences or hinting at the length of time they've been on the scene. "I don't think we make any bones about how far along we are in the timeline," says Lawler.

According to Catlett, band members figure they have a combined total of about 125 years of rock'n' roll experience.

Fast action When it came to the recording of "Kong of the Jangle," however, the guys may as well have been teenagers. "One 12-hour session," says Lawler.

"I don't know of any other record, ever, that was made without any mic-placement changes," laughs Bragassa.

"We did it as if we were doing a live gig," remembers Lawler. "We got everybody in a circle. Had the recording equipment [in their rehearsal room]. Of course, we did overdubs and tweaks here and there, during the course of the following months, but basically everything was done in one 12-hour session."

With the CD out and another in the works, Nat King Kong is out to show music lovers what a good time can be had in a live setting. Haynie places the band among those "that actually take the time to sit down and work stuff out, to have fun and ad-lib, and put kind of a show into it, so that people come back. We're there to entertain. You want people to come to your shows."

- Hays Davis

BY HAYS DAVIS
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
October 6, 2005

Jimmy Catlett can't help but laugh as he recounts how one of his earlier Richmond-area bands, Dum Dums, was rebuffed when it tried to get an endorsement from the company that makes its namesake candy. A British band of the same name, with a major-label record deal, did get the company's blessing, but Catlett and his crew had the last laugh.
"We had the name trademarked for North America, so they had to buy it from us. We made more money from it than we ever made [playing music]. We bought lots of nice guitars and stuff with that."
Catlett is probably best known as singer-guitarist-songwriter for local heroes Nat King Kong. He parted with the band but has continued to work with Kong drummer-producer Kim Haynie.
"[Haynie ] started hearing some of the stuff I was bringing in," Catlett said. "I write constantly. It's embarrassing, really, how many songs I write."
As they realized they were both tired of playing cover songs, Catlett's prolific writing made the shift of focus easy .
"Kim took home everything I had from the last five years or so and made up a preliminary list, and I scratched out a few. We pared it down to about 20 [songs], and then we actually recorded 14. So it was a winnowing-down process of about five years' work."
The result is "Waiting To Fall Off the Earth." Catlett and Haynie are joined by Kevin Pittman on keyboards. It's an accomplished record that stands out among this year's local releases, with tracks ranging from rockers to toned-down, personal pieces that are colored by recent events in Catlett's life.
"My friend said it's a good rainy-day album," said Catlett. "It's OK in the sunshine, too! I've joked that the next album is going to be called 'More Jolly Songs of Death and Drinking.'
"I've lost a couple of people in my life the last few years. I don't claim that there's any silver lining or anything, but it has kind of freed me up after all this time. I think it's what's responsible for me to stop wasting time.
"Read the Shakespeare. Hear the Bach. See John Lee Hooker or Ravi Shankar when he comes to town. Go out there and be in it."
- Richmond Times Dispatch

January 2006

Glass Tube recording artist Jimmy Catlett will begin principle tracking on his follow up CD to May 2005's "Waiting to Fall From the Earth". Critically hailed by the local music press and gaining momentum on recent live shows, Jimmy and his touring band will move into Shadewood Ranch Recording Studios in scenic Charles City, Virginia begining in mid February.

Production duties will continue to be shared by Kim Haynie, Kevin Pittman and Jimmy. The band has also obtained the services of veteran producer and engineer Bob Rupe, currently of Horsehead and formally of Virgin recording artist Cracker.

The band is targeting a mid summer 2007 release with live dates on the outdoor festival season in and around central Virginia.

Jimmy Catlett has also firmed up the lineup for the live band. In addition to handling production duties, Kevin Pittman, formally of CBS recording artist, The Dads and founding member of Los Angeles based Wit Lincolns, will be going out for live shows as well. Kevin will be playing rhythm guitar and keyboards in additon to lead and backup vocals

Also joining Jimmy will be veteran bass player Armistead Wellford, formally of 80's alternative darlings, Love Tractor.


For more information please contact Oakstone Management: oakstonemanagement@verizon.net or visit Jimmy's website at www.sonicbids.net/jimmycatlett - Oakstone Management

November 2005:

Jimmt Catlett has recently been the featured artist on local Richmond radio station, WRIR's Great Americna Music Hour hosted by Jerry Jodice.

Jerry has been playing tracks from Jimmy's first solo release on Glass Tube Records, "Waiting to Fall Off The Earth". Jerry featured Jimmy on three occasions as the spotlight artis during November and December. All of these shows are available on WRIR's website at:
www.greatamericanmusichour.com/podcast.html

WRIR is an independent radio station broadcasting from Richmond, Virginia. - Oasktone Management

With his latest platter, The Big Beat, Jimmy Catlett proves again that he is the crown prince of Richmond-area pop songsmiths. This talent, when coupled with his prowess as a master musician and sublime vocalist, makes for a dazzling combination. This album essentially picks up where his 2005 release, Waiting to Fall Off the Earth, left off, with basically the same production team and accompanying musicians. However, this time out Catlett placed greater emphasis on band interplay, including co-writing a couple of tunes, and tracking basic tracks live as a group. The results yield a palpable energy, melding flawlessly with Catlett’s ever-optimistic worldview, which remains unyielding in the face of growing predictions of pending Armageddon. The title track typifies his lust for life, with the lyric “Keep on dancing until the big beat stops”, and a hook so heavy, it’s impossible to pry from mortal memory. The theme continues with songs like “Grand”, which includes the stanza “Wipe those tears away, tomorrow starts today…ain’t life grand”. This critic’s favorite is a tune titled “The Truth About Angels”, an ideal example of Catlett’s gift for clever wordplay AND melodic sensibility. It’s a rare combination. Fans of Alex Chilton, Freedy Johnston and Tommy Keene would be doing themselves a disservice by missing out on Catlett’s amiable artistic charm. So, AAA radio programmers please take notice. The Big Beat should be in your pile of unopened mail right now. Crack it, spin it and wait for the call lines to light up. The Big Beat will put a big dent in your play list, and could, indeed, portend big things to come for Mr. Catlett. He is a tunesmith par excellence and this record should not be overlooked by an industry starved for talent as rich and pure as his.

J. Holdren
9x Correspondent
- Plan 9 Records Online