CATHI WALKUP - VOCALIST, LYRICIST, PRODUCER
Cathi Walkup
vocalist, lyricist, producer
"The lady's voice is of the intimate variety and of an obvious jazz pedigree"
– Lawrence Brazier, Jazz Now Magazine
www.cwalkup.com
cathi@cwalkup.com
(510) 534-6163
Cathi has been called "the thinking person's jazz singer" for her choice of lyric driven songs, "a natural comedian" for her wit and ease on-stage, and an "important bop oriented singer ...and ... also an excellent lyricist" by Scott Yanow, respected jazz writer, in his new book, "The Jazz Singers, The Ultimate Guide".
Her "smoked cheddar alto" can take the knots right out of your neck, or she can rip through a vocalese number and energize the entire room. Being an accomplished lyricist herself she highly values the written word and delivers the story from the heart, giving fresh meaning to words you may have heard a thousand times.
Cathi's singing career has taken her to New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, Hawaii, all around the Pacific Northwest and of course her home base, Oakland. She has played tiny bistros to large concert halls and jazz festivals – including playing the infamous bath houses in San Francisco in the 80's – hey it worked for Bette Midler. Cathi has done live television and radio performances and most recently has written and performed in a jazz musical, 'Almost Famous, The Musical', with colaborator, friend, and pianist/singer Shanna Carlson, as well as the world's smallest tribute band to the Big Band Era, 'Sentimental Journey', also penned and performed with Ms. Carlson, although they occasionally expand it to a quintet.
Through her own recording label, Flying Weasel Enterprises, she has produced three CDs of her own work, 'Night Owl', 'Living in a Daydream' and 'Playing Favorites', to critical acclaim, as well as producing two compilation CDs, 'Quint-Essential', featuring five Bay Area singers, and a Christmas sampler, 'And a Songbird in a Pear Tree', which features six Bay Area Singers and two original Christmas songs, one by Cathi, the other by vibraphonist, Gerry Grosz. Some of Cathi's original songs have been recorded and performed by other singers.
In addition, Cathi also produces a once monthly concert series, Bird's Nest Jazz, from her loft in Oakland, presenting some of the finest jazz artists from the Bay Area and beyond. She maintains a national mailing list and isn't afraid to use it.
"She stays low and spins the lyric with dizzy rhythms" – Jazz Improv Magazine
"Ms. Walkup casts an enchanting spell..." Donna Kimura – Jazzreview.com