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CATHY JEAN
P r e s e n t a t i o n
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Cathy Jean
***** 2005 WAMA Nominated Best Blues
Album!! *****
***** 2005 WAMA Nominated Best Female Blues Vocalist!! *****
Cathy Jean is a life-long musician, dedicating her soul to
blues, rock, and roots music. All songs by Cathy Jean, except "Paint My
Fence", by Cathy Jean and Keith Stafford. Most heartfelt thanks go out
to Bias Recording Studios, Springfield, VA.
 CATHY
JEAN: "Little Sick Twist"
- (www.cdbaby.com/cd/cathyjean4)
BLUES MATTERS! MAGAZINE, THE UK'S LEADING AND MOST REWARDED BLUES MAGAZINE!!!
Love the new CD!!! Now we reviewed this lady's "Marshall Road Apocalypse"
album back in issue 7 and here we are with this tasty morcel which we are told
is her 5th album. There was a sad note with the album that the bands bass player
Wade Matthews had passed away on August 18th, our condolences. Cathy and the
band rock you in with Bitchovich which is vicious story of scheming women and
jealousy check out the line; "with your blonde hair (real tight clothes)
and big tits all the things my good man can't resist" and you get a feel
for the bitchyness going on here, well put over and 'rockin' good. So Proud
is a swinging song about "my man's bishop" but you have to listen
or read the lyrics to spot this as the music is so damn good. "Something
Dark Approaching" slows down the process and carries some fine organ and
guitar along with another variation on Cathy's vocals. This is excellent stuff.
Cathy hits you between the eyes with her powerful songs, all good compositions
and the band do her proud. Blues Revue said about her that "she is a gifted
vocalist and aspiring songwriter who deserves to go mainstream". The PR
stuff is minimal and Cathy obviously lets her CDs do her talking, and they do
it remarkably well. This is a pretty powerful album all round, it builds, it
deals with fragilities, fears, jealousies, alcoholism, insecurities, and all
in a hard way. The lyrics pack a punch and are almost a range of social commentaries
and the music is equally as provocative. She rocks, swings, grooves and entices.
Check out her web site. Oh, and 16 page sleeve with all lyrics. Loved it, loved
it, give me more. - Caleb, editor, BLUES MATTERS!
(!!!) BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
Cathy Jean's "Little Sick Twist" takes some getting used to. Maybe
it’s the sex-kitten pinup art that adorns her CDs and almost every page of liner
notes, or maybe it's because a couple of tunes sound like Chrissie Hynde or
Patti Smith talking dirty ("Paint My Fence", for example, or "Brunettes",
about a torrid lesbian encounter). Or maybe it’s the notion that someone so
physically attractive shouldn't have the blues in the first place. But when
you listen to these 15 tunes, all but one of which bear Cathy Jean's solo writing
credit, you find two truths: One, her vocal prowess and lyrical phrasing are
considerable, and two, if you listen long enough you’ll get what you need. Smoky
blues numbers such as "Something Dark Approaching" appear alongside
tracks such as "Slow Down", a fiddle and banjo tune with its heart
in Nashville, its gut in Memphis, and its nethers further south.
On the blues-rocking "Not Pretty", the singer describes
herself as tan and buff - until she reveals the psychic damage she’s endured
and the neediness that compels her to beg the man she's addressing to "come
hang out with me". "Happy Couple" uses the jump blues idiom to
address a crumbling live-in relationship where the guy won’t pay half of the
bills. "No More Pecking", a piano bar blues featuring cornet, tells
a story of sexual dysfunction in which the relationship has become one-sided,
the man happier to be playing video games than tapping the narrator. Risky song
subjects and the fine musicianship of the supporting players suggest that when
Jean gets a wider audience, it's going to be because, deep down, she's all blues
- postmodernist Betty Paige irony notwithstanding. - Michael Cala, BLUES REVUE
ALLIGATOR RECORDS
I enjoyed "Deeper", "Paint My Fence", "Happy Couple"
(I am a blues guy after all), "Brunettes" (nice rockabilly feel plus
interesting fantasy), "Something Dark Approaching", "The Judge"
(hilarious, loved the accordian), "No More Pecking" (cool 50's jazz
feel). (Cathy Jean's) imagination certainly goes in a lot of different directions
lyrically, and the overall level of musicianship is very good. The packaging
is quite something. I guess I initially took it seriously but now see the satirical
level. Production is very ambitious with lots of different instrumental textures,
and things like banjos and fiddles coming and going. All in all a very ambitious
record with a lot of layers... and some really quirky moments both lyrically
and musically... I found myself drawn in and intrigued throughout. Congratulations...
it's hard to hold my attention.- Bruce Iglauer, CEO and Founder, ALLIGATOR RECORDS
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL BLUES RADIO, PARIS, FRANCE
Hey Cathy! Sounds like you're made of pure energy and feeling! 5 out of 5 stars:
A pleasure of feeling different. "Something Dark Approaching" is certainly
the bluest blues song I've heard this year. Better than anyone else Cathy has
expressed not just her own feelings, but the feelings of millions of us who
can't sleep well these nights. The music and vocals on the whole album are hypnotizing,
and the lyrics are infinitely deep and honest. Kidding and serious at the same
time, changing rhythms and styles just like clothes, Cathy sings all 15 songs
as a single one. At least I feel it like this. As if it was not an album but
a 15 chapter book whose message is so meaningful and so beautifully presented
that it brings a real pleasure to play (listen? read?) it over and over again.
An intellectual pleasure. Because Cathy Jean feels and thinks so contagiously
different that you inevitably start to feel and think different yourself. Isn't
it a pleasure?. So, FEEL DIFFERENT - buy Little Sick Twist right now! You'll
regret all your life if you don't! - Paul Bondarovski, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL BLUES
RADIO
MUSIC MONTHLY MAGAZINE, U.S.A.
"It is blues at the raunchiest, and at the same time, it is sweet. This
woman has got an incredible set of pipes. The more I listen to the cd, the more
I like. She's got some killer players, including the late, great, Wade Matthews.
What a monster player he was. I really liked her last record, I thought it was
great. I was excited when I got her new release... there are moments of brilliance
on the album. She writes cool songs and if you dig the blues, you gotta take
a listen to 'Little Sick Twist' from Cathy Jean." - Susie Mudd, editor,
Music Monthly Magazine
"Just discovered the new disc available. Listened to most of the tracks
and have come to the conclusion that it is your best one yet. YOU KICK ASS!
Come to TEXAS!" -5 out of 5 stars, "Howlin' The Blues", Texas
City, TX, The Blues Hound, 90.1 FM KPFT
E-mail from Larry, CDBaby: this is your best work yet. Please don't ever stop
recording.
If the big heels and the high-production fashion values have
you skeptical about this lady, keep reading. Purring and snarling through "Your
One And Only", crowing danger through the tasty acoustic gem "Behind
My Back", double-daring her way through the buoyant "Purple Tattoos",
Cathy Jean has a natural gift for pairing her formidable voice with some pretty
mean presence and solid song-writing (not a single cover on the entire CD).
Great stuff - seductive, tough and convincing, backed by a terrific group. Excellent
and recommended. - BLUES ACCESS MAGAZINE, USA
Let's begin with the sleeve & booklet on this one, why?
Coz it's the first thing about this album that hits you when you first pick
it up... here is the SEXIEST CD cover you are likely to clap eyes on for a good
while, respect both to Cathy Jean (for scrubbing up so well) and to Tony Ward
for the lens work. To business then and on with the show... The first track
is a rockin' Blues boogie and, as with all 15 tracks offered, is a Cathy Jean
original composition. The proceedings continue in more subdued yet no less intense
manner with a collection of songs which are beautifully crafted and delivered
yet stray somewhat from the Blues idiom. Shades of Carol King weave in &
out of these numbers with lyrics crafted from real-life scenarios, and that
is to CJ's credit. A smooth after-dinner swing-jazz style is used here to good
effect behind lyrics which go: "...I'm in the bedroom with the ugly pink
shag rug. Spiders are on me the curtains are crawling with bugs. The walls cave
in and I'm suffocated in mud. I'm in the kitchen by the awful custom cork bar.
Blood is running out of the cracked orange cookie jar..." Hmmmm.... The
overall feeling is one of being priviliged to be let into Cathy Jean's innermost
thoughts and to be invited to an "under-the-skin" episode complete
with a gaggle of excellent musicians. - BLUES FREE PRESS MAGAZINE, UNITED KINGDOM
 CATHY
JEAN: "Marshall Road Apocalypse"
- (www.cdbaby.com/cd/cathyjean)
What have we here? Cathy Jean decorates the cover of her latest CD wearing a
short blue dress, high heels and wild hair, looking both sexy and vulnerable.
It`s an unashamedly blatant act of using sex to sell a CD, and she doesn't need
to do it as she has the voice and the songs. In fact she writes all but one
of the 15 tracks here herself and co-writes the other one. A number of different
musical styles are in evidence, from the boogie riff rocker "Your One And
Only", through the curious jazz tinged "The Kids From Glen Burnie",
to the rocky "Dirty One" and the Eastern tinged sounds of "Austria".
It`s Cathy Jean`s smokey voice that immediately draws you in, especially on
the opening "Your One And Only" and the slow "Behind My Back".
On "Kauai" she sounds more like Sheryl Crow. She has surrounded herself
with top class musicians, the core of which, on guitar, bass, drums and keys
know how to rock with her, like on "Call It (Quits)". So many good
songs, ...check out "Prophet". A good album. - BLUES MATTERS MAGAZINE,
UNITED KINGDOM
Take 2: USA - CATHY JEAN: "Marshall Road Apocalypse"
Whew, we got the special edition CD at the office with 16 page booklet with
2 'edgy-'y photos included that do not appear in the copy you'll get from Amazon.com.
What can we tell you beyond the above? Well here is a tortured sounding woman
working off her ills and frustrations and running amok. Great CD, great music,
not always Blues but the lyrics certainly are (and there are driftings towards
Sheryl Crow). There's some easy listening tones here to mix with the silk, and
occasionally pained, voice that sometimes hides the bitterness of the lyric
which on reflection make them even more hard hitting. Yep, I'll recommend this
one and will be playing it quite a lot! - BLUES MATTERS MAGAZINE, UNITED KINGDOM
Now on her third album, Baltimore-based belter Cathy Jean has
the pipes (and the looks) to break out of the regional scene. Her tough, powerful,
raspy voice-- similar to that of Heart's Ann Wilson - works perfectly with the
raucous barroom blues she's sung for years. But on "Marshall Road Apocalypse",
the singer boldly dives into other areas in an effort to expand her range and
audience. The results are interesting... Jean is a gifted vocalist and aspiring
songwriter who deserves to go mainstream... - BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE, USA
Good Morning Cathy! The cover of the album, "Marshall
Road Apocalypse", says to me... "I am 500% Woman and I will love you
but if you cross me I'll cut your dangly bits off if you mess me about!"!
Just my personal opinion you understand. Now to the album, well what can I say
it conjures up all sorts of images! I love the line, "I'm a cool cat with
a little kink". "YOUR ONE AND ONLY" - has that Slim Harpo vibe
going for it and is one of those instantly catchy songs that run through your
head and bug the heck out of you so you have to go back and listen to it again
and again!!! "THE KIDS FROM GLEN BURNIE" - now there is one dark and
scary song with some fantastic horn that would make most Jazz punters weep with
envy. I would love to have five minutes with you to find out where the lyrics
for that one came from! Such a dark and moody piece, I love it. "DIRTY
ONE" - just when you think you have this album pegged this little beaut
comes and changes everything and gets you in the Hap-hap-happy vibe. I defy
anyone not to be tapping some extremity, if it ain't tappin its fell off! Go
check! "BEHIND MY BACK" - now we get to the real meat and bones of
this album. Feeling sorry for yourself when some swine has done the dirty on
you? This is the track for you. It's full of questions that can only lead to
hurt, more hurt and then pain city! The melancoly sound of the Hammond organ
coupled with the vocals make this a standout track for me. Nice! Definately
the late night and Bourbon times. "PROPHET"-- a song about not respecting
yourself. Wow. Me likes this so, so much. I liked it so much it got two plays
in the same show. First time that's ever happened in J&B's two years on
the air! Such a simple sounding song. Bass, Vocals and Guitar just goes to prove
you don't need the big sounds to make a statement. Keep simple but spectacular!
I could go on and on about this album but the only way to appreciate this gem
is to buy the thing. May the album go platinum! - J&B BLUES, SPEYSOUND RADIO
96.6, SCOTLAND
The music's great! Some of my favourite cuts are, for down
right Pure Sex Blues: "Your One & Only", "Ms. Jeneration
Hip Zone", "Dirty One", and "Strut" do it for me. The
acoustic cuts "Behind My Back" and "Prophet" hit the spot.
"You Don't Know" "Get Me Out" and "The Fabulous New
Debbie Song" are beautifully crafted and well executed songs. It's good
to see Aussie wine get a mention, thanks!...Without sounding too sexist, I was
first attracted to Cathy Jean from her shots in Living Blues. I could not wait
to get the mag to see what shots there were of her. I'm glad she had a different
photo in each issue. She's a "real spunk"-- that's Aussie for (I don't
know) beautiful, hot, sexy, a 10, take your pick. The fact that she plays great
guitar/writes songs and can sing is the icing, the strawberry and the cream
on the cake... It's really the music that's important, we know that. The fact
that it's Cathy Jean who is doing it makes it all the better. - BLUES BOX DOWN
UNDER RADIO, AUSTRALIA
You just never really know what to expect next from this lady
- will it be something mellow with a groove, or nasty and in your face! My introduction
to this artist came when I received her second CD, "I Want". As I
was checking out all the saucy photos on the covers and in the booklet, I was
prepared for some wannabe who was only told she could sing by guys who wanted
to hear a different kind of tune coming from her, if you get my drift. (No offense,
Cathy-- this was before I heard it!) The first thing I hear, though, is a blasting
boogie where she's telling some guy to be glad "she don't like jail",
otherwise she'd put a bullet in his head. Ouch. The thing is, she sounded great.
A little threatening, but great! Now, on Cathy's third effort, "Marshall
Road Apocalypse", she heads in a raunchier, rougher direction. As with
her previous CD's, Cathy writes all her own material. This time, though, it
seems as if she's been messed with one too many times, and she's exacting her
revenge on all the evil-doers through her music-- and wins! ...Take my word
for it-- you will love these discs in your collection! - TEXAS FLOOD RADIO,
USA
Cathy Jean's new funky, edgey, gospel-blues tune, entitled,
"Done Sayeth", is available through CDBaby Digital Distribution, and
featured on the upcoming Aug. / Sept. 2006 Blues Revue Magazine Music Sampler!
(Various Artists - it's included free with the magazine!) This album will be
sent out to subscribers around June 22nd, and on newsstands July 11th! To get
a copy of the sampler, call 1-(800)-258-7388, or e-mail info@bluesrevue.com!
Discography:
"Gospel Choir: State Competitions" 1979 (Honors)
"So Far Away" 1983 (Honors)
"Dreamseeker" 1986 (Honors/Nominee)
"Baby Jane" 1988 (Honors/Nominee)
"You Don't Know" 1992 (Honors/Nominee)
"Tear Me Apart" 1995 (Honors/Awards)
"I Want" 1998 (Honors/Awards/Nominee)
"Marshall Road Apocalypse" 2001 (Honors/Awards/Nominee)
"Little Sick Twist" 2005 (Honors/Awards/Nominee)
(Cathy Jean has recorded on many other blues, rock , and roots artist's albums
as well.)
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More info available here:
cathyjean@cathyjean.com
www.cathyjean.com
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