May 2008

Playing in the park
with Stéphane Gillot and Aurélie Tropez
from the Red Hot Reedwarmers.

Bonjour!

I'm actually back home again (in California), but the first part of April I spent finishing up my tour with 'Josephine' in Paris. Once again I had a chance to play with the New Watergate Seven, and both Stéphane Gillot and Aurélie Tropez from the "Red Hot Reedwarmers." One night Aurélie invited me to join her on a duo gig at a record shop in Montmartre. It was part of a 'Women In Jazz' concert series and we had a blast. She was working with Guitarist Marie-Ange Martin who also plays guitar and banjo and kindly let me borrow both. Marie-Ange and I even played a duet and for the last number ("Tiger Rag"), swapped instruments on a break. You can all rest assured that Traditional Jazz is alive and well in Paris. I especially enjoyed an impromptu jam session in the park with Stéphane and Aurélie. Aurélie's three younger sisters were in Paris visiting and her sister Deborah took the photo to the left. Deborah is a percussionist (drums, washboard) and plays in a band with Aurélie and their father (on tuba) called the Jazzticots.

You can see the Reedwamers in action here: http://www.youtube.com/Reedwarmer

And you can see Jazzticots here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPYyzd7M9g8&feature=related

I got back to California on April 18th and hit the ground running with local gigs. Most of my work was on String Bass including multiple gigs with The Cash Kings. I also played bass at the Port Angeles Jazz Festival with Bryan Shaw's Hotshots. This was a group Bryan put together specially for the Festival. It included Ray Templin on piano, Brad Roth on banjo and guitar, Evan Artzen on reeds, and Clint Baker on drums. We went over like gangbusters with standing ovations nearly every set. I'm hoping I can get some photos or even video from the weekend for my archives. Everyone in the band agreed we should try and play as a group again sometime soon!

This Just In!! - The new Hayriders CD is now available. I could wax poetic about it, but instead I'll let someone else do the honors....

CHOICE CUTS by Cam Miller (May, 2008 AMERICAN RAG)

"Hal Smith, who has had almost as many bands as Artie Shaw had wives, has put aside his affinity for ragtime, trad and swing in favor of a rockabilly band that promises to blow the lid off the festival circuit.

The five-piece group that made its debut at the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival two years ago in a cameo role and then played to full houses at last year's Border City bash, will be San Diego's sole entry in the upcoming Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. Not a bad way to go for a fledgling ensemble.

In the event you're in the dark on what rockabilly is all about, it's the combination of rock and roll and hillbilly or Country Western. Jazz? Not really, but toe-tapping fun, definitely.

Smith's compatriots include boogie babe Sue Palmer, who occasionally ditches the piano and raises a ruckus on a squeeze box; a couple of guitarists, Gino Meregillano and Jon d'artenay who also goes by Johnny G, versatile Katie Cavera, a vivacious vocalist and splendid bass player, and tasteful timekeeper Smith, who bills himself as Junior Smith.

Though individual Hayriders come from disparate interests and roots, the rockabilly route serves as a common meeting ground. And there's no question, it's royally ripe rockabilly we're talkin' about whether it's Palmer kicking the daylights out of her own compositions, "Ferriday Breakdown" and "Bossier Boogie" or Johnny G reaching down deep to tackle Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" or scoring a direct hit on Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel."

Both Johnny G and Meregillano contribute a couple of originals and Cavera, with that appealing voice and prize-winning smile, turns in a fine effort on her composition, "I'm Not That Girl."

A final word: Don't be frightened off the term "rockabilly." Plunk down a few bucks for this disc and check it out. You won't be sorry you did."

For your very own copy of The Hayriders CD please visit: http://www.myspace.com/thehayriders

My latest additon to my YouTube page (www.youtube.com/kcavera) is now up and running! It's called "International Sock Monkey / Le Singe Voyageur en Chausette". For a few brief minutes you'll see me playing in the pit during "Josephine". Well, actually you just see the neck of my banjo as I play because I had my camera on my music stand. I was letting it film the big production number happening onstage behind me. Anyway I won't try and describe the film here. I'll only say it captures a lot of the things I enjoyed seeing and doing in Paris.

Thanks for stopping by!
- Katie

Click the above photo to link directly to my short film.