Katie Catinella

New Orleans, LS

“Katie Catinella is the rarest of jazz singers; she has a real voice, a voice that has beauty, range and depth…. This allows her to fully communicate the beauty and meaning of the lyrics to the listener.”

 Jim Gala, Pianist and founder of The Jazz Society of Ecuador

 “One listener thought you were reminiscent of Jane Monheit, but I didn’t think so…I thought Julie London with a little more soul…”

 (Review of Blue Cat Diamonds)

 KatieCat is also an accomplished guitarist who performs solo or with other musicians, covering many styles of music, including Vintage Pop, Folk, Blues and Classic Rock.

She was born and raised in Napa Valley, California and studied theater arts and classical voice at San Francisco State University.  After graduating from college, she honed her vocal skills in a variety of Bay Area ensembles, including the Oakland Symphony Chorus. She continued her music education through courses at the Jazz School in Berkeley, California and was a regular attendee at Jazz Camp West for many summers.  In 2005 she was landing club gigs in the San Francisco Bay area as a budding jazz vocalist.

In 2007 KatieCat teamed up with pianist and singer John Cain to form the KatieCat & Cain duo. The two have been delighting audiences since with their fun to sophisticated vocal harmonies. They currently live in New Orleans, LA.

A Gypsy's Journey From Napa to New Orleans 

I never imagined I would be living in New Orleans! I was born and raised in Napa, California, attended college in San Francisco and spent much of my adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area, working as a landscape designer and dabbling in music off and on. I enjoyed working as a landscape designer but my dream was to work as a professional musician. In 2006, my first husband's job brought us to San Diego. This move coincided with my mid life realization that I needed to stop delaying my heart's calling. I began to pursue a music career in earnest with no clear roadmap on how to do it but plenty of reckless bravery. This new direction eventually lead me away from my first husband and into the gypsy lifestyle I was always meant to have. I met my gypsy soulmate, John, who mentored me on my journey to be a professional musician and along the way became my husband. Together we are living an inspired and artistic lifestyle that neither of us ever could have imagined.

In 2016, we decided to leave our stable but uninspired music gigs in San Diego, California and follow a fellow musician to Cuenca, Ecuador. We rented a huge and gorgeous home for $800 a month and put on house concerts for the local expat community. We enjoyed this experience for a couple of years until we felt the call to move on to something new. In the beginning of 2018, we convinced our California relatives to meet us in New Orleans to celebrate a milestone birthday. After just a few days in this magical place, John and I knew that we had to move to New Orleans for our next big adventure.  Within 6 months we made the transition, all the while telling each other that this will be a fun place to experience for a couple of years then we will most likely heed the call for our next destination. So far, the winds of change have not hit us here (although a couple of hurricanes have)! On October 18th we will have been living in New Orleans for 5 years! 

What is keeping us in this place? Here is a partial list: Warm, friendly people; expansive green space; pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets; affordability; strong sense of community, history and culture; good food and many opportunities to listen to and perform music in a variety of styles and in a variety of places…Gypsy paradise!

 

Where am I? 

The beginning of 2023 has felt strange to me. November and December were busy months with a flurry of gigs and meet ups with friends and family. January feels a bit sad and lonely. I guess it is just life, right? Winter is the fallow time for most of us. It is our time to take stock of who we are and where we are headed or at least where we want to be headed. It isn't always easy to know what to do with ourselves. I'm feeling darn lucky that I am a person with the freedom to make these choices. The older I get, the more I realize that connecting with and helping others is really the most important thing and the thing that brings true happiness. I hope for many meaningful connections with my fellow man in 2023 and I hope that music can be a big part of that. 

Upcoming Show: Love In Blue 

On February 11, 2022 at The Carnaval Lounge in New Orleans, we are proud to present, Love In Blue. In this two act show we present the music and stories behind Joni Mitchell's 1971 album, "Blue". It is a portrait of the times and a window into the love and loss Joni experienced during her rise to fame as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. 

March 15, 2021 

Hello Friends!

Spring is here and in between our various music projects, John and I are continuing to explore the amazing City of New Orleans and surrounding communities. We count our blessings daily that we found our way to New Orleans almost two and a half years ago. Just like the new growth exploding in our backyard garden, we feel the buzz of music and life reemerging in New Orleans these days as the hope of "life back to normal" looms large. 

Yesterday, we drove across the 24 mile Causeway Bridge that connects New Orleans to the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. We found our way to Abita Springs where we enjoyed an outdoor lunch at Abita Springs Cafe and a stroll around Abita Springs Art and Farmer's Market. This Friday we will play on the sidewalk in front of Vintage Voyage clothing store for the really fun occassional event owner Zahara calls "Sip & Swing. Check it out in the calendar! 

New video release today: "The Earth Is Your Mama".  Please click on Video button above. Enjoy! 

Love and Best Wishes from KatieCat & Cain

Finding a Silver Lining 

Hello Friends!

Welcome to my website. I am happy for the visit. The Covid 19 epidemic has changed our lives in so many ways. We are all doing what we can to find meaning and purpose cooped up inside our homes. For me that means facing projects I have been avoiding for years. I am finally learning the skills needed to update a neglected website and paltry social media presence. Yes, much cursing is involved! But there are also days that I feel incredible joy and accomplish when I learn something new to bring me more squarely into the modern times as both a person and an artist. I am also finding more time to practice and record music.

As I sift through hundreds of photos, videos and performance mementos from the past, I am feeling gratitude for where I have been as an artist and excitement about where I will go next. We are lucky to be living in a time when there are so many options for us to connect with each other remotely. Each week I will present a song that represents my focused practice time for the week. Please check out my videos tab for the "latest". Thanks for watching and I hope you all find some joy and meaning in this unprecedented time. 

Love,

Katie

KatieCat is a seasoned stand-up songstress who has been performing alongside her piano-playing husband and musical partner, John Cain, for the past 12 years. Together they have traveled the world, delighting audiences with their unique interpretations of The American Songbook, International Favorites and Bossa Nova.” - John Lockhart

— WAER 88.7 fm Syracuse, NY