Album Notes

Cathi Walkup grew up in the crucible of jazz known as St. Louis, Missouri, listening to the music of her parents' generation. She fell so in love with what she heard that she began singing the wonderful songs of the '30s and '40s and soon gathered accolades for her smooth alto voice and her way with a phrase. In the late 1970s she moved to San Francisco, where she had the rare pleasure of working with Grover Washington, Jr., who warmly praised her singing and predicted, "I'll be hearing more from you."

Cathi has studied piano with Mark Levine and Alan Copeland and theory with Jim Grantham. An accomplished lyricist and composer, her songs have been performed on both coasts. Reese Erlich of 'Jazz Perspectives' (Contra Costa Times) has said "Her lyric writing is fresh and inventive, combining elements of '40s style with '90s angst, as evidenced by the title tune of her second CD, 'Living in a Daydream'."

She has produced two solo CDs and is the force behind the production of two compilation CDs that feature Cathi and other Bay Area artists. (Quint-Essential and the Christmas sampler ...And a Songbird in a Pear Tree). Since 2000 she has been touring the U.S. and beginning in 2002 will take her music to Europe. Cathi's albums have been heard on more than 90 radio stations in the U.S. and abroad, and have received favorable notices in Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, South Africa and Italy.

"Living in a Daydream", Cathi's second release, was featured on KCSM (San Mateo, CA) Radio's noontime concert series. It has twice won the Listener's Poll on Canada's Skyjazz Radio. In 2001, her first compilation album, "Quint-Essential" was short-listed on the Grammy ballot for best vocal jazz album of the year.

In addition to performing, Cathi is available for clinics and workshops on both the art of song and lyric writing and CD production. Details are available upon request.

HER THIRD CD, "PLAYING FAVORITES" a combination of originals and obscure gems, IS SLATED FOR RELEASE IN THE FALL OF 2002 - WATCH THIS SPACE OR CHECK HER WEBSITE.

SOME NOTABLE QUOTES:
"Cathi Walkup's warm and elegant tone dances effortlessly over a bed of solid melody" - Chris Cortez, DJ, KCSM FM 91.1 San Mateo, CA

"A pervasive sense of charmed sophistication"- Wayne Saroyan - Jazz West

"It's not just the voice; it's what you do with it...she stays low and spins the lyric with dizzy rhythms" - John Barrett, Jr., Jazz Improv Magazine

"She's a talented singer and lyricist, with a natural ability to blend words and music that makes for a fascinating repertoire" - Jeannete Lambert - Jazzgrrls

"I'll take any musician who can lead me as Walkup does from Berlin to Monk on a journey in which every step is characterized by delight" - Fred W. Harris, SkyJazz Internet Radio