Chicago Catz
Encyclopedia
Chicago Catz is a Chicago, Illinois area cover band
that was formed in 1986 by five noteworthy musicians. Approaching their third decade, "The Catz", as they are affectionately known, have become one of the Windy City's most established professional R&B pop music
bands. For more than 20 years, this group of notable professional musicians have performed at some of the most prestigious private parties and events in Chicago
.
band "Heavy Manners", and blues act "Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows". Each band sold out night clubs, played college concerts and put out albums of original music. By day, the musicians were respected studio/session players. Jingle houses and album producers were always putting out the call for "those cats from Chicago". The stress from the "let's make records" grind and the competition from session work was enormous. Several of the guys from the three groups were longtime friends and had similar musical tastes, namely Richard "Richie" Peter Davis
, Anthony "Downtown Tony" Brown, Wayne Stewart, Brian Danzy (pianist/keyboardist for the world-renowned Staples Singers, Lou Rawls
, Patti Labelle
, Anita Baker
, Art Porter, Brian Culbertson
, Rick Braun
, Nick Colionne) and Johnny Britt currently the Temptations' touring music director. These musicians grew up listening to R&B pop music
. They thought that it would be fun to put together a high energy R&B pop dance band as a side project. It would create a nice change of pace from their daily business pressures and give them the opportunity to play together. Through their contacts, they knew they could pick up some club dates and "let their hair down" playing songs made famous by the likes of Stevie Wonder
, James Brown
, Marvin Gaye
and other greats of the Motown era.
The musicians got together after their sessions and rehearsed for several months until the music was tight. During this time, word got out that the new band had formed. At their first appearance, devoted fans of former bands that these musicians had previous membership in, such as "Third Rail", "Maxx Traxx", "Heavy Manners" and "Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows", attended in large numbers. This resulted in the new band's instant success. "The Catz" primarily perform now at wedding, corporate, private and special events. They still play occasional club dates.
on lead and rhythm guitar
, Anthony "Downtown Tony" Brown on bass guitar
and vocals, Wayne Stewart on drums and vocals, Kevin Smith on keyboards
and vocals, Mark Ohlsen on trumpet
, Devin Thompson on vocals, Josie Aiello on lead and background vocals, James A. Perkins, Jr. on saxophone
and woodwinds, Tony "Toca" Carpenter on percussion, and David Gross on trombone
.
and Chicago Tribune
newspapers.
The Chicago Catz are featured in the movie The Guardian (2006 film)
as well as performing on the soundtrack for the movie Holes (film)
.
The Chicago Catz are featured on track number eleven of the Holes movie soundtrack album entitled: 11. Chicago Catz (Richard Davis) - "Happy Dayz"
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
that was formed in 1986 by five noteworthy musicians. Approaching their third decade, "The Catz", as they are affectionately known, have become one of the Windy City's most established professional R&B pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
bands. For more than 20 years, this group of notable professional musicians have performed at some of the most prestigious private parties and events in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Band history
During the late 70's and early 80's there were three hugely successful local bands in Chicago: R&B group "Third Rail" (later known as "Maxx Traxx"), SkaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band "Heavy Manners", and blues act "Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows". Each band sold out night clubs, played college concerts and put out albums of original music. By day, the musicians were respected studio/session players. Jingle houses and album producers were always putting out the call for "those cats from Chicago". The stress from the "let's make records" grind and the competition from session work was enormous. Several of the guys from the three groups were longtime friends and had similar musical tastes, namely Richard "Richie" Peter Davis
Richard "Richie" Peter Davis
Richard Peter Davis is an American guitarist and bandleader who is Chicago-based. He is the son of the late Nathan Davis of feature film and television fame and a co-founder/current member of the rhythm and blues band known as the Chicago Catz.-Musical education and influences:The performing arts...
, Anthony "Downtown Tony" Brown, Wayne Stewart, Brian Danzy (pianist/keyboardist for the world-renowned Staples Singers, Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Patti Labelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
, Art Porter, Brian Culbertson
Brian Culbertson
Brian Culbertson is a musician and instrumentalist from Decatur, Illinois, United States. Son of jazz band director and trumpeter Jim Culbertson, Brian's instruments include the keyboard and trombone....
, Rick Braun
Rick Braun
Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...
, Nick Colionne) and Johnny Britt currently the Temptations' touring music director. These musicians grew up listening to R&B pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. They thought that it would be fun to put together a high energy R&B pop dance band as a side project. It would create a nice change of pace from their daily business pressures and give them the opportunity to play together. Through their contacts, they knew they could pick up some club dates and "let their hair down" playing songs made famous by the likes of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
and other greats of the Motown era.
The musicians got together after their sessions and rehearsed for several months until the music was tight. During this time, word got out that the new band had formed. At their first appearance, devoted fans of former bands that these musicians had previous membership in, such as "Third Rail", "Maxx Traxx", "Heavy Manners" and "Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows", attended in large numbers. This resulted in the new band's instant success. "The Catz" primarily perform now at wedding, corporate, private and special events. They still play occasional club dates.
Band members
The band currently comprises professional musicians Richard "Richie" Peter DavisRichard "Richie" Peter Davis
Richard Peter Davis is an American guitarist and bandleader who is Chicago-based. He is the son of the late Nathan Davis of feature film and television fame and a co-founder/current member of the rhythm and blues band known as the Chicago Catz.-Musical education and influences:The performing arts...
on lead and rhythm guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Anthony "Downtown Tony" Brown on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals, Wayne Stewart on drums and vocals, Kevin Smith on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and vocals, Mark Ohlsen on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Devin Thompson on vocals, Josie Aiello on lead and background vocals, James A. Perkins, Jr. on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and woodwinds, Tony "Toca" Carpenter on percussion, and David Gross on trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
.
Outside of Illinois
Venues played outside of Illinois include:- Capt'n Fun Beach Club (Pensacola Beach, FloridaPensacola Beach, FloridaPensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensacola, and Gulf Breeze connected via bridges spanning to the Fairpoint Peninsula and then to the island, on the Gulf of Mexico...
)
Festivals, Special Events, Corporate Functions
- Summer Dance 2010 weekday festivities at Jackson Park (Chicago)Jackson Park (Chicago)Jackson Park is a 500 acre park on Chicago's South Side, located at 6401 South Stony Island Avenue in the Woodlawn community area. It extends into the South Shore and Hyde Park community areas, bordering Lake Michigan and several South Side neighborhoods...
Beach Chicago, Illinois - Summer Dance 2003 weekend festivities at Grant ParkGrant ParkGrant Park may refer to:Parks*Grant Park , Georgia, USA*Grant Park , Illinois, USA*Grant Park , Oregon, USACommunities*Grant Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a neighborhood*Grant Park, Illinois, USA, a village...
Chicago, Illinois - Wedding receptions (only by special request)
- Annual McDonalds global convention /Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
- Annual McDonalds global convention /Atlantis Paradise IslandAtlantis Paradise IslandThe Atlantis Paradise Island is a resort and waterpark located on Paradise Island, The Bahamas. Officially opened in 1998, the resort was created by South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and Kerzner International Limited. Paradise Island first opened its Coral and Beach Towers as the Trump...
-Nassau, BahamasNassau, BahamasNassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas... - Annual McDonalds global convention /Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Annual McDonalds global convention /Boca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
- Tap National Sales Meeting/Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- SheratonSheratonSheraton may refer to:*Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain*Sheraton, County Durham, a village in County Durham, in England*Sheraton Centre, a mall complex located in the parish of Christ Church, Barbados....
Hotels/San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... - Abbott Labs National Sales Meetings/Maui, Hawaii
- Abbott Labs National Sales Meetings/New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
- Abbott Labs National Sales Meetings/Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- Quaker Oats Corporation
- AlltelAlltelAlltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
National Sales Meeting/Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census... - MonsantoMonsantoThe Monsanto Company is a US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed in the "Roundup" brand of herbicides, and in other brands...
- Wendy’s National Sales Meeting/Chicago, Illinois
- BPBPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Oil/Chicago, Illinois - Sprint/Nextel
- Inner Circle
- Takeda
- Rotary InternationalRotary InternationalRotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
- GEGêGê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
Healthcare
Media
The band has been featured live numerous times on Chicago television and have received air play on local radio. The band has also appeared in The Chicago ReaderThe Chicago Reader
The Chicago Reader is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded in 1971 by a group of friends from Carleton College...
and Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
newspapers.
The Chicago Catz are featured in the movie The Guardian (2006 film)
The Guardian (2006 film)
The Guardian is a 2006 action-adventure drama film starring Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, and Melissa Sagemiller. The film was released on September 29, 2006, and was directed by Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive...
as well as performing on the soundtrack for the movie Holes (film)
Holes (film)
Holes is a 2003 film based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the screenplay, with Shia LaBeouf as the lead role of Stanley Yelnats...
.
Recordings
A DVD and long awaited CD is currently in the works and the release dates have not yet been determined.The Chicago Catz are featured on track number eleven of the Holes movie soundtrack album entitled: 11. Chicago Catz (Richard Davis) - "Happy Dayz"
Awards and achievements
- In 1994, the Chicago Federation of Musicians presented its inaugural Living Art of Music Awards (LAMA) to deserving Chicago-based artist and groups. Nominees in the "Best Pop Group" category were ChicagoChicago (band)Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Richard MarxRichard MarxRichard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
and the Chicago Catz.