About: SINATRA INFLUENCED JAZZ/SWING/BLUES WITH A KICK - BUTT BAND.

About THE CATZ IN THE HATZ. RHOMBUS RECORDS / JAZZPOP
The Catz in the Hatz is a band whose music recalls a time when music stood for something beyond mere pleasure, when it was used by a generation as a tool in its quest to find beauty and uncover the meaning of lyrics and when people believed that they could make a difference in the world and well..things were better. Standing for the possibility of the ideals of the 40’s, 50’s and 60's being alive in the here and now, their new album, Resilience is an musical testament to the values of moods, energy, dreams and love and hope. Led by singer Steve Johnson ,guitarist Mike Wiens, bassist Terry Copley, keyboards by Joey Sellarole and drummer Steve Boggio, the Catz roots extend back to 2003, when Terry, Mike and Steve Johnson were playing together as a rock and roll band with a history of 20 years in clubs. Copley recalls, “ We were playing in this C/W bar as a rock band and thinking ok this is the end of our musical careers when i asked mike to play "song for my father" a jazz standard. He started and the bar owner came to us and said "they'll be none of that jazz crap here"! That was the last night for rock and roll and 3 weeks later after teaching Copley and Johnson a few jazz songs, the Mike Wiens trio made their debut at the Mandoline Bistro in Big Bear Lake, Ca. It was beginning of something special.” They took the name The Catz in the Hatz because johnson suggested that they all were hatz to be cool and call each other cats as an homage to the days of cool jazz. After a few months, the Catz we popular enough to take on 2 more members; Steve Boggio taking the drums from Johnson and Joey Sellarole to create a bigger sound via his keyboard. After spending the last couple of years playing shows in Southern California and building a fan base, the catz produced tow CD's titled "take one and'Take Two". In 2006, the catz 3rd CD, Resilience caught the attention of Thom Terisi Of Rhombus Records and signed the Catz to his label. The music gives a rock energy to some classic jazz tunes and the delivery and image of the band is classy and this energy make some of the old standards feel like new again. Opening with “ Nature Boy,” you can immediately hear the rock solid groove of the band, held down by bassist Terry Copley's fluidity and drummer Steve Boggio. Mike Wiens guitar, with little to no effects, recalls the best of past greats while sounding fresh and original, and Joey Sellarole keyboard work raises the chorus to anthemic heights. On top of all the music are Johnson's vocals – powerful and passionate, displaying range, warmth and an unforgettable vibrato, singing a lyric that she deems “fundamental” to the album “‘Nature Boy’ leads off the record because it is a strong indication of the groove and tightness of the band shown through the album. There are musical treasures that abound on Resilience; from the keyboard lines that are set perfectly against the hi-hat kicks and explosive guitar fills in “Fur Elise;” the simple and perfect guitar lead, slightly reminiscent of Wes Montgomery, that begins “Riviera Paradise;” the stately and gorgeous melody that create the determined and questing tone of “Little Sunflower .” Steve's vocals are a revelation in and of themselves; unrelentingly passionate and committed, they don’t just sing the lyrics, they live them out. Lyrically, Steve explains the tenor of the album, “The songs are about good time's...fun times...romantic times and that you can actually have an effect on the world through your attitude and how you think about yourself. "Resilience" came to the Catz as a way of putting that "things are gonna be ok" Says Mike Wiens. inspired by a personal freind of Copley"s "Slow Down Jimmy" is about the true life antic's of one of his high school freinds’s. the song that most goes back to the vibe of the 60’s, staking a claim for that time in the present is Into The Smooth Johnson states, “It’s a call to all the people who were a part of that time of martini's amd listening to Brazil 66..the 1960's (‘We laugh and we love and sometimes we give too much/but we’ve got a road and we’re gonna take it, let got of the sorrow and get on with the joy’) and how despite whatever we fill our lives with, the real part is that connection that is beyond the superficial.” The Catz in the Hatz is a band playing for big stakes – searching to move beyond the surface of what passes for contemporary music, they play and sing music that seeks new truths by creating connections between the best of our past and our present, with an eye to the future. Independent Variable will convince any open-minded listener of the band’s skill, sincerity and commitment to music, love and humanity. The Catz have since been put on the top 10 and top 20 charts at multiple stations around the world and continue to push the envelope of the old and new shape of mainstream jazz/rock. The Catz have opened for The Pointer Sister, 3 Dog Night and America. Comments from Rhombus Records about the CATZ LIVE SHOW: It's like watching an energic/funny Frank Sinatra being backed by the zany Blues Brothers. This is what critics/reviewers are saying about the "live shows" of the debut CD, "Resilience" on Rhombus Records by CATZ IN THE HATZ! These Catz are so seasoned and professionally astute, along with interjecting such inhibited showmanship to their audiences, one might think that their exceptional talent, entertaining humor, and audience-grabbing antics were designed by producers of a number one show rehearsing for arenas. Fronted by baritone singer, Steve Johnson, The Catz deliver songs as bold as "It Was a Very Good Year" and then whirling instantly into their original song "Slow Down Jimmy" — where you'd think Louie Primi had suddenly taken over their bodies in spirit. A masterful cut of "Quarter to Three" shows a baritone range that not too many singers can claim today. But that's not all. When The Catz keyboardist, Mike Cross, goes into his own arrangement of Beethoven's "Fur Elise", you can hear and see this exceptional band's range of classical training, singing and expert showmanship. "Steve Johnson is a natural crooner like his idols Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. It's the tone!" - Edward James Olmos, Academy Award nominated actor and director, Golden Globe winner WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CATZINTHEHATZ WWW.RHOMBUS-RECORDS.COM