Catherine Whitney
Encyclopedia
Catherine Jane Whitney (born May 24, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American
Jazz
Singer that is Chicago-based and is not only a vocalist, but composer and lyricist as well. She sings in the "vo-cool" style similar to that of Anita O'Day
and Peggy Lee
. She is published by Second Floor Music in New York. She was a lyricist for the late Freddie Hubbard
, jazz trumpet legend.
She learned about music and jazz as a child, since her mother, Dorothy Brady, made a living as a vocalist/bandleader herself with a jazz trio known around the Chicago area in the 1950s and 1960s as "The Dottie B Three". Her stepfather was the late George E. Lescher, a pianist who played with the Spike Jones
Band during World War II and was a longtime Chicago South Side resident. In later years, her stepfather led the George Lescher Ballroom Orchestra, a 10-piece band that performed at numerous sites around the Chicago area. He died in March 1986 at the age of 64 near Houston, Texas, while on tour with the Jan Garber
Band. He was a lifetime member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
Catherine began her professional jazz singing career under the mentoring of Chicago tenor saxman Von Freeman
in the early 1990s. Jerry Brown and Gloria Cooper have recorded her work and three songs (in collaborations with Curtis Fuller
, Rodgers Grant
, and Milton Sealey). Most recently in October 2010 New York jazz vocalist Suzanne Pittson recorded a rendition of Freddie Hubbard's tune "Our Own" (based on "Gibraltar") which first premiered on the album "Born to Be Blue (Freddie Hubbard album)" making use of Catherine Whitney's lyrics in Pittson's latest jazz album release Out Of The Hub: The Music Of Freddie Hubbard. Additional co-writing with other jazz artists as a composer/lyricist (aside from Von Freeman and Freddie Hubbard) have been Johnny Griffin
, Houston Person
, Clifford Jordan
, Stanley Turrentine
, John Coltrane
, Ray Brown
, and Pete Cosey
. She is also a Broadcast Music Incorporated
(BMI) affiliated writer.
Besides her work in the capacity of a jazz music collaborator nationally, Catherine has performed with many great Chicago jazz legends including Von Freeman
, John Young, Jodie Christian
, John Bany, Richie Cole (musician)
, Robert Shy, Tommy Muellner
, Rusty Jones (musician)
, Jose Valdes
and Johnie Faren as well as many others. She occasionally appears at various jazz clubs and venues around the Chicago area with her duo, trio or quartet.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Singer that is Chicago-based and is not only a vocalist, but composer and lyricist as well. She sings in the "vo-cool" style similar to that of Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
and Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
. She is published by Second Floor Music in New York. She was a lyricist for the late Freddie Hubbard
Freddie Hubbard
Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
, jazz trumpet legend.
She learned about music and jazz as a child, since her mother, Dorothy Brady, made a living as a vocalist/bandleader herself with a jazz trio known around the Chicago area in the 1950s and 1960s as "The Dottie B Three". Her stepfather was the late George E. Lescher, a pianist who played with the Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
Band during World War II and was a longtime Chicago South Side resident. In later years, her stepfather led the George Lescher Ballroom Orchestra, a 10-piece band that performed at numerous sites around the Chicago area. He died in March 1986 at the age of 64 near Houston, Texas, while on tour with the Jan Garber
Jan Garber
Jan Garber was an American jazz bandleader.-Biography:Garber was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had his own band by the time he was 21 . He became known as "The Idol of the Airwaves" in his heyday of the 1920s and 1930s, playing jazz in the vein of contemporaries such as Paul Whiteman and Guy...
Band. He was a lifetime member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
Catherine began her professional jazz singing career under the mentoring of Chicago tenor saxman Von Freeman
Von Freeman
Earle Lavon Freeman Sr. is an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. He is the father of jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman.-Biography:...
in the early 1990s. Jerry Brown and Gloria Cooper have recorded her work and three songs (in collaborations with Curtis Fuller
Curtis Fuller
Curtis DuBois Fuller is an American jazz trombonist, known as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributor to many classic jazz recordings.-Biography:...
, Rodgers Grant
Rodgers Grant
Rodgers Grant is an American jazz pianist, composer, and lyricist. After having worked with saxophonist Hugo Dickens in the 1950s, he became pianist for Mongo Santamaría in the 1960s. In 1963, Grant wrote the hit, "Yeh! Yeh!" in collaboration with Pat Patrick...
, and Milton Sealey). Most recently in October 2010 New York jazz vocalist Suzanne Pittson recorded a rendition of Freddie Hubbard's tune "Our Own" (based on "Gibraltar") which first premiered on the album "Born to Be Blue (Freddie Hubbard album)" making use of Catherine Whitney's lyrics in Pittson's latest jazz album release Out Of The Hub: The Music Of Freddie Hubbard. Additional co-writing with other jazz artists as a composer/lyricist (aside from Von Freeman and Freddie Hubbard) have been Johnny Griffin
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
, Houston Person
Houston Person
Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. Person is also known for his distinctive sassy sound and his expressive style of playing...
, Clifford Jordan
Clifford Jordan
Clifford Laconia Jordan was a jazz saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after which he recorded three albums for Blue Note. He also recorded with Horace Silver, J.J. Johnson, Kenny...
, Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
, John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, Ray Brown
Ray Brown (musician)
Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
, and Pete Cosey
Pete Cosey
Pete Cosey is an African-American guitarist most famous for playing with Miles Davis' band between 1973 and 1975. His fiercely flanged and distorted guitar bore comparisons to Jimi Hendrix...
. She is also a Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
(BMI) affiliated writer.
Besides her work in the capacity of a jazz music collaborator nationally, Catherine has performed with many great Chicago jazz legends including Von Freeman
Von Freeman
Earle Lavon Freeman Sr. is an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. He is the father of jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman.-Biography:...
, John Young, Jodie Christian
Jodie Christian
Jodie Christian is an American jazz pianist, noted for bebop and free jazz. He is one of the co-founders of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians along with pianist/composer Muhal Richard Abrams, drummer Steve McCall, and composer Phil Cohran...
, John Bany, Richie Cole (musician)
Richie Cole (musician)
Richie Cole is a jazz alto saxophonist composer and arranger born in Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. and is a graduate of Ewing High School, Ewing New Jersey....
, Robert Shy, Tommy Muellner
Tommy Muellner
Thomas Michael Muellner is an American Jazz Pianist that is Chicago-based. His father is John F. Muellner, born 1923 in Chicago, and was Tommy's first musical influence. In his father's heyday, he played accordion in a dance band all around town. On occasion he still plays organ for Senior Citizen...
, Rusty Jones (musician)
Rusty Jones (musician)
Isham Russell Jones II aka "Rusty" Jones is an American jazz drummer who is Chicago-based. Jones' father was a saxophonist and his mother a vocalist with most of their gigs being in and around the Chicago area. His mother was working at the Bismark Hotel in 1936 when the two were wed...
, Jose Valdes
Jose Valdes
Jose Angel Valdes is Chicago-based, Mexican American jazz pianist and bandleader.-Musical education & influences:...
and Johnie Faren as well as many others. She occasionally appears at various jazz clubs and venues around the Chicago area with her duo, trio or quartet.
External links
- http://www.myspace.com/catherinewhitneymusic
- http://www.allaboutjazz.com/catherinewhitney
- http://www.secondfloormusic.com/detail.cfm?ID=235
- http://www.gopammusic.com/catalogs/hubtones.htm