Cat Cohen (vocals, keyboards, horns), Ed Tree (producer/guitar, bass), Jorgen Ingmar (drums), Monique DeBose (vocal backups), Steve Kobashigawa (vocal backups), Kelly Williard (vocal backups)
Influences
As Will Rogers once said, "you open up and eyes and ears and you're influenced."
BLUES: Mose Allison, Dr. John, Otis Spann, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James, Willie Dixon
SOUL: Aretha, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Otis Redding, Luther Vandross, Cheryl Lynn, Lou Rawls, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle, Sam Cooke, Dan Penn, Chaka Khan, Aaron Neville, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stax/Volt, Philly Soul, Motown
JAZZ: John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Vince Guaraldi, Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Spyro Gyra, Jean Luc Ponty, Michael Franks
SINGER-SONGWRITER: Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Van Morrison, Randy Newman, Bill Joel, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Sting
ROCK: The Beatles, Steely Dan, Leon Russel, Elton John, Joe Cocker, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Eagles, Foreigner, Supertramp, Bob Seger, U2, Santana
GOSPEL: Kirk Franklin, Andre Crouch, Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward
COUNTRY: Floyd Cramer, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Emmy Lou Harris, Bill Monroe, Flatts and Scruggs, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley
REGGAE: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff NEW AGE: George Winston
Sounds Like
Mose Allison, Dr. John, Leon Russel, Van Morrison, Elton John, B.B. King, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Louis Armstrong, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson
A veteran NARAS member and ASCAP songwriter, CAT has had songs recorded by CHERYL LYNN, FREDDIE HUBBARD, SYREETA and BO DIDDLEY. He's also co-written a jazz instrumental featured in the HBO movie THE RAT PACK as well as a funk tune for the hit Universal feature film UNDERCOVER BROTHER. He also wrote a children's operetta for OPERA PACIFIC which was performed in schools across the Southern california area.
CAT has taught songwriting for many years at UCLA EXTENSION, MUSICIANS' INSTITUTE, and CAL POLY POMONA. In 2007 he self-published his book SONGWRITING FOR YOUR ORIGINAL ACT which asks all performers the hard questions about who they are, who their audience is, and their core messages. It is a must for the serious performing songwriter and is available directly from the author at cat@catcohen.com or at amazon.com. CAT also wrote the chapter on music theory for John Braheny's recently revised book THE CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF SONGWRITING.
A couple of years ago CAT started practicing what he’s preached for so many years, recording ten of his most insightful and expressive efforts himself, SONGS OF SURVIVAL AND SWEET SURRENDER. Working with veteran guitarist-producer ED TREE, CAT's collection of soulful boomer funky jazzy rock tunes pays homage to the writing, playing and vocal styles of MOSE ALLISON, DR. JOHN, VAN MORRISON, RANDY NEWMAN, STEELY DAN, BILLY JOEL, BONNIE RAITT, and LUTHER VANDROSS. This conceptual album about making it through hard times has received rave reviews, two of which are included below. His unique blend of pop styles takes the discriminating listener on a gritty inspirational journey through contemporary struggles for physical, economic, emotional, and spiritual survival.
Although CAT has relocated to the desert just north of Palm Springs, he regularly travels to the LA and San Diego areas to teach keyboard and songwriting and consult with writers on their songs. He can be reached on skype at catcohen1.
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CAT has performed at Kulak's Woodshed. Below are a couple of videos of him singing two of his songs at the piano, SHIP IN THE NIGHT and BLUE STATE OF MIND.
SHIP IN THE NIGHT -- LIVE @ KULAK'S WOODSHED, 1/8/07 .. BLUE STATE OF MIND -- LIVE @ KULAK'S WOODSHED, 10/30/06
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Hey Cat! Been thinking about you a lot lately, and hoping you're well. One of these days, I want to make it out there to visit you and Stella. Thanks for tracking me down on Tubespace... er.... Mybook... er... whatever the heck this thing is!
Thanks Cat. You are legendary y'know. Dig the tunes. Stevie n I sang/wrote together back in high school days...we thought we were Lennon/ McCartney I produced Sarah's '3919' album (for free of course as she's my lovely wife and Mama of my son!)
Hi Cat Cohen! Heaven & Earth is on hiatus now as Stuart Smith and Richie Onori have joined forces with bassist Steve Priest to reform "Sweet". For those of you unfamiliar with the band, Sweet originally formed in the early 70s and went on to sell over 40,000,000 albums with 11 International Top Ten Hits such as "Ballroom Blitz", "Little Willy", "Love is Like Oxygen", "Fox on the Run", "Teenage Rampage", "Action", "Blockbuster", "Hellraiser" and many others. This reincarnation of the band reformed last year, playing their first show in June, and went on to play festivals throughout Canada and the States and had played to over 300,000 people before the year was out. During this tour last year they recorded a live CD available on Amazon entitled "Sweet, Live in America" which has received rave reviews - pick up a copy and please Add Sweet As Your Friend On Myspace! http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Live-America/dp/B002GP5VGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250558963&sr=8-1 Also, check out our friend Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith's new band, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats and their iTunes Top 10 Funk/Jazz debut release, "Meet the Meatbats"! http://www.myspace.com/bombasticmeatbats
Joey Alkes of Alkes-Fradkin & DJ Monkey, co-author of the Plimsouls' classic "Million Miles Away" with Wife Filmmaker Patricia Cunliffe (A Language of Passion) on...- The LONDON GARCIA Show - THIS SUNDAY AUGUST 30 AT 3PM (PST)! http://www.latalkradio.com/London.php ALKES-FRADKIN http://musicconnection.com/digital/
