PRODUCERS & ARTISTS looking for recording and arrangements for your songs and films, please check us out here:
myspace.com/sweetspotstrings
CREATIVE PROJECTS Hello everyone! I've been writing more music and playing with wonderful musicians in Boston and New York City. Please check out my recent songs in the player and more at www.catherinebent.com.
WATERS OF MARCH
Cello-led sextet plays music with the spontaneity of Jazz, the intricacy of Chamber Music, and the sensuality of Brazil.
Original compositions by Catherine Bent www.catherinebent.com
CHOROS COM CHOCOLATE
The music of Pixinguinha, Catherine Bent and others. Flute, sax, cello, piano, percussion. www.catherinebent.com
UNDERGROUND JAZZ STRING QUARTET
Tomoko Iwamoto - violin, Tomoko Omura - violin, Helen Sherrah-Davies - 5-string violin, Catherine Bent - cello. Jazz standards, modern and classic pop, original compositions by the members of the quartet. www.myspace.com/ujsq
AXIS STRING QUARTET
Each member of the AXIS String Quartet is an outstanding classical and contemporary musician, with imagination and improvisational skills. David Balakrishnan of the Turtle Island String Quartet says:
"We have had the pleasure of coaching the members of the AXIS String Quartet and have been greatly impressed by their talent and commitment to the exploration of new chamber music. Each of these players has a unique personality based on a wide variety of extra-classical experiences, giving the group a hip, worldly sound – vibrant, fresh, and distinctly American."
The first AXIS record release was "Lee Konitz and the AXIS String Quartet Play French Impressionist Music" (Palmetto, 2000). The AXIS lineup at that time was Rob Thomas, Meg Okura, Judith Insell and Catherine Bent. The following year they were prominently featured on the live recording "Green Up Time" of the songs of Kurt Weill, refracted through the lens of arranger-saxophonist Michael Hashim (Hep, 2001). AXIS has since recorded with a spectrum of musicians, from Woody Allen to Louise Attaque.
What the critics said about "Lee Konitz and the AXIS String Quartet Play French Impressionist Music":
"the strings deepen the mood: eerie chords and bottomless cello. . . . Everything here is top-notch, and Lee Konitz transcendent."
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John Barrett, Jazz USA
"It's surely one of the most genuine and informed "Third Stream" endeavors to come before the public."
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David R Adler, All About Jazz Review
"an often stunningly beautiful and affecting record"
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motionreviews
Film Credits:
THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK (2007)
The AXIS String Quartet recorded the soundtrack of Break Thru Films' vital documentary of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, winner of the following awards:
SEEDS OF WAR AWARD Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
FULL FRAME/WORKING FILM AWARD Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
WITNESS AWARD SilverDocs Film Festival 2007
Lena Sharpe / Women in Cinema Persistence of Vision Award / Seattle International Film Festival 2007
Adrienne Shelly EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING Award /Nantucket Film Festival
Soundtrack composed by Paul Brill, Orchestration by Catherine Bent
Catherine Bent (cello, piano, composer, arranger) is a native of London, England and has lived in New York City for over ten years, in which time she has played a lot of Jazz, Experimental, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and other music. She has studied improvisation with the Turtle Island String Quartet, Rob Thomas, Christian Howes, Garry Dial, Allan Chase, John McNeil, and Jerry Bergonzi. Catherine has a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory.
Catherine is on the artists' roster of Cirque du Soleil and played electric cello for Cirque's North American tour of "Quidam." She has also toured with Joe Jackson and Greg Osby, recorded with Lee Konitz and with countless other artists. Her engagements are as diverse as the Palm Beach Opera and Dafnis Prieto's Absolute Quintet, and principal cellist of the One World Symphony.
For five years, Catherine directed the Orchestra and strings program at Columbia Grammar School. She continues to teach privately, and is committed to helping future generations of string players approach music creatively.
She has recently: Played with Kanye West on Saturday Night Live and at the Live Earth Festival at Giants Stadium. Played with Donna Summer. Recorded with Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony. Spent a month making music with Dave Douglas and others at the Banff Centre and a week cycling the length of the Icefields Parkway. Soloed in The Moth's storytelling events. Played a concert with Dave Holland. Learnt to scuba dive.
Catherine currently plays with the Boston-based Underground Jazz String Quartet, and leads Waters of March, a sextet that plays her own compositions, and Choros com Chocolate, a quintet that plays choros and original Brazilian-influenced music. Check them out at www.catherinebent.com
Ey catherine wow your sound great !!! I love your music , i saw you the other day in cafe Luna ,i don't know if you remember me :) I hope one day we can play and do something together ..Take care!!
When I make a dream come true and come to New York, I will definitely try and see you in concert.. Thank you so much for accepting me. Warm regards and sunshine from Greece.
hi catherine - it's been a long time since we've run into one another - but having come across your myspace page, I thought I'd say hello. Hope all is well, glad to see you're very busy playing music and teaching. The tracks on your page are, of course, terrific.
Hello Catherine Bent. Loved hearing you play cello with Cirque De Soleil. Best wishes to you in all your other musical endeavors - it all sounds wonderful! Andy Fein Fein Violins FineViolins. com
Hope all is well Great page here:) Sometimes we need just a little Sunshine in our lives. That is why I am wishing, on each and every calendar day, for smiles and sunshine to come your way! Thanks for the add Peace and love J.
Catherine, thanks for your wishings ! Hope you are doing great, playing and enjoying Life. I wish you a beautiful 2009, and hope we will have an opportunity to meet again and play together. Peace
Hey Catherine! Thanks a lot! So glad you like the video! Michael Bellar told me that you guys were talking about me.. ha ha It's so crazy... Serena and I first talked about making the video the night I met you at her place... can't believe it's all done now!
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