Jazz Singer Cate Cody

1920s & 1930s Vocal Jazz

Review of "Honey Bunch" CD in Just Jazz Magazine November 2005

'If you care for quality tunes with nicely crafted lyrics, stylish period musical accompaniment and the singing style of such great ladies as Annette Hanshaw, Ruth Etting and the early Billie Holiday, then you will like this CD by Cate Cody and her backing band. Cate not only sings beautifully, she also chooses her songs carefully, avoiding the trite and over-familiar in favour of the more rewarding but less-performed gems that are available to all performers in her chosen genre, but neglected by most of them. What's more, she invariably sings the verses as well as the choruses: this is not only innately more musically interesting, but often the words to the verse 'set up' the words of the chorus, thus making the song more of the complete dramatic entity intended by its composer and lyricist (her clear diction and perfect pitch also ensure we actually get to hear all the words, too!). The booklet notes, written by Cate herself, explain the reasons behind her choice of repertoire and offer interesting sidelights on the tunes in question; it's clear that this is a lady who takes her craft very seriously indeed. As to the actual performances here, we have an excellent selection of tunes varying from the slow ballad style of 'Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans' to the up-tempo 'twenties frivolity of 'I'm Gonna Meet My Sweeetie Now' and taking in the real rarity of 'Is I In Love? I Is' recorded by American singer Marion Harris in London in 1932.

The backing group varies slightly in that on three tracks, Cate is accompanied only by Martin Litton's piano - though 'only' is perhaps the wrong word to use, since Martin's rich and inventive playing more than compensates for the absence of other instruments on these tunes: 'Easy Living' in particular is a small masterpiece for both singer and accompanist, though 'He's Funny That Way' runs it a close second for my favourite track on the CD. On the remaining numbers, Cate has Norman Field's elegant and perfectly idiomatically-correct clarinet and alto, Wayne Shannon's sympathetic piano, Malcolm Sked's buoyant brass bass and the inimitable Nick Ward taking care of vintage percussion duties....recommended.'

Cate has produced two CDs, "Honey Bunch" and "Candy Lips". To hear samples, or to purchase CDs, please see the Music Samples page.

From Cotswold Life Magazine Apr 2007

Feedback from Fans & Clients

15th Nov 2008 - Civil Partnership, Royal Society of Arts, London

Thank you to you and your crew for a fantastic night of jazz last night - both Greg and I thought you were amazing. Thank you also for the CD, it will act as a wonderful memory of the evening. Thanks again Matt

11th Nov 2008 - 'Jazz in the Bar', Rose's Theatre, Tewkesbury

Thanks once again, Cate. Our friends Pat and Brian, who are generally more keen on modern jazz loved it - a great success. The Billie Holiday fan was bowled over and said to tell you that particularly the last three bars of one song were pure Billie. Lovely..
Jenny Steel

Our first evening at any jazz function was a very memorable occasion at the Roses Theatre last night. We hope to come and listen again sometime so please put us on your e-mail list. Many thanks for some great music. Geoff & Joy Codd

17th Oct 2008 - Corporate Function, Park Lane Hotel, London

"We were all delighted by your performance (and deep voice). It was exactly what we were looking for. The whole band was fantastic and I would not hesitate to recommend you to any of my friends who organise events. I hope we will get the chance to work together again in the near future. Many thanks again for everything!" - Ludovic, Allegra Strategies

5th Oct 2008 - Private Party

"We are going to leave it in your hands - we are loathe to interfere as you did such an amazing job last time.... my only request is that you play 'Was I drunk?' I am so excited!!" - Lindsay (played for her wedding & now another booking)

12th July 2008 - Private Party

"Thank you so much for making the evening on Saturday. Your beautiful voice absolutely created just the ambience I wanted and so many people have commented on how fab you both were. Please pass my thanks on to Charlie as well.
Hope to see you again soon." - Jude

23rd May 2008 - Awaken Your Senses Festival

"Loved the music. Cate is a fabulous singer (and dancer)..."
~ S Ashley, Oxford

"Good atmosphere/great music" ~ J & W Craig

"As good as ever, a delight" ~ P& W Martin

"Lovely singer, lovely dancer! Very enjoyable" ~ Jo, Sue & Dave

"A really great evening, super atmosphere too!"
~ B&J Brandon, Bibury

"As time goes by...a wonderful relaxing evening, great singing and music. Thanks"
~ S & P Needham

"Fabulous voice...evening not long enough!" ~ J Tucker

"Brill" ~ L Thomas

31st March 2008 - The Daffodil

"Excellent music as usual Cate" ~ L Brittenden

"Great Jazz - Cate was fab" ~ L Goodall

"Great music, thanks Cate!" ~ K Bluck

...Mondays Jazz went really well with a full house listening to the sultry tones of
Cate Cody accompanied by Mike Graver on the piano.... from 'The Daffodil' blog

11th January 2008 - Private Party

"Thank you Cate and Band for a lovely evening. We always enjoy listening to you since hearing you at the Daffodil early last year. Great evening. I'm sure you will have made it memorable for Bob and Lesley" ~ K & Y Smith

"Thank you so much for the enjoyable time. The music - and singing - of course was fantastic" ~ R & I Hodgson

"You did us proud tonight, Many Thanks" ~ B & L Callow

27/11/07 - Aubergine, Tewkesbury Flood Recovery

Great way to spend the morning. This type of event is very well suited to this venue
- loved it! A & J Bailey, Corse, Gloucestershire

Fabulous, mellow, sonorous, sexy voice and great piano! Thanks a million!
T & L Farmer, Tewkesbury

Wonderful morning, a real pleasure, thank you. K Auld, Cheltenham

Thank-you for a lovely morning, a special birthday treat! J Berwick, Cheltenham

It's great meeting you in person and a privilege to be on the flood relief CD with you.
T & N Barnett, Tewkesbury

24/10/07 - Milton Ager

Dear Cate, Please let me know how I can order your album "Honey Bunch." It has your version of a song by my late uncle Milton Ager (Hard Hearted Hannah), and I am eager to get a copy for the family archive and look forward to hearing it (especially after reading a review on the internet). Laurence Rubenstein, Los Angeles

10/11/07 - Milton Ager

Dear Cate, The CDs arrived yesterday, and I really enjoy them. You have a marvelous voice and style, and your instrumentalists are excellent. Best of luck on your continued career growth. I hope you stick with the 20-30s niche -- you do it so well.
Laurence Rubenstein, Los Angeles

11/09/07 - Crown & Cushion, Chipping Norton

Dear Cate, We would just like to let you know how much we enjoyed listening to you and 'your boys' at The Crown and Cushion yesterday. It was our first time at Chipping Norton Jazz Day and you certainly started it off for us very well. We will look forward to seeing you again somewhere on the Jazz scene. Many thanks, Freda and Clive Williams.

31/03/07 - Bushley Swing Dance

"Bluesy and dreamy but also sassy and swingy"

"Hi Cate. Went well didn't it!! Your applause at the end was the biggest I have heard for some time. When is your next gig?"

Hi Cate, Just to say what a fantastic time we had yesterday. We really enjoyed it. It was great to dance to something a little bit different from our usual swing music, and it leant itself beautifully to Balboa dancing. We came back buzzing!!!! Anna and Tony

"Hey Cate! That was great tonight. Thank you so much.
The Malvern/Ledbury bunch (15 of us) really enjoyed it!"

12/12/06 - CD/Roses Theatre

'Hi Cate, I saw you at the Roses and bought one of your cd's and it has become one of my favourites. It would be great to see you again at the Roses how about suggesting they fit you in somewhere? ' A fan!

04/12/06 - Bishops Cleeve Swing Dance

Cate, Just a few lines to say well done at Bishop's Cleeve last night - a definite success, well sung & well played. I only have a smattering of early jazz so I'm no expert, but it had the ring authenticity to me. I thought it was a hit with us dancers, I enjoyed dancing to tunes that I hadn't heard before (or not often), the rhythm was nice for dancing & there was plenty of meat to get stuck into within each song...Looking forward to the next one! S. Brandon

04/12/06

Cate, Many congratulations. It was a wonderful evening and all my friends enjoyed it so much. There has been much talk of working out an opportunity to approach you for some celebration in the future. Fingers crossed.... J Steel

27/11/06 - CD

'Don't think I said anything to you about your CD. It's very good! I can dance around the kitchen with you now!' R Evans

24/09/06

'Neglected to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the gig yesterday, please keep me on your circulation list for at least the next 25 years.' G Botley

July 17, 2006 Whitley Bay Jazz Festival

. . I feel compelled to send you a line or two of fanmail. I would just like to say how much I enjoyed the whole festival and for me you were the star attraction. Yours is the finest jazz voice I can recall hearing live. You reminded me so much of Peggy Lee, even though the majority of songs you sang were earlier than hers. Andrew Liddle

TAP Launch

Dear Cate, Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in thanking you for your contribution to the TAP Launch. Everyone said they enjoyed the music very much and I hope you had a good time. Please pass on my thanks to the musicians as well. Thanks again Cate, and I hope we can work together again in the future. Best wishes Jo

21 July 2004 - Upton Jazz festival

Dear Cate, It was a pleasure to see you for the first time at Upton Jazz festival and bought your last copy of Candy Lips which you kindly signed to my wife Jackie. Also with me was my 88 years old mum who looks and acts 20 years younger and very much enjoyed your show. Please send details of other C.D's. M. Ash

August 2004 - Wedding

Cate, Just wanted to write and say what a fantastic day we had. You and the band were absolutely brilliant and we have had alot of people asking after you!!! It made it so memorable for us. I hope you enjoyed playing and had an enjoyable day. Many thanks for everything. Lindsay

8 September 2004 - Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

Could you possibly sing "Stormy Weather" at the Roses, please? We are planning to come to hear you in the Bar. It is our 40th wedding anniversary and it is my husband's complete favourite. M. Cogbill

10 September 2004

Referring to the request for 'Stormy Weather'. Thank you Cate, that was super. Norman told Alan that in his opinion you had sung it perfectly. We would agree with this. M. Cogbill

11 September 2004 - Goring Jazz Festival

'You don't know me but I was privileged to be at your gig in Goring last night. I just want to say how much I enjoyed it and how stunning you were. Your feeling for the lyrics were so refreshing and your timing impeccable.''You have that magic of being able to project the mood of the thirties and forties so well and my friends and I were thoroughly impressed.' 'I must just say a word about your group. Your saxophonist is beyond praise and so versatile. Your bass player was immaculate. Words cannot express my admiration for your guitarist.' A. Seymour

5 October 2003 - Plymouth Jazz Club

Thoroughly enjoyed your excellent set at Plymouth Jazz club earlier in the year, won one CD in the raffle and bought the other! - which are now circulating amongst my daughter's friends in London. S.Brown

3 October 2003 - The Mermaid

In the current terminology, I thought you were brilliant and thoroughly enjoyed that evening in The Mermaid. Hope they've invited you again. P.Russell

21 September 2003

All 4 of us loved the concert. we thought you were all so talented...Neither myself nor my friend Lucie really like jazz so we were waiting with bated breath to hear you... but we were all entranced. We described it as "gentle jazz" The audience were also captivated they were not the usual twitchy jazz audience, apart from when they applauded they were motionless and very attentive. All the guys were so good, what an interesting mixture of instruments... M. Cogbill

19 September 2003 - Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

That venue is first-class and the audience obviously enjoyed themselves. It was a great turn-out. Now they know you can fill the place, they will surely want you back! G Botley

I enjoyed every aspect - the line-up, the content and the novel presentation. It was a great idea to put the music into context with the narrative. A really enjoyable, exceptional evening - and I hope rewarding for you.

We have a wedding booked at the Greenway in Cheltenham in Sept this year, they highly recommended you for our music entertainment.