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Catherine Dupuis
Catherine brings an expressive warmth to her singing, as well as a skilled ability to communicate the emotional content of a lyric. Her unique abilities as a performer are a culmination of her natural talent, as well as her experience and training as an actress and vocalist. While at Indiana University's School of Music (from which she holds a B.S. in both Music and Theatre), she studied with the legendary Eileen Farrell, known not only for her work as one of the great contemporary operatic mezzo-sopranos, but also as one of the foremost interpreters of The Great American Song Book. While at Indiana University, Catherine performed with the highly regarded Singing Hoosiers under the direction of respected music educator Robert Stoll. Catherine worked her way through an M.F.A. in Acting and Movement from Penn State University by doing local voice-overs, jingles and backup recording work in central Pennsylvania studios. In 1985, she moved to New York City.
Since 1994, Catherine has appeared to critical acclaim at popular New York City venues, including Smoke, the Knickerbocker, Chez Suzette, Shelly's NY, Metronome, Cleopatra's Needle, Jilly's NY, La Belle Epoque, Don't Tell Mama, The Triad (formerly Steve McGraw's), Danny's Skylight Room, Eighty-Eight's, the Caviarteria at the Soho Grand and Town Hall for the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Cabaret Convention. She has appeared at the Mohonk Mountain House Jazz on the Mountain (hosted by Michael Bourne of WBGO-Newark, NJ), the Sackets Harbor Jazz Festival, the Montclair (NJ) Women in Jazz Festival, and The Central Penna. Festival of the Arts. From Cole Porter to Sting, Catherine's eclectic taste in musical material often finds her performing a broad spectrum of music. Her repertoire includes jazz standards and American Popular Songs, as well as fresh, contemporary compositions (by David Cantor (Dave's True Story), Bill Mays, Mark Murphy and Russ Kassoff).
Catherine's most recent CD, Moments, is conducted and arranged by Bill Mays; an additional arrangement of "Skylark" by Mr. Kassoff. In his liner notes, Zan Stewart (DownBeat) writes: "Gifted with a stunning alto voice, a stellar sense of time and deep intuition about how to render a lyric, Catherine makes songs come alive. ... [A] rising star to keep your eye on." About her debut CD, I Hear Music (released May '99), Jerome Wilson (Cadence) wrote: "Her hard swinging style continually reminded me of Annie Ross. If Janis Siegel or Cheryl Bentine ever left the Manhattan Transfer, she'd make a perfect replacement." Moments and I Hear Music are available on line at: www.catherinedupuis.com, www.cdbaby.com; at Tower Records and Virgin; distributed by NorthCountry.
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Catherine Dupuis: The Rules Of The Road
by Suzanne Lorge
Catherine Dupuis's latest album, Rules Of The Road, displays a vibrant collaboration between Dupuis and pianist/arranger/composer Russ Kassoff. The title cut refers to the Cy Coleman tune recorded by the late Rosemary Clooney (henceforth spoken of in the first person for her lingering influence on the so-called girl singers ). Dupuis and Clooney do different things vocally, but they share some traits as vocalists.
First, both exude warmth and happiness live and in recording; such natural bonhomie cannot ...
read moreCatherine Dupuis: The Rules of The Road
by Michael P. Gladstone
On her third album, New York-based jazz/cabaret singer Catherine Dupuis continues to provide a well-balanced set through the use of prime time jazz musicians like Marvin Stamm, Ted Nash, and Bucky Pizzarelli. The album was arranged by her pianist, Russ Kassoff.
The Rules Of The Road gets off to a fine start with a bright version of the Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh title tune. After a quiet and rarely heard verse from the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic I Have ...
read moreCatherine Dupuis: Moments
by Dave Nathan
Working mostly in a trio scenario, Catherine Dupuis' second album offers a wide-ranging play list, mostly standards, spiked with a couple of originals, a folk tune, and apiece by Sting. Like her first album, top rank pianist Bill Mays is the principal accompanist and is responsible for all but one of the fresh arrangements. Dupuis has the basic tools a good singer needs. She sings in key, can be understood and works hard to capture the meaning and sense of ...
read moreCatherine Dupuis: Moments
by Jack Bowers
Having made some unflattering remarks about Catherine Dupuis’ debut album ( I Hear Music, jbQ Records), I’m happy to report that her second one is much better. She’s not quite there yet, but one can almost visualize the learning curve bending upward as she comes to grips with the substance of a lyric and prudently shapes it into a meaningful narrative. I was especially impressed by the decorous treatment of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark,” which Dupuis sings warmly and without gratuitous ...
read moreCatherine Dupuis: I Hear Music
by Jack Bowers
If I’m a singer, especially one whose work, as Catherine Dupuis says, is “based on the essence of each lyric,” and whose songs are chosen “because of what they have to say,” the last thing I’d want is to have to shout my way through a clamorous rhythm section to be heard. On the other hand, when Dupuis can be clearly understood on her (presumed) debut disc, as on the Gershwins’ enchanting ballad “For You, For Me, Forevermore” (which for ...
read moreState College (PA) Jazz Festival, July 21 & 22 - Featuring Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Russ Kassoff Trio, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Catherine Dupuis
Source:
All About Jazz
Friday, July 21st and Saturday, July 22nd (rain or shine)
Legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and acclaimed clarinetist Ken Peplowski with State High Alums vocalist Catherine Dupuis ('76) and Ian Hendrickson-Smith('92), saxophones
The Russ Kassoff Trio D Russ Kassoff, piano, Martin Wind, bass and Tim Horner, drums
FREE Event! Bring your lawnchairs, blankets and picnic baskets!
Downtown State College, PA Ample parking and lodging packages available Information: 888-221-6670
The Second Annual State College (PA) Jazz Festival will ...
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Summer Sounds at Old Westbury Gardens Catherine Dupuis and the Russ Kassoff Trio
Source:
All About Jazz
Summer Sounds at Old Westbury Gardens. Saturday July 30- Catherine Dupuis and the Russ Kassoff Trio. Catherine brings expressive warmth to her singing, as well as a skilled ability to communicate the emotional content of a lyric. Her unique abilities as a performer are a culmination of her natural talent, as well as her experience and training as an actress and vocalist. Since 1994, Catherine has appeared to critical acclaim at popular New York City venues. From Cole Porter to ...
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Sensational New York-based Jazz Vocalist Catherine Dupuis Releases Third Exceptional Jazz CD "The Rules of the Road"
Source:
All About Jazz
For Immediate Release – March 20, 2005 Media Contact: Lesley Mitchell-Clarke/Amanda O’Reilly 416-486-6742/[email protected] Sensational New York-based Jazz Vocalist Catherine Dupuis Releases Third Exceptional Jazz CD, The Rules of the Road (Bearheart Records - #BR-002) Featuring arrangements and orchestrations by Russ Kassoff, as well as an All-Star ensemble….also……. Please join us in a celebration of the release of Catherine Dupuis’ new recording with a special CD Launch Event May 19, 2005 “The Iridium Jazz Club” ...
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