www.cathysegalgarcia.comBoston-bred, Cathy Segal Garcia loved jazz since the age of 5, when she would listen to Ella Fitzgerald, hanging around with her dad (sax player Mike Segal). Surrounded by a musical mother and sisters as well, and starting on flute at the age of 10, she was thrust into many different musical experiences on her way up. She and her older twin sisters started singing with her dads bands when she was 12. Those gigs and special choral groups and orchestras throughout her youth led her to Berklee College of Music for flute and Arranging & Composition, from 1972-1975. Loving the older style jazz from her family, she was now embracing her own choices...a mixture of cool jazz, modern jazz, and funk Miles Davis, Weather Report, Aretha Franklin, Modern Jazz Quartet, Chick Corea, Chaka Kahn, Bill Evans, Tower of Power, John Ambercrombie, etc., developing a love of rhythm, melody and harmony.
Cathy first moved to San Francisco, and then to Los Angeles in late 1975, where she settled and still resides. One of the things that impressed many colleagues, fans and critics over the years, is that she has consistently performed and composed. Performing with literally hundreds of musicians, some of the more well known are: pianist Russell Ferrante (The Yellowjackets), drummer Tom Brechtlein (Robben Ford, Chick Corea), bassist Marc Johnson (pianist Bill Evans, John Scofield), bassist Gary Willis (Scott Henderson), ledgendary guitarist Ted Greene, guitarist Jeff Richman, guitarist Mike Miller (Chick Corea), drummer Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Stan Kenton, Steeley Dan), pianist Kei Akagi (Miles Davis), drummer Joey Barron (Bill Frisell, John Scoffield), studio pianist Mike Lang, Diana Krall, drummer John Robinson (Quincy Jones), pianist David Benoit, pianist Billy Childs, drummer Joey Heredia (Scott Henderson, Tania Maria), flautist Sam Most, Pianist Carl Schroeder (Sarah Vaughn), trumpeter Bill Berry, pianist Dave Mackay, guitarist John Pisano...the list goes on and on and on. Their style ranges from bebop to modern jazz.
Her singing and professionalism attracted much notice over the years and now we find Ms. Segal Garcia in demand internationally, and especially since 85yearly visits to Japan for clinics, private teaching, her jazz compositions, live performances and studio recording. In the release of Michele Weirs Vocal Improvisation book put out in 2001 by Advance Music, she is quoted along with 20 other illustrious vocalists, including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bobby McFerrin, Jay Clayton, Jon Hendricks. In L.A. she hosts monthly workshops which include clinicians from Los Angeles as well as visiting artists from out of state or out of the countrysuch as Barbara Morrision, Carmen Lundy, Rebecca Paris, Jay Clayton, Julie Kelly, Madeline Eastman, Judy Neimacketc.
Besides her large private student roster, Cathy teaches at CSULA (Cal State L.A.), LAMA (L.A. Music Academy), South Pasadena High School, and substitute teaches at UCLA, and USC.
Cathy has created vocal workshops in her home studio for the last 9 years. Not only does she teach the clinics, but she has other pro jazz vocalists from all over the country and the world, come and deliver these workshops. She has written a booklet on vocal technique, Basics For Vocal Techniques, is available through her website.
Presently she runs a popular jazz jam session in Los Angeles which has been running since March 2001. This session has been recently featured in Brass Bulletin, the music magazine published in Switzerland in 5 languages. In L.A.s music magazine, Music Connection, she was voted ..3 in The top 10 hottest unsigned acts. Shes listed in the All Music Guide to Jazz, and her singing performances have won multiple times on cables BET (Black Entertainment TV) performance contests.
Ms. Segal-Garcia is the founder of jazz vocal group Alone Together; which is a 4 person group of varying high level jazz vocalists, along with top trio musicians...performing solo pieces, duos and quartet pieces, and scatting. A very entertaining group, members have included recording artists and Grammy nominees ... Julie Kelly, Stephanie Haynes, Tierney Sutton, Kate McGarry, Cheryl Barnes, Michele Weir, Alison Wedding, Jimmer Bolden, and of course, Cathy Segal-Garcia.
Also the co-founder of the organization for jazz singers, JZVOCthe Jazz Vocal Coalition (www.jzvoc.org)a group dedicated to the education of jazz singers, and, by bringing credibility to jazz singing, creating a demand in the marketplace. She is now the President of the Los Angeles Chapter. JZVOC is always featured at the annual IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) conference, held in January of every year in a major North American city.
And the co-founder of the California Pop & Jazz Council (www.capopandjazzcouncil.org) which is a group of interested individuals, with the purpose of keeping jazz in the publics eye, and fine-tuning jazz performers abilities.
Always the world traveler, Cathy has traveled to the Chaco Province near Buenos Aires several times, to be the only United States jazz singer in their annual Jazz Festival, and to teach at a week-long clinic. The 2nd year her vocal group was invited, and such International artist as Pedro Aznar, Hermeto Pasqual, Peteco, Eduardo Lagos and Chango Gomez were also present for the week! She has traveled Europe extensively, performing and teaching, and has done the same in Japan so much, that she considers Japan her second home!
To date, besides singing on CDs, films and commercials, Ms. Segal Garcia has 6 CDs out in the marketplace under her own leadership, and is waiting for the coming out of her 5th...the earliest is titled POINT OF VIEW; featuring a varied group of musicians including Russell Ferrante, Gary Willis, Tom Brechtlein, John Heard, Rick Helzer, Clay Jenkins, Wayne Johnson, Loren Pickford. This record is almost completely original music, with classic arrangements by San Diego-based pianist and educator Rick Helzer. Gary Jackson, a writer for the last 30 years, wrote for the trade magazine Black Radio... Cathy Segal-Garcia sounds like no other vocalist. Her unique and warm vocal style evokes a spirit and empathy in such a way that the listener longs to hear more.
Her next CD is titled SONG OF THE HEART...a co-leader project with pianist Phillip Strange, sharing the stage with world-renown modern jazz players, drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Marc Johnson. Several originals by Ms. Segal-Garcia are arranged together with 4 standards, and the only recorded vocal version of Chick Coreas composition Bud Powell. The quality of musicianship, arrangements and recording is critiqued as Brilliantly exquisite! and rated Best Of The Genre in the Internets Music Blvd. Peter Erskine had this to say in the liner notes: I think that the resulting recording is the freshest vocal project which Ive ever been involved in, and its one of my favorite recordings of the past year...the sound and the music are so honest!.
Also from SONG OF THE HEART, Cathys most popular ballad composition, Diane, won several awards, including the 1998 JAZZIZ magazine contest, in which it held the auspicious position of the end cut of their CD Sampler. From the same CD several cuts are part of the rotation in the United Airlines Cafe Cabaret airwaves throughout 1998 and in 1999.
Her next 2 CDs were recorded in the summer of 1998, during the same week. In July 98, after a month-long tour of Japan, Cathy and pianist Phillip Strange recorded their second CD together, ALONE TOGETHER released in Japan in December 1999. This project was entirely standards, done in a modern style. The following week Cathy recorded another CD, HEART TO HEART with pianist Ross Tompkins, pianist with the Doc Severinson band on Johnny Carsons Tonight Show . Released in 1999, this project was also entirely standards, but more of a classic jazz style. Both jazz duos with acoustic piano, this is an extremely revealing position for a singer to be in; and these 2 CDs show the varied sides of jazz Ms. Segal-Garcia is adept at.
Her most recently recorded CD is SECRET LIFE, with Karen Hammack, Chris Symer and Kendall Kaye as the trio. Lou Castro was the producer, and the project is felt to be extremely marketable worldwide. Mostly original music, Cathy categorizes this music as Alternative Jazz.
Her most recently released CD is DAY BY DAY, a duo with the legendary guitarist, Joe Diorio. Standards done in a modern jazz style.
Re: Song Of The Heart ... ...The freshest vocal project which Ive ever been involved in, and its one of my favorite tapes of the past year...This recording deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. Peter Erskine..world class drummer/composer/label owner
Re: Song Of The Heart ...The choice of material is top notch -- very interesting. The duets were special, the interplay, dynamics, Cathys range and intonation are great! Marc Johnson..world class bass player/composer
Re: Song Of The Heart ... Best of the genre. Internets Music Boulevard
