The Bob Crosby Bob Cats -- Introduction

Introduction

The current Bob Crosby Bob Cats are a continuation of the line of highly skilled musicians, who for 70 years have set the standard for ensemble oriented Chicago style jazz. Since they first appeared in 1937 as a band within a band, the Bob Cats have been recognized around the world for their hard swinging musicianship as well as for their ability to deliver smooth, danceable ballads. Not content to adhere to the pop repertoire of their day, the Bob Cats achieved acclaim for original works and for the use of musical material traced to their New Orleans roots. Taking our lead from them, today’s Bob Cats are not just a ghost band emulating musicians of the past. They are present day musicians, the majority of whom appeared as Bob Cats under Bob Crosby’s leadership until his passing in the spring of 1993. The Bob Cats are proud to keep the tradition alive.

APPEARANCES

In addition to touring with Bob Crosby throughout the 1980s, these musicians have appeared nationwide at dozens of major U.S. Jazz Festivals and at Jazz Society Concerts. They have also been active in the Jazz Cruise arena. Since 1996, under the Bob Crosby banner, they have drawn crowds with appearances at such events as the Bix Beiderbecke Festival (IA), the Brevard (NC) Jazz Festival, Jazz cruises to the Caribbean on the S.S. Norway, Mississippi River Jazz Cruises on the Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and the American Queen, the Monterey Dixieland Festival, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the Red Nichols Festival (UT), the New Jersey JazzFest, the San Juan Island Festival, the Madison Festival (WI), the Orange County Classic, the Elkhart Festival and the Sisters (OR) Festival. Their date book is filling up with more concerts, festivals and cruises, as well as fund-raisers, private parties and theater dates.

UNIQUE VARIETY

Along with its traditional Chicago-style structure, the Bob Cats perform customized arrangements that showcase its soloists and sub-units within the band. The band’s book contains well over 300 arrangements, including more than 200 Bob Crosby recordings.

	TWIN TENOR SAXES….. playing the driving style developed by the great tenor men of the 1930s like Eddie Miller and Bud Freeman.
	THE BOB CROSBY BOB CAT SOUND….. classic jazz at its best, including original Bob Cat arrangements by Matty Matlock left to us by Bob Crosby, plus our own recreations of the great originals of Jess Stacy, Matty Matlock, Bob Haggart, Deane Kinkaide and Ray Bauduc.
	OUTSTANDING SOLOISTS….. every one of the Bob Cats is widely recognized as a premier jazz soloist, some on multiple instruments. Our four-horn front line and four-man rhythm section are all capable of world-class performances.
	VOCAL STYLINGS….. A number of wonderful songstresses have appeared with us, including Maxine Sullivan, and more recently, Judy Lincoln and Paulette Pepper

REPERTOIRE

Probably the most vital asset in the Bob Cats bag of tricks is its rich set of musical material. While most Chicago-style bands are capable of handling the standard 100 tune war chest that flowed out of New Orleans, Chicago and New York, the Bob Cat book contains a wealth of material contributed by composers such as Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines, Clarence and Spencer Williams, and even some of the more contemporary composers like Turk Murphy and Lu Watters. During a long jazz festival weekend wherein the band might play nearly 100 selections, rarely is any tune repeated, except by strong urging from our audience.

BOOKING

The Bob Crosby Bob Cats (and the Bob Crosby Orchestra) are currently available for bookings either directly through its owner/manager, or through a number of agents located in the U.S. and Europe. The band is not bound by any exclusive agreements at the present time, and operates with a special licensing arrangement with the Bob Crosby family. During its first twelve years of operation from 1996 through 2007 under this arrangement, the Bob Crosby Bob Cats have demonstrated that a great deal of marquee value exists in the name. Requests for Big Noise From Winnetka and South Rampart Street Parade begin the moment the Bob Cats step onto the stage.

Let us generate interest and excitement at your next important musical event. For further information, a press kit, promotional material, publicity photos or a recent recording of the Bob Cats, CONTACT US.