Cat's a Bear
mail@catsabear.com
Erie, Pennsylvania
Frank Singer
Composition and Guitar
Frank
Singer graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music and
received that school’s Richard Levy Award for Composition in 1980.
He has privately studied guitar and piano with Charlie Banacos and
performed as featured soloist and sideman with Cab Calloway, Jack Jones,
Jackie Eagle, Vanessa Williams, Roger and Roger, George Schwartz (former
trumpeter with Artie Shaw), and Eddie Fischer, as well as playing with
function bands for over ten years in the Boston area. In addition to
guitar, Frank also plays piano, keyboards and saxophone. A
commissioned composer, he teaches music in the Erie area. Frank was
also one of three finalists (World Music Category) in the John Lennon
Songwriting Contest of 1999. [
Visit Frank's website at www.franksinger.com
]
Joe Dorris
Percussion and Vocals
Joe
Dorris , Cat's a Bear's drummer, percussionist and vocalist, formed "The Dorris
Brothers Band" in 1970 and performed exclusively in the Erie
area. To pursue drum studies with Gary Chafee, he relocated to
Boston where he played with
such performers as George Schwartz, Dave Zox Trio with Ted Casher, the
renowned Senegalese band Ibrahema, and big band shows
featuring Cab Calloway, Vanessa Williams and Jackie Eagle, among others. Joe
worked in the High Society circuit throughout New England. His
recording experience includes performing and arranging for The Editors,
Billy Walsh, Willy Eger, Tony James, Sharon DiFranzo, Jake and Jean, Tito
and various commercial recording projects.
Tony Stefanelli
Bass
Tony
Stefanelli, Cat's a Bear’s bass player, counts
Jimmy Manucci and Basil Ronzitti among his first teachers.
He commuted to New York City for several years to pursue studies with Dave
Holland after winning a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Tony relocated to Detroit, where he performed with several bands including
Johnny “Yard Dog” Jones.
Locally, Stefanelli has performed with such bands as Wave, Angel
Fire, Quintessence, J.D. Blues and Tito.
[ World's best chocolate
www.romolochocolates.com ]
Phil Papotnik
Saxophone
Phil Papotnik plays both soprano and
tenor saxophone with Cat's a Bear and is known as one of Erie's premier
saxophonists. He is also known as the founder of Erie’s Raven Sound.
In 1969, Phil and his brother started "Phillippe," a pop-fusion
band performing originals. He has appeared with Marty O’Connor and Dave Blates, the Erie
Philharmonic, and performed with several of the tri-state rock and jazz
bands including Quintessence, J.D. Blues and Tito. Phil has studied
with Basil Ronzitti and Carl Adams. [
Visit Phil's Raven Sound website at www.ravensound.com
]
Tito
Congas and Percussion
The
mystical magical mentor, Tito (a.k.a. Nick, Knick) travels far and wide,
to and from points unknown. One day he is here, playing his music with
Cat's A Bear, and the next he is gone - captured by another vortex and
whisked away to new adventures. Is he a secret operative? Or perhaps he's
a strange kind of superhero, using his unique musical skills and other
special talents to change the world one person at a time. No one really
knows. We can only speculate, but one thing is for sure. He plays a mean
cowbell!
GUESTS of the CATS
The following musicians appear with Cat's A Bear.
Basil Ronzitti
Keyboard
Basil
Ronzitti is one of Erie’s most respected pianists and teachers, having
taught many musical "greats" including famous pianist and
author John Novello who has produced albums by Donna Summer and Taste of
Honey, and who currently leads the jazz fusion sensation Niacin.
As Cat's a Bear’s
principle
keyboard player, Ronzitti spices their compositions with his own style.
Cheryl Hodge
Voice and Piano
Cheryl
Hodge pays an occasional visit to the Midwestern Great Lakes Region from the
west coast of B.C., Canada. Her incredible vocal stylings and her fluent
piano playing bring a unique dimension to Cat's A Bear, as do her original
compositions. Her most recent CD, "Strings, Necks and C(h)ords", features
original and eclectic jazz. Her first jazz C.D., entitled "Tonight I'm
Wearing Basic Black", still receives airplay across Canada and the U.S.. As
a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, she taught vocals to such well
known performers as Paula Cole, Lavinia Hudson, and Kyle Gordon. Since then,
she has recorded her vocals on several labels; including Warner Brothers and
Atco Records Raindogs '90 release. She has done hundreds of commercials and
several movie releases. [
Visit Cheryl's Jazz Boulevard website at
www.jazzboulevard.com
]
©2002 - 2006 Cat's A Bear | Naked Kitty Productions | Contact