Catfood Records: Newsletter

The Memphis Sessions EP will be featured on Channel 43 of XM Satellite Radio the evening of Thursday, September 24, 2008. This is the channel that plays college/indie music. It was just released September 15th and is already in rotation on many stations. Rain is the featured song getting the most airplay. Meanwhile Blue Condition has recently signed with one of the top agents in Texas and is the hottest new live act in the Lone Star State. Michael Elford is such a talent that we predict he and Blue Condition will not be a regional band for long.

The new Johnny Rawls CD "Red Cadillac" is #1 on the Blues Charts in the US and Internationally for radio airplay in August. Congratulations to Johnny for his first #1 hit. The CD, which was released August 1, is selling so well we have already ordered a second pressing. Johnny recruited top studio musicians to back him, including the Rays.

The 2005 album "No Boundaries" by Johnny Rawls and the Rays was top 10 on the Living Blues radio airplay charts and stayed in the top 25 for 4 months. It was played on over 300 stations in the US and overseas. Blues Revue wrote "powerful and inspired, replete with top-notch instrumental and vocal performances and superb, soulful batch of songs." It received a rare 4 star rating by Downbeat Magazine. Johnny believes "Red Cadillac" is his best yet and we agree.

On September 8, 2008, Catfood Records is also releasing a four song EP, "The Memphis Sessions", recorded by dynamic, young Texas singer/songwriter Michael Elford. It will be released under the name of his new band, Blue Condition. Produced by multiple Grammy winner Jim Gaines, it was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis with Michael backed by top studio musicians from Austin and LA. These songs are terrific, great vocals, great instrumental performances and top-notch production quality. "The Memphis Sessions" will be released this summer to be heard on college radio, Americana and most rock formats.

Johnny Rawls continues to tour non-stop in the U.S. and overseas as he has for over three decades. The Rays will work with him again this year when he is in Texas. A recording session backed by the Rays is scheduled for February 2008.

August 23, 2005 was the national release date for Johnny Rawls and The Rays new CD "No Boundaries". The CD received rave reviews as well as significant radio airplay. In addition to blues radio airplay, the CD has also been added to the playlists of 27 stations with Americana format, as well as being played on gospel stations.

Altogether, it has been played on over 200 radio stations. The CD was on the Pick To Click list of the XM Satellite Radio blues show and was in heavy rotation on XM for months. "No Boundaries", which was at #7 for both October and November 2005 on the blues radio airplay charts, remained on the charts in the top twenty-five in December at #15 and in January at #23. No Boundaries was one of the top fifty blues releases of 2005 based on U.S. radio airplay according to Living Blues Magazine ranking #35. No Boundaries was selected by Norman Thompson as one of Smokestack Lightnin's Top 30 CDs of 2005. Smokestack Lightnin is a weekly syndicated radio program that is produced at WUCF-FM in Orlando, Florida. No Boundaries was also selected as one of the top CDs of 2005 by Real Blues Magazine. It was ranked as the No. 13 blues album of 2005 by Blues Critic's.

Blues Revue wrote in the October/November 2005 issue "No Boundaries is powerful and inspired, replete with top-notch instrumental and vocal performances and a superb, soulful batch of songs. ... for No Boundaries [Rawls] recruited The Rays, a smoking funk/jazz/soul/blues outfit... the outcome is stellar. What makes No Boundaries such a good album -- aside from spectacular production, musicianship, and vocals -- is the songwriting ... Rawls' calm, gentle Otis Redding/Al Green brand of vocal is the glue holding No Boundaries together. But -- and Rawls would probably be the first to pose the question -- with songs and players this good, how hard can that be? Kudos to Johnny Rawls for pulling it all together."

Jazz Review wrote, "Rawls collaboration with The Rays on No Boundaries is a risky but successful stylistic departure. ...No Boundaries erupts from your speakers like a crackling fire ball... long-time Rawls and Rays fans will cherish this collaboration and many new fans are sure to be made."

Dave Whities wrote in his Living Blues review, "This disc evokes Rawls' mentors in deep soul and sould/blues, Little Johnny Taylor, O. V. Wright, even as it departs freely from the structural, melodic, and thematic conventions usually associated with those genres and artists. ...overall atmosphere here is meditational, even brooding. Rawls, Trenchard, and their bandmates have accomplished their mission here with rare eloquence."

The CD received four stars from Downbeat which indicates it is one of the top rated jazz/blues CDs of the year. Frank-John Hadley, the Downbeat blues reviewer, wrote, "...Rawls ... is fortunate to have... Texas band The Rays in his corner. Bass player, Bob Trenchard, feeds him consistently good material, joining guitarist Steve Lott in overseeing this memorable session. Rawls has an exquisitely gray and grainy voice, the sound of
light sandpaper, and he tells his tales about clinging onto hopes and aspirations in dark times through the inspiring twist of his inflections and of his phrasing."

The CD was produced by Johnny Rawls and the Ray’s guitar player, Steve Lott. Rays bass player and songwriter, Bob Trenchard, composed most of the songs after the death of his wife; the recurring themes are death, despair, redemption and hope. Dan Ferguson played keys, Andy Roman was on sax and J. T. Paz and Richie Puga were the drummers. Steve Lott also did the arranging and co-wrote two of the songs. Memphis singers Reba Russell and Jackie Johnson added background vocals. Johnny Rawls calls No Boundaries his best recording ever.

No Boundaries was recorded in January 2005 at No Mountain Studios in Midland, Texas with Nick Carlton as the recording engineer. Additional recording and mixing was done at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. John Hampton was the mixing engineer and he and Jason Latshaw did the engineering on the additional recording with Curry Weber as assistant engineer.

The song "No Mama's Boys" by Kay Kay and The Rays was recently nominated blues song of the year by JTF Music Awards.

We would like to thank the following stations for playing our music:

101 FM/BLUESTIME - QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
2RDJ - GLEBE, AUSTRALIA
3HOTFM-MILDURA/WENTWORTH, AUSTRALIA
3WAYFM-WARRNAMBOOL, AUSTRALIA
4CRM 107.5 FM Community Radio - AUSTRALIA
5EFM-VICTOR HARBOR, AUSTRALIA

Basin Street Station Productions - Hawaii
BAY-FM–BAY HILL, AUSTRALIA
BEAUB- FM - Limoges, France
BFBS-UK (British Armed Forces Broadcasting System)
BluesBeat - Australia
Blues Deluxe - 98 stations www.freeworldradio.com

CBC-CANADA (Canadian Broadcasting Company)
CFFF-PETERSBOROUGH, CANADA
CIUT - TORONTO, CANADA
CJSR - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
CKLN - Toronto, CANADA
CLASSIC 21 BLUES - FRANCE
CRN-AUSTRALIA (Community Radio Network)

FENIX FM-BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

GOSPEL CITY RADIO

HONKY TONK BLUES - Brisbane, Australia

JEFFERSON PUBLIC RADIO

KASU-JONESBORO, AR
KBAC-SANTA FE, NM
KBCS - BELLEVUE, WA
KBMH-HARLINGEN, TX
KCBX-SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
KCCK- CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
KCOZ- POINT LOOKOUT, MO
KDLG-DILLINGHAM, AK
KDVS-DAVIS, CA
KERG-CONCORD, CA
KFAI- MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL, MN
KFJM-GRAND RAPIDS, ND
KFOK-GEORGETOWN, CA
KGLT-BOZEMAN, MT
KGNU-BOULDER, CO
KHSR-BROOKINGS, CA
KHSU - Arcata, CA
KIDE - Hoopa, CA

KIWR - Omaha, NE
KKUP-CUPERTINO, CA
KLFM-VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
KMBH - Harlingen, Tx
KMFB - Willis, CA
KMCQ--HOOD RIVER, OR
KMFB-WILLITS, CA
KMHD - Portland Oregon
KMSU/KMSK - Mankato, Minnesota
KMXT - Kodiak, AK
KMTX-KODIAK, AK
KMUD-REDWAY, CA
KNON-DALLAS, TX
KOCV-ODESSA, TX
KOIS - Omaha, NE
KOJI-OKOBOJI, IOWA
KPAN-AMARILLO,TX
KPFT-HOUSTON, TX
KPIG-WATSONVILLE, CA
KPRI-SAN DIEGO,CA
KRBS-OROVILLE, CA
KRCL - SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
KRVS-LAFAYETTE, LA
KRZZ-WICHITA, KS
KSCU-SANTA CLARA, CA
KSJS-SAN JOSE, CA
KSKA-ANCHORAGE, AK
KSPQ-WEST PLAINS, MO
KSYM-SAN ANTONIO, TX
KTDE-GUALA, CA
KTEP-EL PASO, TX
KTHR - WICHITA, KS
KTOO-JEANEAU, AK
KUAF-FAYETTEVEILLE, AR
KUFM-MISSOULA,MT (Montana Public Radio-on 12 stations in MT)
KUNM-ALBUQUERQUE, NM
KUNR-RENO, NV
KUOP-STOCKTON, CA
KUSP-SANTA CRUZ, CA
KVMR-NEVADA CITY, CA
KVNF- PAONI, CO
KWIT-SIOUX CITY, IOWA
KXCI - TUCSON, AZ
KXJZ-SACRAMENTO, CA
KXTZ-SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
KYNR--BUENA, WA
KZFR-CHICO, CA
KZSU-PALO ALTO, CA

LIVE 365.COM

NEAR FM-DUBLIN, IRELAND
NINE FM - Chicago, Illinois
NIRS-AUSTRALIA (120 Regional and Community Stations)

OUTLAW RADIO - Jackson, MI

PBSFM-MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

RADIO BLV-FRANCE
RADIO FRANCE DROME - FRANCE
RADIO HOLSTEBRO–DENMARK
RCV 99FM - LILLE, FRANCE
ROOTSTIME - BELGIUM

TRIPLE R BLUES & ROOTS RADIO- THE NETHERLANDS

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT - Storrs, CT

WATD-MARSHFIELD, MA
WBEW-CHESTERTON, IN
WBEZ-CHICAGO,IL
WBFO-BUFFALO, NY
WBFU-BUFFALO, NY
WBOR - Brunswick, Maine
WBRS-WALTHAM/BOSTON, MA
WCBE - Columbus, OH
WCMU-MOUNT PLEASANT, MI
WCNI-NEW LONDON, CT
WCXR-LEWISBURG, PA
WDCB - Chicago, Illinois
WDPS-DAYTON, OH
WDST-WOODSTOCK, NY
WDVR - Sergeantsville, NJ
WDVX-KNOXVILLE, TN
WDXZ - Atmore, Alabama
WECS-WILLIMATIC, CT
WEMU - Ypsilanti, MI
WETS-JOHNSON, TN -LENOIR & HICKORY, NC
WFCS-NEW BRITAIN, CT
WFDU-TEANECK, NJ
WFIT-MELBOURN, FL
WFOS-CHESAPEAKE, VA
WGLT-NORMAL, IL
WGMC - ROCHESTER, NY
WHAY-WHITLEY CITY, KY
WHFR-DEARBORN/DETROIT, MI
WHUS-STORRS, CT
WICE - OXFORD, N.C.
WICN-WORCESTER, MA
WITR-ROCHESTER, NY
WIVI - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
WIZN-BURLIINGTON, VT
WJUL-LOWELL, MA
WJZY-WILMINGTON, NC
WKAB-BLAKESLEE, PA
WMHB-WATERVILLE, ME
WMKR - Morehead State University
WMKY-MOREHEAD, KY
WMNC-TRAVERSE CITY, MI
WMNF-TAMPA, FL
WMSE-MILWAUKEE, WI
WMUH-ALLENTOWN, PA
WMWV-CONWAY, NH
WNCW--SPINDALE, NC
WNEC-HENNIKER, NH
WNSI - Atmore, Alabama
WOAB - Dothan, Alabama
WOCM--OCEAN CITY,MD
WOCS-LEROSE-BOONEVILLE, KY
WOLV-HOUGHTON, MI
WORT- MADISON, WI
WPCR-PLYMOUTH, NH
WPFW
WPKN-BRIDGEPORT, CT
WPSU-STATE COLLEGE, PA
WQLN-ERIE, PA
WQMF - LOUISVILLE, KY
WQSU-SELINGSGROVE, PA
WQVR - Pennsylvania
WRBC-LEWISTON, ME
WRMN-CHICAGO, IL
WRQR
WRSE-CHICAGO, IL
WSIA-STATEN ISLAND, NY
WTJU-CHARLOTSVILLE, VA
WUCF- ORLANDO, FL
WUML - Lowell, MA
WUSM - HATTIESBURG, MS
WVBR-ITHACA, NY
WVGN - Virgin Islands
WVKR - Poughkeepsie, NY
WVPE-ELKHART, IN
WVKR-POUGHKEEPSIE, NY
WWHP-FARMERS CITY, IL
WWOZ-NEW ORLEANS, LA
WWSP-STEVENS POINT, WI
WWUH - Hartford, CT
WXLV-SCHENKSVILLE, PA
WXMX - MEMPHIS, TN
WXPN-PHILADELPHIA, PA
WXUS- DALEVILLE, AL
WYCE-GRAND RAPIDS, MI
WYHY-ROCKFORD, IL
WYDH-ATMORE, AL
WYEP-PITTSBURG, PA
WZXR-WILLIAMSPORT, PA

XM SATELLITE RADIO