CATFOOD RECORDS
DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE GREAT TRADITIONS OF SOUL & BLUES
December 13, 2011
Catfood Records received four 2012 Blues Music Awards nominations. Johnny Rawls was nominated for Soul Album of the Year for Memphis Still Got Soul and for Soul Artist of the Year. Johnny and Bob Trenchard were nominated for Song of the Year for Memphis Still Got Soul. Jackie Johnson is nominated for Female Soul Artist of the Year.
November 1, 2011
• Sandy Carroll's Just As I Am album is getting great reviews and significant airplay.
• The Best of Kay Kay and the Rays album was released November 1.( iTunes - CD Baby )
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James Armstrong's first CD in years, Blues At The Border will be released December 1. ( CD Baby - Amazon.com )
• Johnny Rawls is touring in support of Memphis Still Got Soul. His new album, Soul Survivor, with the Rays as his studio band again, is nearly finished with horn sessions scheduled first weekend in November. We anticipate a late spring release.
• Barbara Carr recording sessions are booked at Sonic Ranch in January.
• Memphis Still Got Soul is still on the Living Blues Chart at # 13. Look for the Johnny Rawls feature story Blues Revue Magazine.
• Frank-John Hadley, longtime Downbeat reviewer, calls Memphis Jewel one of the best albums of the year.
With Etta James (and maybe Aretha Franklin) on the ropes, the commanding delivery and material of Jackie Johnson on Memphis Jewel does a fan of classic soul music good. This lavishly arranged jewel of an album has Johnson putting a new spin on classics like The Tears of a Clown, pairs her powerfully with Johnny Rawls on Love You Still and takes us to New Orleans for the piano rollicking Brightside. Good Show. Philadelphia Daily News- July 2011
"Jackie Johnson? Get familiar with the name. First rate singing, excellent songs, superior production and engineering. Produced by multiple Grammy winner Jim Gaines [who] has a perfect understanding of how to keep her focused and keep the rhythm and horns section and the supporting singers continually in support. Contributing are bassist Bob Trenchard and other members of Texas-based Rays band--they're uncannily good musicians epitomizing soulfullness. Quite the album indeed. One of the best albums of the year." Frank-John Hadley--Longtime Downbeat reviewer and columnist/Blues Foundation Journalism Award - June 2011 "
Old school soul that has no dust on it. Johnson is a vocalist that is wowing them at home and taking that wow on the road. Sassy, snazzy and snappy throughout, this could have rolled right off the Stax assembly line without missing a beat. This is a real example of really hot stuff. Well done." Midwest Record-Chicago - June 2011
"Memphis-based soul singer Jackie Johnson grew up singing in the same church as Rufus and Carla Thomas and, for a time, sang backup in Rufus' touring band. On her dazzling debut for Catfood Records, Memphis Jewel, she combines her deep-rooted gospel inflruences with her love of classic soul-blues to bring forth eleven strong cuts, backed by the Rays, who also backed Johnny Rawls on his last four albums. Classic soul music is indeed making a strong comeback, as evidenced by recent sets from Sade, Ruthie Foster and Sharon Jones. You can add Jackie Johnson to that list and enjoy Memphis Jewel today!" Nashville Blues Society - July 2011
"Owning a rich and distinctive voice, Rawls sings as if he were experiencing wonder over his discovery of Southern soul-blues. Acutally, he's been a leading exponent of the style since the late 1970s, at his best in the studio the past few years with bassist Bob Trenchard's unobtrusively powerful gang of Texans called the Rays. Rawls and his aides write memorable songs in thoughtful, plain spoken language. Listeners not familiar with the Mississippi-born singer will be caught by surprise at the depth and degree of his authority." Downbeat - July 2011
"One of Rawls' distinguishing modern-day characteristics is the way he melds his fatback musical background with pop-tinged breeziness. Here, though, apropos of the CD's stated theme, he sticks close to the sanctified grit on which he was nurtured. Out in front, Rawls' churchy vocals convey intense feeling that never crosses into bathos or overkill. Overall, this is an unabashedly roots-rich outing, featuring Rawls' voice at its meatiest and his guitar work at its most elegant and understated." Living Blues - June 2011
"Memphis Still Got Soul may be his best cd yet. Like Rawls' previous releases, Memphis Still Got Soul re-creates the soul drenched Stax-Volt sound, and like those great old records, the lyrics are true-to-life poetry delivered with sincerity. The playing and singing on this cd are top-notch. This is a great release---it should continiue Johnny Rawls' string of BMA awards. Winning soul blues." Sunday Night Blues Project - June 2011
"Memphis and Rawls haven't lost their soul at all as anyone can clearly hear on Memphis Still Got Soul. He shows that classic blues and soul haven't gone anywhere with songs anyone can relate to no matter who they are. Rawls better get ready for some more awards with this new album." MuzikReviews.com - June 2011
APRIL 5th 2011
Memphis Still Got Soul, released April 1, has received nine rave reviews already including Cashbox, Philadelphia Enquirer and Chicago Sun Times. Johnny and Catfood Records were the subject of a feature story in El Paso Times April 5 and Johnny will be featured in an upcoming issue of Blues Revue. He completes his month long tour of Australia this week and returns to the states. The CD is receiving heavy airplay and was already # 25 on the Cashbox blues chart last week, the week before its official release. It will be on the top of the charts soon.
We are releasing a Best of the Steve Lott Band June 1. Steve was the Kay Kay and the Rays guitar player from 2001-2004 and appeared on Big Bad Girl. He also co-produced and played guitar on Johnny's No Boundaries album.
The Jackie Johnson CD will be called Memphis Jewel, her nickname, and will be ready for a July 1 release.
We want to thank Mark Pucci for the fine job he is doing as publicist for Memphis Still Got Soul.
January 20th 2011
In 2010, we started three recording projects but none will be competed and released until this year. All Catfood Records did in 2010, besides starting projects, was receive awards for the music we released in 2009.
Blue Condition has two new singles with a February 1 release date. The songs were produced by Jim Gaines. The singles are Sextalk and Silence Speaks For Itself. The band was nominated for 2010 Texas Music Awards and the last single, Cheap Wine, was on the Slacker.com Modern Blues chart for many weeks, reaching #1, as well as receiving substantial regional airplay.
Johnny Rawls new CD, Memphis Still Got Soul, will be released March 1. Same songwriters and musicians as the Blues Music Award winning Ace of Spades. Johnny just keeps topping himself with each new album.
The CD of our newest artist, Jackie Johnson, was produced by multiple Grammy winner Jim Gaines. We are aiming for a May 1 release date. Jackie is known as the Memphis Jewell. She has recorded and toured as a background singer for a who's who of the music business from Lenny Kravitz to the Staples Family. She sings on the new Huey Lewis recording of Stax Records cover songs and leaves on tour to promote it this month. Jim Gaines also produced the Huey Lewis and the News album.
AUGUST 1st 2010
Johnny Rawls' Ace of Spades won Soul Album of the Year at the 2010 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.
Ace of Spades has also won Living Blues Magazine Critics' Choice as Southern Soul Album of the Year. It is the second year in a row for Johnny Rawls to win that award as Red Cadillac won the award last year. It reached #4 on the Living Blues Radio Report chart and stayed in the top 20 for three months. It was #1 on Bluesbeat in Australia staying on that chart several months. Johnny Rawls goes back in the studio in June to record with the Rays at Sonic Ranch Studios for an anticipated early 2011 release. He is also going to work with Dan Nichols at Soul Tree Studio on the new album. It will be the same songwriters and essentially the same musicians who created the award-winning Red Cadillac and Ace of Spades.
JULY 1st 2010
Blue Condition has just released its new EP, Cheap Wine. The title song is already getting radio airplay in 18 states. Watch the video above! Blue Condition is the hottest new rock group in Texas. Led by talented singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Elford and lead guitar Garrett Mucha they are ready to burst onto the national scene.
Blue Condition's song "Come Around" has been released as a single on October 20, 2009 and will be promoted primarily on Texas and regional radio.
Blue Conditions' Cheap Wine received a rave review by iTunes comparing it to U2's "Rattle and Hum"
Catfood Records announces multiple Grammy winner Jim Gaines to produce Blue Condition recording in 2010.
Johnny Rawls new album, Ace of Spades, was released September 1, 2009 and debuted at #17 on the Roots Blues Radio Airplay charts for week ending September 4, 2009. Johnny has recruited the Rays for this project as well as most of the other backing musicians who recorded Red Cadillac with him. That album reached #1 on blues radio charts and has won the Living Blues Awards Critics' Poll as Best Southern Soul Album of 2008. Also working on Ace of Spades was LA Motown guitarist Johnny McGhee and Austin guitar player Lance Keltner Johnny Mcghee worked and recorded with Marvin Gaye as well as being a member of LTD. Lance worked in the Rod Stewart band and was an Atlantic records solo artist. The same songwriting team that wrote the songs for Red Cadillac wrote the songs for Ace of Spades with the exception of the title song which was a 1970 hit for O V Wright, Johnny's mentor and former employer. Johnny just keeps turning out better work with each new album and Ace of Spades is a step up from even the award nominated Red Cadillac and the critically acclaimed No Boundaries.
#4 Living Blues Oct. Monthly radio airplay chart
#7 House of Blues weekly chart
Featured review in Oct. Living Blues
Johnny Rawls was in Japan in January for the first time in his career.
Blue Condition received a Texas Music Awards nomination for Cheap Wine and
guitarist Garrett Mucha received an individual nomination. Blue Condition will
go back into the studio this year with multiple Grammy winner Jim Gaines
producing.
