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The Sally Cats

Sally Barr shatters expectations of an instrumentalist (classical violinist/violist, pianist, and sometimes mandolin player), jazz vocalist, producer, and educator with a list of credentials that reads like the art section of a medium-sized city’s newspaper. As a Jill of these trades, master of each, Barr has become a sought-after and diverse stage and studio performer, musical mentor, and artist humanitarian.

Ms. Barr has performed and taught in a variety of musical settings in the US & Europe, (including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Opera Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Symphony; at Austin, TX hotspots The Off Center, Flipnotics & The Scottish Rite Theater in Washington and Oklahoma, New York & New England, France, Austria & Germany) featured as a violinist, violist, as well as performing on the mandolin in Mozart's venerable opera Don Giovanni. She has had the distinct privilege and pleasure of serving as Concertmaster of the Donna Summer Orchestra in Santa Barbara in 2005. She has twice performed at Live Oak Festival: with Mark O’Connor in 1998 and with the Gove County String Quartet in 2008. Sally has also performed with Sarah Brightman, Brian Wilson and The Moody Blues. Just as her tastes cannot be contained to just classical, jazz, pop, etc., neither can her bow be contained to four strings. One of Barr’s many instruments is a five-string violin, commissioned from master luthier, James Wimmer. She performs with the five string in multiple commissioned works by James Connolly, in addition to fulfilling it’s rock and jazz capabilities whenever possible.

Still, this accomplished musician cannot be content to let her fingers do the singing. After 20 years as a professional instrumentalist, Sally made her jazz vocal debut in 2005 at Direct Relief International’s (DRI) benefit for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. She has received vital instruction from renowned contralto Victoria Hart, and since her premiere, has performed with her band, The Sally Cats, all over Southern California.

Back home in California, Sally continues in her favored multi-tasking vain through her production company, Vox and Fiddle, with several performances and the 2009 release of the The Sally Cats’ debut CD “Wonderful Day” The album features a brilliant big band comprised of master musicians Jim Connolly, Jon Nathan, Nate Birkey, Tom Buckner, Brad Rabuchin, special guest Gilles Apap and is complete with a luxurious string section to ice the cake. Sally also performs and records with the popular Americana circus-music band, the Gove County String Quartet and the mighty and eclectic jazz-fusion outfit, Headless Household (Household Ink Records).

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Recording

The Sally Cats Are "On The Prowl" With Winning Covers On New Ep

The Sally Cats Are "On The Prowl" With Winning Covers On New Ep

Source: Eric Taylor

The Santa Barbara-based Sally Cats consist of regional vets, professional musicians who have no doubt paid their dues. Although the group is mainly rooted in jazz, folk and blues influences break through the surface, perhaps no more than on their new EP On the Prowl. Here vocalist Sally Barr again casts a mesmerizing presence; her singing brims with real emotion but she is also able to strike different tones and juggle various styles with equal efficiency; she’s a winner. Covering ...

The Jazz Singer

Sally Barr and the SB Cats @ SOhO June 30

Sally Barr and her new jazz orchestra gave a fine and highly promising performance at SOhO on Monday night. Barr, a violinist who has long been a mainstay in that capacity on the Santa Barbara classical music scene, showed once again that she has a terrific voice and unerring taste in both material and musicians. The set list read like a lesson in crucial jazz standards, the kind everyone should know. "Ain't Misbehavin'" was followed by "April in Paris", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", and an up-tempo version of "Blue Skies." The band, a handpicked assemblage of the absolute top players in town, included Jim Connolly (bass), Jon Nathan (drums/arrangements), Brad Rabuchin (guitar), Tom Buckner (sax/flute/clarinet), and Jim Mooy (trumpet). Everyone got plenty of solo time, and the Nathan, Connolly, and Rabuchin rhythm section did an amazing job of keeping things swinging. Barr's voice cut through the big sound with vibrant color and emotion, her phrasing a model of clarity and sophistication, and every word etched precisely in sound.

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