O Night Divine
I know a fellow who has a deal with his wife: Between the beginning of November and the end of December he is allowed to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as many times as he can squeeze in, as long as the rest of the year stays Chevy Chase-free. I think many people have the same relationship with Christmas music. In July it seems out of place and tacky, but for some people there are few things that make a home feel more festive than Clark Griswold’s vicious diatribe against his boss or the sweet sweet strains of Christmas carols by the tree.
So according to my friend’s wife it is officially acceptable to start thinking of purchasing a copy of my own festive album, O Night Divine.
And even if Christmas music isn’t your cup of tea, the quiet accompaniment and lush harmonies make it a perfect collection of lullabies for colicky babies and adult insomniacs alike. In fact, I received several comments from happy customers who were falling asleep to O Night Divine well into the new year! Hopefully they’d already taken down the tree and drained the last of the eggnog…
Visit http://www.catjahnke.com for a preview!
And from now until Christmas, when you purchase any CDs from my website, shipping and handling in North America is free! As an added bonus, if you purchase 4 or more copies to give as gifts to family, friends, co-workers, etc. your shipping will be expedited!
(Contact sales@catjahnke.com for rates outside North America.)
Please order early to beat the Christmas rush. Consult THIS chart to make sure you’ll get your CD in time to enjoy it with your holiday tofurkey!
Ctrl Web Series
As you may know I spent the summer scoring a web series for NBC. I would just like to say thank you so much to all the folks who supported my work on Ctrl by purchasing their own mp3 of the theme song, Apple. The scored version of the song is still available on my website and an updated version with my band will be available on my upcoming CD which is set to be released in early 2010.
If you still haven’t seen Ctrl, hop on over to the NBC website (or search for “Ctrl” in iTunes) to check it out. The series is about an office drone who accidentally discovers that the control key on his computer works to reset time, undo awkward moments and essentially offer him second chances. Starring the hilarious combination of Tony Hale, Emy Coligado, and Steve Howey, there’s no better way to procrastinate on the whole entire internet!
Snowmen Movie Trailer
My good friend Robert Kirbyson is directing his first major motion picture and he has had the privilege of working with some truly iconic actors: Christopher Lloyd, Ray Liotta and Doug E. Doug (!), among others… What a lucky duck!
The first trailer is available on YouTube and I am so proud to say that I was given the opportunity to write two songs to bookend the short preview. The glorious music in between was composed by John Debney who scored The Passion of the Christ, Spiderman 3 and Hannah Montana: The Movie. Listen at the end for the voice of my friend James Rewucki, also known as Dr. Rage!
MTS Concert On Demand
Back in June my boys and I played a show at the new West End Cultural Centre here in Winnipeg. It was recorded professionally by the fellas at Absurd Machine and was one of six concerts by local artists that were featured by MTS Video On Demand in October.
Visit the “Live At The West End” Facebook fan page to see clips and photos (although there must have been some synching problems when they were rendering my preview so I end up looking a little spastic…) Check it out!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-At-The-West-End/120741874701
Cat Wraps CTRL
I have just finished scoring the first ever stand-alone web series launched by a major television network, in this case NBC. Based on an award-winning short film called “Ctrl Z”, this new series stars Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Chuck), Emy Coligado (Malcolm In The Middle, Crossing Jordan) and Steve Howey (Reba), and is sponsored by Nestea.
The show, now called “Ctrl”, is about an office drone who finds out he can control his boss with his computer keyboard. Will that help him win the girl of his dreams? New episodes launch every Tuesday. There will be 10 episodes in total, ranging in duration from 3 to 8 minutes. To watch the series visit: http://www.nbc.com/ctrl/video/episodes/?
I wrote and performed the entire score which was based around a quirky song I wrote called “Apple”. The orchestrated version of the theme song is currently available for sale through my website as an mp3, but a band version will be appearing on my second original full-length album due for release in the late fall of 2009.
Cat And Mic (And FACTOR And MB Film & Music)
FINALLY!! After three years of writing and touring I will finally head back into the studio to record my next album. I am so grateful to both FACTOR and MB Film & Music for funding the project; it means so much to this Canadian musician to have that kind of support.
Starting June 18th I will be in go-mode. Imagine me up at 4 am, standing behind the microphone in my PJs, trying to get the most emotional take; imagine me staring at the keyboard for the 20th hour in a row, trying to capture the perfect string arrangement; imagine sleep, food, and hygiene all being tossed to the wayside so that I can deliver the best album I can.
Then in a few months, when you get your very own copy, you’ll feel like you were right there with me! Or if your imagination is no good, keep reading to find out how you can monitor my daily goings-on with Twitter!
Cat Twitters
While that might sound like a feline ailment, I assure you that it’s just another sign that things are getting busier over here. No longer able to keep up the steady blogging, I’m forced to mini-blog. The result is hundreds of disjointed sentences that outline the minutiae of my daily life, all conveniently packaged for your reading pleasure. Curious about my vacuuming schedule?
Appease your inner snoop by following me here:
http://twitter.com/catjahnke.
Cat In CTRL For NBC.com
I have been asked to provide the score for an upcoming web series for NBC.com. The series, called CTRL, is based on the short film Ctrl Z, which I scored in 2007. Apple, a tune off my upcoming album, will be the theme song and provide much of the material for the underscore.
CTRL stars Tony Hale (Arrested Development) and is written/directed by Robert Kirbyson who is currently helming the Christopher Lloyd-starring family comedy Snowmen. Details are in short supply but I will keep you posted as the air date approaches.
Check out the following links for some additional info:
http://www.broadcastingcable.com
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
Cat Jahnke: Live At The West End
on Monday, June 15
I’m very excited to say that I will be taking part in a 3 night concert series to benefit the newly renovated West End Cultural Centre here in Winnipeg. The shows will be recorded for television and then made available on DVD with proceeds going towards the WECC. Donations will be accepted but admission is free and open to folks of all ages!
JUNE 15: Bryce Pallister & Cat Jahnke
JUNE 16: JP Hoe & Daniel ROA
JUNE 17: Telepathic Butterflies & Dr. Rage & The Uppercuts
Each show starts at 7:30 and will be done before your babysitter has time to finish even one entire bag of Oreos. Or bring the kiddies along, enjoy the whole show, have them home before bedtime and rest assured that they won’t be cranky the next day.
Monday, June 15
Doors @ 7:00 PM
Show @ 7:30 PM
West End Cultural Centre
586 Ellice Ave @ Sherbrook
Tickets are FREE!!! (So bring a buttload of people!)
Cat Supports Happiness
To continue the week of amazing music, head out to the Park Theatre on Thursday to be a part of Jaylene Johnson’s celebration for her new album, Happiness. I’ll be doing a few songs to open the evening and then Jaylene and her crew will take over. These are catchy songs, my friends; you will have a great time!
The show will also be recorded, this time by the wonderful folks over at CBC for the program Canada Live.
Thursday, June 18th
Doors @ 7:00 PM
Show @ 7:30 PM
The Park Theatre
698 Osborne
$10 at the door
Call 204-478-7275
My Fall/Winter Tour Schedule
Upcoming Fall/Winter Canadian tour dates have been posted in the events section HERE. My pop will be proud to know that I finally got some good winter tires since I'll be in it for the long haul this Christmas season, on the road from October 16th until December 21st! There are still a few dates awaiting confirmation. I'll be sure to update the events section as the remaining dates are confirmed.
NEW Merch On The Way!
Coming soon to the Cat Jahnke online store (and in the back of the car while on tour) you will find some brand new merchandise! (Sorry - no new album yet - grumble...). I am now selling American Apparel t-shirts and "California Fleece" track jackets. I decided on the AA line because they are of excellent quality and, most importantly, they are "sweat shop free". I have also added some cool zippo-style lighters for all of your campfire and candle lighting needs. While on tour I will be carrying an assortment of hand-made merchandise too: hats, bags, toques (or "beanies" for all you American folk), scarves and some easy to sew-on patches. And in the spooky stone laboratory that my basement has become, I have been experimenting with some resin pendants and will be offering a couple different designs and sizes. All the hand-made merch will be available in the online store in mid-November. Everything else will be available to ship by October 23rd.
NEW American Apparel
merchandise!
Fermata - Another Short Film With A Touch Of Jahnke
I am currently in the process of composing another film score for a couple of ambitious Toronto film makers. "Fermata" is a 10 minute film about "a violinist who loses his hearing for some mysterious reason but finds a cure in the form of a beautiful young artist". It was shot on 35mm film and looks gorgeous. The colors are rich and dramatic and I am hoping that my muse will bless me with some music equally as charming.
The Return Of "O Night Divine"
It's hard to believe that it has been nearly a year since I released a short run of my Christmas album "O Night Divine". Thanks to the fine folks at CBC radio the album received a lot of unexpected attention. My original plan was to make a few copies for family and friends as gifts, but the album was turning out so well that I thought I should share it with everyone. Within a month I was completely sold out with no time to remanufacture before the holiday season was over (even though some die-hard Christmas lovers were still asking for the album well into February!) Well, it's that time of year again! Physical copies of the album will be available starting October 23rd.
"O Night Divine" has been remixed and remastered and the new packaging is top-notch! It's the same line-up, but tweaked to perfection. There is one major face-lift to the album though (for those of you who have OND 1.0) and that is a complete re-arrangement of the song "The People That Walked In Darkness". The digital version of the album is already available HERE online (but that version is very difficult to stick in someone's Christmas stocking).
O Night Divine
has returned!
Positive Gaming Update
Late last year my songs "Crocodiles" and "Happy Song" were licensed by a Europeon company called "Positive Gaming" for use in their revolutionary "iDance" video game system. The multi-player version is currently being marketed commercially throughout Europe and North America to health clubs and spas. A home version of the game will be released internationally in early 2009 for both Mac & PC. You can check out some awesome footage of the game in action on the Positive Gaming website HERE.
Conveyor/Universal Distribution
Here's some big news. Both "O Night Divine" and my previous release "None Of Those Things" will now be distributed through Conveyor/Universal! The official release date is November 18th. That means that you can now walk into any music store that carries the Conveyor/Universal catalog and order physical copies of the CDs. Heck, you could order more than one even!
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Recently, my song "Happy Song" was licensed by the CTV hit television series "Degrassi: The Next Generation". The episode featuring the tune is expected to hit the airwaves in early 2009. I will keep you informed when I learn the exact date and we can all simultaneously sit down and re-acquaint ourselves with our favorite afternoon program of yore.
CTRL Z - The Film That Keeps On Keepin' On
In early 2007 I was lucky enough to be a part of the wildly popular short comedy "CTRL Z". The film has been around the festival block so-to-speak. It won the Delta Fly-In Movie competition award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and had picked up several other awards throughout the festival circuit before that. It has most recently been invited to screen at both the Vancouver and Calgary International Film festivals. This is a prestigious request since most films must apply in order to be considered for the program. Kudos to director Robert Kirbyson! And thanks for the opportunity to work on your magic movie.
"CTRL Z" is currently on my site in its entirity for those who are interested HERE.
The multi award-winning "Ctrl Z"
Crazy 8s Film Festival
Crazy 8s Film Festival: 8 days, 8 directors, 800 dollars and 800 feet of film. Cat Jahnke scores another short film as part of the prestigious Vancouver festival.
Sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada and CBC, the Crazy 8s film festival is a challenge for every crew lucky enough to be invited to participate. Once again Robert Kirbyson approached Cat Jahnke to provide an original film score under crippling time constraints. Once again, needing some procrastination practice apparently, Cat jumped on board.
The film, entitled “Nobody Special”, stars veteran actor Rob LaBelle (Smallville, Monk, Star Trek: Voyager) and a host of soon-to-be-familiar faces. It is a romantic/comedy about a guy who is such a nobody that it makes him special.
Cat had to cut her April 2008 Eastern Canadian tour short in order to contribute her musical talent to the project. After performing for four days at the Ottawa Civic Centre, she rushed home, dodging dozens of deer and a pair of moose and narrowly missing a freak spring storm. Thirty-six hours later the score was complete!
“Nobody Special” screens Saturday April 26 at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts.
For more information about the festival click: http://www.crazy8s.cc/index.html
Positive Gaming licenses two Cat Jahnke tunes
Positive Gaming licenses two Cat Jahnke tunes for upcoming video dance game.
Positive Gaming was founded in 1998 and is an idealistic company that provides healthy gaming alternatives with no elements of gambling, violence or pornography. The company is an active partner in on-going machine dance research projects in schools and fitness-studios. Positive Gaming was behind making machine dance into an official world sport and dance discipline, and is the main driving force, investor as well as a co-developer of the world’s first commercial wireless multiplayer dance game system.
Cat Jahnke’s songs “Crocodiles” and “Happy Song” have both been licensed for development. Programming is underway for the multiplayer platform, which is set for release in October 2008, and the consumer version, which is set for a 2009 release. An arcade platform is also in the works but no definitive timeline has been disclosed.
New Digs For www.catjahnke.com – FINALLY!
Grit Multimedia has been toiling away revamping www.catjahnke.com by coordinating its design with my current promotional materials (postcards and t-shirts available in the store). New highlights include a video player (featuring several short films I recently scored), free downloads of Cat Jahnke desktop wallpaper, the opportunity to purchase and download music directly from the store, and much more.
Be sure to visit the new photo gallery and don’t forget to check out my blog for candid shots and tour videos. We’ll do our best to keep the news headlines current so that you can be aware of when I’ll be touring, when my next album will be released, and if there are any extra-curricular projects or events in which I’m taking part.
Now that the site is running, updates will become more frequent so check back often!
Ctrl Z wins Delta short film competition!
CTRL Z at Sundance 2008! Ctrl Z (a short film directed by Rob Kirbyson and scored by Cat Jahnke) wins Delta short film competition! Award presented at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Robert Kirbyson was awarded the top prize for his film "Ctrl Z" in Delta’s second annual national short film competition at a celebratory party hosted Wednesday night by Cheryl Hines at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the trip to Sundance, Kirbyson receives a $10,000 cash award and a pair of round-trip tickets valid anywhere Delta flies worldwide.
The film, about an office loner who takes full advantage of a malfunctioning computer to magically undo a lifetime of regrets, stars Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Emy Coligado (Malcolm In The Middle, Crossing Jordan) and Zachary Levi (Chuck) and was scored by Canadian singer/songwriter Cat Jahnke.
CLICK HERE to view the official press release.
Delta, the Official Airline of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, partnered with Gen Art - one of the leading arts and entertainment organizations dedicated to showcasing the best emerging talent in film, fashion, visual arts and music - to host the contest. The winning film was chosen from five films through audience balloting at delta.com and on Delta on Demand from Dec. 3, 2007 - Jan. 15, 2008. Some 150,000 passengers watched all five shortlisted films and voted using the airline's in-flight entertainment service. A further 200,000 watched online.
Tim Mapes, Vice-President of Marketing at Delta, said: "Delta is proud to recognize new filmmaking talent and celebrate independent film as a returning sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival. We congratulate Robert Kirbyson, as well as the other talented finalists who have all produced truly inventive and entertaining short films."
Apple And The Sundance
In other news, a short film that I recently scored has been appearing at various festivals throughout the US and is a finalist in the Sundance Film Festival 2008 Delta Fly-In Movies Competition
(phew – try to say that in one breath!).
The film, entitled “Ctrl Z”, stars Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Emy Coligado (Malcolm In The Middle) and Zachary Levi (Chuck). One of my lyrical songs, Apple, is featured during the credits and a “band version” of the tune will be appearing on my new album, set for release in early Summer 2008.
For more info about the film visit: http://ctrlzmovie.com/index.htm
Read the Winnipeg Free Press article on this story HERE
For more info about the competition and to view the film visit: http://www.veoh.com/channels/deltaflyinmovies
Oh No! No More O Night Divine!
Between three consecutive tours and an unexpected online enthusiasm, my new Christmas CD, O Night Divine, has been completely sold out! Digital downloads of the tunes have been made available through E-Junkie because I wouldn’t want to miss out on being a part of your Christmas dinner! New hard copies of the album will be re-manufactured shortly in digipack format – a more durable packaging option to withstand years of play. Thank you so much to CBC for all the support and to everyone who stopped by for a listen.
Cat + T.Dot
On November 15 I took part in the Open Door Festival in Toronto at the Mod Club, which is a benefit to support the Red Door Family Shelter. Every year it is organized by two AMAZING women (one of whom is my new dentist!) and it has hosted several esteemed Canadian artists including Tegan & Sara, Ember Swift, Melissa Ferrick, Luke Doucet, Mr. Something Something and many many more. Please check out the website for more info about the benefit: http://www.opendoorfestival.com.
New Christmas Album?
That’s right! It was Christmas in September at the Grit Multimedia House recording studio and it didn’t come a moment too soon. My new Christmas album, O Night Divine, was finished just in the nick of time! CBC has already been eagerly supporting my latest disc which includes 10 traditionally arranged non-traditional Christmas carols. Visit the store to order a copy online, or come out to a show near you and purchase a copy from my festive merch suitcase!
