music

banjo guitar string bass tenor banjo national plectrum guitar ukulele

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Plectrum Banjo

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banjo photo

I started playing 4 String Plectrum Tuned Banjo when I was about 13. "My cousin in Michigan sent me a four-string banjo, a tenor, that he didn't want any longer. I decided that if I couldn't play ragtime piano, maybe I could play something like it on banjo, like the records (Bunk Johnson & Lu Watters) my dad gave me."

"I discoverd a four-string banjo teacher, Harry Tenbarge, who was a member of the Evansville Dixieland Society, which had the only Dixieland band in town. He played plectrum style. I just tuned my tenor like his. I didn't know the difference."

– Excerpt from an interview by Jim Uhl,
The American Rag (March 2002)

"Eccentric"
~ The Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band
~
Bria Skonberg - Trumpet, Claire McKenna - Clarinet, Emily Asher - Trombone,
Shannon Thue - Piano, Katie Cavera - Banjo, Georgia Korba - Bass, Beth Goodfellow - Drums


"Hanukkah In Santa Monica"
~ CJ & Katie
~
CJ Sams - Sousaphone & Vocal,
Katie Cavera - Banjo

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Guitar

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guitar

"A lot of people would ask if I doubled on guitar. I thought I should; it would make me more marketable. So two years ago, when I heard that Rebecca Kilgore was teaching guitar at the Adult Swing Camp put on by the jazz club in San Diego, I thought: If I could only do what she does! Not fancy, just perfect. The right changes, a lot of finesse. I signed up."

– Excerpt from an interview by Jim Uhl,
The American Rag (March 2002)

"All Of Me"
~ Katie & Hertz
~
Jamming with Hertz, the shop owner of "Vintage Guitars" at his store in Paris, France.
This remarkable video was created by my friend Julien.

"Shine"
~ Jerry Krahn & Katie Cavera
~
Jerry Krahn - Guitar, Katie Cavera - Guitar
Ike Harris - Bass, Brent Rampone - Drums

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String Bass

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bass

"I went to Swing camp again last year but they had a plethora of guitar and banjo students, so I ended up in a string bass class taught by Clint Baker. Later, he gave me one of his old instruments. I made my on-stage debut as a bass player at the Sonoma County festival last November."

– Excerpt from an interview by Jim Uhl,
The American Rag (March 2002)

"Pepper Steak"
~ Reynolds Brothers ~

Ralf Reynolds - Washboard, John Reynolds - Guitar,
Marc Caparone - Trumpet, Katie Cavera - Bass


"Salty Dog"
~ Cafe Borrone All-Stars
~
Clint Baker - Drums, Robert Young - Sax, Leon Oakley - Cornet,
Jim Klippert - Trombone, Katie Cavera - Bass, Monte Reyes - Banjo

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Tenor Banjo

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tenor

When David Boeddinghaus first approached me about performing in the show "Looking For Josephine" he asked if I could play Tenor or 6 - String Banjo. He wanted to music to sound authentic for the period (Josephine Baker's 1920's Review Show). I had been toying with the idea of learning Tenor tuning and I thought this show would give me the perfect opportunity to try it! By the time I went to meet and rehearse with the band in New Orleans (May 2006) I had enough of the instrument under my fingers to play it with the group. For more on my tour with this show, visit my "Letters From Paris" page.

"Up Jumped The Devil"
Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band

Clint Baker - Trombone, Mike Baird- Sax,
Marc Caparone - Cornet Katie Cavera - Tenor Banjo
Mike Fay - Bass, Carl Leyland - Piano, Hal Smith - Drums


"Bourbon Street Parade"
~ The New Orleans Hot Stompers ~

Chris Tyle - Trumpet, Otis Bazoon - Clarinet, David Sager - Trombone,
Katie Cavera - Tenor Banjo, Tom Saunders - Sousaphone,
James Alsanders - Snare Drum, Brian Scott Bagley - Bass Drum

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National Plectrum Guitar

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national

This instrument was made in the 20's for banjoists that wanted a "guitar" sound. The scale of the neck and the tuning are the same as my Plectrum Banjo, so I didn't have to learn a new tuning when I started playing this in the Reynolds Brothers Rhythm Rascals in 2004. I'm including it as a point of interest because it has an unusual look and sound. I play the 'National' exclusively on the Reynolds Brothers recording: "ZaSu Records No. 6" available on my Discography page.

"Somebody Stole My Gal"
~ Live At Cafe Divine
~
Clint Baker - Trumpet & Vocal, Craig Ventresco - 6 String Banjo,
Katie Cavera - National Plectrum Guitar


"Yes Sir, That's My Baby"
~ Meredith Axelrod & Katie Cavera ~

Meredith Axelrod - Guitar & Vocal,
Katie Cavera - National Plectrum Guitar & Vocal

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Ukulele

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ukulele

Last fall (2010) my friend Will Ryan got this crazy idea to put together a Ukulele band and he ask me to front it. I'd dabbled on the Uke for a while, and this gave me something nice to work on with it. Will is a very clever songwriter and perhaps someday we'll even do a CD of his originals as "The Royal Ukulele Band Of Hollywood." In the meantime you can find us gigging around the LA area (and on YouTube!)

"When You Do The Wicky Wacky Woo"
~ The Royal Ukulele Band Of Hollywood
~
Katie Cavera - Ukulele & Vocal, Will Ryan - Ukulele,
John Reynolds - National Plectrum Guitar, Westy Westenhofer - Acoustic Bass Guitar

"Coconut Oil!"
~ The Royal Ukulele Band Of Hollywood
~
Katie Cavera - Ukulele & Vocal, Will Ryan - Ukulele,
John Reynolds - National Plectrum Guitar, Westy Westenhofer - Acoustic Bass Guitar

Click here to link to Katie's PRESS KIT (Downloadable Photos & Bio)

Contact me if you need any further information. - kcavera@gmail.com

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