Jimmy Catlett

Jimmy Catlett is a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist from Richmond, Virginia. He enlisted the aid of producer and drummer Kim Haynie to record 2005's Waiting To Fall Off The Earth. A departure from prior work, listeners travel a rootsy highway of twists and turns with Jimmy showcasing an earthy array of acoustic and electric instruments to paint intimate tales of relationships and life events.

The songs stay grounded via a steady staple of Catlett's 6 &12 string acoustic guitars and personal vocals. The Richmond Times Dispatch called it ?an accomplished record that stood out among 2005's local releases.?

An extended set of 2006 sessions yielded this year's "The Big Beat,' a reflective look at life's pulse and the people woven through it. Using a different recording principle, the band was tracked primarily live and with a stripped-down production approach. The result is an energetic, guitar-oriented set of tunes that have a raw and fresh energy. The album is highlighted by guest appearances from Bob Rupe, Bruce Coursen and former Jayhawks guitarist Stephen McCarthy. Catlett continues to focus on telling stories with honest, interesting songs that pull listeners; AAA and Americana fans will certainly draw connections to artists like Freedy Johnston, Peter Case and Jeff Tweedy.

Over the past twenty years Jimmy has contributed to numerous projects with widely varying styles: indie-rock, alt-country, r&b, hip-hop, and rockabilly. Catlett played in the Bruce Olsen Band in the late 90s and the early 2000s. He has also played with the Dum Dums, Simple Things, and Nat King Kong. Jimmy recently played lead guitar, bass, and sang background vocals on the G-Men's "Turn on the Twirl," the theme song for the weekly Twirl radio show.

Catlett recently introduced his new Jimmy Catlett Group, which features Offenders alumni Chris Link and Richard Cowles on drums and bass respectively, and Bruce Courson (formerly of Beex, Bruce Olsen Band, and Bill Blue Band) on piano. The group has begun to play out regularly and plans to record a new CD in 2009.