A NOTE FROM MATT
Hey all, and welcome to my website. Thanks to everyone for all the support over the years.
The answer to the question I am getting a lot…YES that IS me on SirusXM’s Siriusly Sinatra Channel. I'm workin’ on a new project for 2021. FROM SAMOA TO SINATRA honors the music of both Mr. SInatra and my mother Mavis Rivers, whom Sinatra signed to his Reprise Records label in 1961, the year I was born! Thrilled to say that two tracks (plus a bonus Christmas track) have been completed as a preview to the Spring 2021 release of the entire project, and ALL of these tracks can be heard NOW on SiriusXM’s Siriusly Sinatra Channel. Thanks to today’s technology I get to duet with Mom’s voice from 1961(!) on a couple of these tracks! More to come on this very soon, but if you have SiriusXM available, check ‘em out!
On Thanksgiving weekend Friday Macon Pops hopes to be launching the Main Street Christmas Lights spectacular "live" for the 3rd year in a row, and also hopes to be performing at the 2021 Cherry Blossom Festival
Also on the schedule will be a live performance and recording with in March of 2021 for my above mentioned SAMOA TO SINATRA project. Stay tuned for details.
All of these performances of course will be "pandemic dependent", but I, along with the rest if the world, are praying, hoping, and working towards getting live music back on its feet.
In the meantime I hope everybody stays safe and healthy and I hope to be back on stage soon. Stay safe and healthy everyone
Matt Catingub
Fall 2020
Schedule
Schedule will be updated as soon as our world heals. Sending happy & healthy thoughts to all.
Matt Catingub
Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Macon Pops in Macon, GA
Artistic Director and Conductor of the Glendale Pops in Glendale, CA (Retired)
Artistic Director and Conductor of the Hawaii Pops in Honolulu, HI (Retired)
Past Principal Pops Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony, the Hawaii Symphony, the New Mexico Symphony, and the New Hampshire Music Festival.
Award winning jazz saxophonist/pianist/vocalist, and world renowned orchestra Pops conductor, Matt Catingub wears many hats. The son of legendary jazz vocalist and “Polynesia’s First Lady of Song” Mavis Rivers, Matt, a proud pacific islander, was bestowed the Samoan Chief’s title of La`auli by King Malietoa Tanumafili II. At age 17 he performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, then toured Japan playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, and Ruth Brown. From there Catingub played lead Alto Sax in the big bands of Louie Bellson and Toshiko Akiyoshi. At age 21 he formed the Matt Catingub Big Band, with his mom as vocalist, and recorded several critically acclaimed albums with his mom. A few years later Matt made his solo singing debut at the Frank Sinatra Celebration at Carnegie Hall and then signed with Concord records recording a number of CD’s with his own band, and notably with the legendary Rosemary Clooney. Matt wrote and performed the music for the George Clooney film, “Goodnight and Good Luck,” appearing onscreen, as well as creating all the music on the Grammy winning soundtrack.
As a Pops conductor Matt has conducted for some of the most important Symphony Orchestras in the country, including Nashville, Atlanta, Houston, St. Louis, Buffalo, Hartford, Omaha, Cincinnati, as well as the Florida Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, and at orchestras throughout Canada, Korea, and Japan. Matt has conducted for artists as diverse as Diana Krall, Yes, Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight, Kenny Rogers, Take Six, Elvis Costello, Glen Campbell, and numerous others. Significantly Matt has arranged the music in the orchestra libraries for a variety of artists such as Kenny Loggins, James Ingram, Boz Scaggs, the Righteous Brothers, Rosemary Clooney, Vertical Horizon, Natalie Cole, Toni Tennille, Michael McDonald, Dave Koz, Toto, Pat Benatar, and many many others.
Today Matt is at the forefront of a new and innovative movement to reinvent orchestra Pops into a more fun and accessible format, encouraging dancing and loose fun, within a more informal and contemporary setting.
Matt Catingub plays Yamaha Saxophones
Pops Shows
LATIN POP REVOLUTION
A Journey through the world of popular latin music and it’s roots. Audience is encouraged to participate in multiple ways, a fun evening of familiar songs, and modernized melodies.
MARDI GRAS JAZZ
Mardi Gras means masks, madness and most of all, Music. A lively, fun-filled musical evening centered around the distinct songs and styles that make New Orleans the city of jazz.
BRASSFIRE w/Jens Lindemann
Matt teams up with former Canadian Brass member, and order of Canada recipient, virtuoso trumpet artist Jens Lindemann in an evening of popular and contemporary music, mixing genres and styles to thrill both musicians and audiences alike! Including music from Jens’ new Big Band recording, which was produced and arranged by Matt.
CLASSICALLY JAZZED
The Greatest Classical Melodies Of All-Time reimagined, and all newly arranged for the contemporary Pops Orchestra by Matt Catingub. Program also includes Matt’s original work: Three Shades Of Blue, Concerto For Violin Jazz Trio And Orchestra, recently premiered by Maestro Thom Wilkins and the Omaha Symphony.
GERSHWIN ROOTS - A SYMPHONIC REMIX
Matt’s acclaimed Concord Records CD GERSHWIN 100 forms the basis for this show that celebrates some of the greatest music by America’s greatest composer, fully reimagined and all newly arranged for the contemporary Pops Orchestra by Matt Catingub.
JAZZ ROOTS - A SYMPHONIC REMIX
Reimagined arrangements of some of the greatest early jazz compositions and songs of the early 20th century, all newly arranged for the contemporary Pops Orchestra by Matt Catingub
ROCK AND ROLL ROOTS
Combining some of the greatest musical influences and songs from the early days of Rock & Roll along with unique adaptations of familiar melodies and riffs into one exciting concert the will have them dancing in the aisles!
THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK CLASSICS
The songs that started it all by some of the greatest composers of all time, including The Gershwins, and Irving Berlin, and made famous by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and so many more. All designed to beautifully showcase the orchestra.
All programs are fully licensed and royalty free and feature Matt’s brilliant drummer Steve Moretti, and one of Matt’s amazing guest vocalists (show dependent)