News Release For immediate distribution The Cat’s out of the bag! Surprise show by The Cat Empire Free on the exterior site! Montreal, Saturday, July 1st, 2006 –The Cat Empire will be live on an outdoor stage! After double-billing with Bedouin Soundclash tonight, Saturday July 1st, at the Métropolis in the Rythmes Hyatt Regency Montréal series, the Australian group is offering a free show to all comers, right in the heart of the downtown. Set to take place tomorrow— Sunday, July 2nd at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the Scène General Motors as part of the Les Performances General Motors series—the group headed by Felix Rieb will be serving up its trademark mix of soul-funk-jazz, all steeped in free-ranging Australian good humour. And it’s entirely free of charge! For some reason, there’s something about The Cat Empire you like even before you’ve heard them. There’s a vague echoing of Buena Vista Social Club (+ D.J.!), and their love of Latin sounds is deep, but mixed with jazz, funk, ska, rock, soul, reggae and—why not?—hip-hop. This is a group that has a definite Australian influence and that is as capable to perform for the opening of the 2006 Commonwealth Games as it is to sing “Hotel California” in French! They started as a trio just before the new millennium took hold, but The Cat Empire has grown to include, altogether: Oliver McGill (keyboards), Felix Riebl (vocals and percussion), Ryan Monro (double bass), Harry James Angus (trumpet), Will Hull-Brown (drums) and Jamshid “Jumps” Khadiwala (D.J.). That makes six, except you never really know for sure, because The Cat Empire reserves room on stage for whoever else might spring to mind, from other musicians to dancers, acrobats and whatever. Masters of genre-mixing and people-mixing, The Cat Empire is age- arrested in the best sense, quite comfortable crawling from pub to jazz club, mingling with the ‘musical mafia’, staying up so late the night packs it in before they do. These grubby-handed jazzmen don’t give a hoot for labels, Cuban, Australian or whatever. Good humor, enthusiasm and oodles of talent are their passport. You like The Cat Empire because you like The Cat Empire music. If you don’t dance, it’ll be because you’re deaf. Get set for the sounds of heavy brass, percussion, seamless segues of genre and total control. They’ve got four albums out there that prove their mettle, and this surprise mid-summer show might just be the ultimate! This surprise FREE appearance of The Cat Empire will take place tomorrow night, Sunday, July 2nd at 9 p.m. and at 11 p.m. on the Scène General Motors as part of the Performances General Motors series. - 30 - Source : Festival International de Jazz de Montréal – Press Room: 514 373-8400 Information (media) : Marie-Eve Boisvert, Media Relations Director– 514 373-8400 ; [email protected] Alain Des Ruisseaux, Press Attaché – 514 373-8400; [email protected] Catherine Simard, International Media Relations and Tourism – 514 373-8400 ;[email protected] Information (public) : Bell Info-Jazz Line – 514 871-1881 or, toll-free, 1 888 515-0515 ; www.montrealjazzfest.com .