Artist Information

Fan Collector for NuLL

WINNER of The Victoria/Tasmania VicTas Blues Music Award Female Artist of the Year 2007

Kate Meehan was born in 1963 in Hobart, the daughter of jazz trumpeter and vocalist Clem Meehan. She was raised in a household infused with music, hearing Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald one day, and listening to Carole King and Shirley Bassey the next. It was in this environment that Clem started giving Kate her first singing lessons. Kate's formal music education commenced at the Sacred Heart College where she received piano lessons as well singing in the choir, and by the time she commenced High School, Kate had added guitar to her arsenal.
At sixteen Kate left High School and moved to the mainland where she busked with her guitar around Adelaide for a few years learning the art of performing as a soloist in public. By the time she was twenty Kate had returned to Hobart where she fronted various covers and originals bands, before returning to the mainland, this time Melbourne, for a brief sojourn in front of another covers band.
At twenty four Kate found herself back in Tasmania where she was approached by the Fabulous Blues Cats, a Chicago jump-blues styled band. This is where Kate found her groove. Koko Taylor was discovered, and there was no turning back. Kate learnt her craft as a raunchy blues belter in front of this band playing the midnight to four shift every Friday and Saturday night at the Round Midnight nightclub in Salamanca.
In 1998 she recorded her first album as the Kate Meehan Blues Band "Let the Good Times Roll", a CD covering her favourite electric Chicago blues songs. This album opened doors back on the mainland on the blues festival circuit. It was also at this time that Kate heeded advice that she would have to write her own material to get anywhere as a blues singer, and over the next four years Kate released two more albums including her own songs as well as originals by her Austin, Texas pen friend, Kathy Murray.

Festivals so far for 2008:
THREDBO LEGENDS OF BLUES
AUSTRALIAN BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL

DEVONSHIRE BLUES MARCH

APOLLO BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL APRIL

BLUES ON BROADBEACH MAY

PREVIOUS FESTIVALS
Devonshire Blues October 2007
Newcastle Jazz Festival 2007
Bay of Islands Blues and Jazz Festival 2007
Beat the Winter Blues Event 2007
Devonshire Blues March 2007
Taste of Tasmania 2007
Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival 2006
Noosa Jazz Festival 2006
Toyota Gympie Muster 2006
Mount Beauty Music Muster 2006
Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival 2006
Australian Blues Music Festival 2006
Roomful O' Blues 2005
Blues on Broadbeach 2005
Forth Valley Blues Festival 2005
Australian Blues Music Festival 2005
Thredbo Blues Festival 2005
Blues At Bridgetown 2004
Blues without Boundaries 2004
Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival 2003
Canberra Blues n' Rock Festival 2003
Sydney's Blues Gals Cruise 2002
Broadbeach Blues Festival 2002
Thredbo Blues Festival 2002
Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival 2001
Australian Blues Music Festival 2001
Thredbo Blues Festival 2001
Great Southern International Blues &
Rockabilly Festival 2000
Bluestone Blues Festival 2000/01
Australian Blues Music Festival 2000
Forth Valley Blues Festival 1999
East coast Blues and Roots Festival 1994
Salamanca Blues Festival 1993
Salamanca Blues Festival 1992

AWARDS
2007 Female Blues Artist of the Year
MBAS "VicTas" Awards

2002 & 2003 Consecutive Winner
Female Vocalist of the year
Australain Blues Music Awards

2003 Winner Song/Performer of the year
Australian Blues Music Awards

MusicOZ 2001 and 2002
Runner up - Blues Category

Music Oz - 2003
Top 5 Finalist - Blues Category

Finalist - Australian Blues Music Awards
2005
Female Vocalist of the year
2003
Band/Group of the Year
2003
Album of the year
2002
Song of the year
1999
MBAS "VicTas" Awards
Finalist Female Blues Artist of the Year

Skip Landy first publicly played the blues in 1972 when he entered a piano led trio into the Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra. Over the next thirty years he played in many local bands culminating in receiving the Canberra Blues Society's inaugural Instrumentalist of the Year "Bluey" award in 2003. This was the same year that Skip and Kate Meehan first met, and after playing a couple of hurriedly rehearsed gigs with Kate, Skip knew that "it was going to be now or never, leave everything behind and go for broke with Kate." Since then Skip and Kate have melded their talents into the stripped back duo format that has earned them acclaim from their peers and the public. Skip cites all of the rhythm and blues piano players from New Orleans as his biggest influence, and when he fires up behind Kate in a fast boogie you are sure to hear strains of Champion Jack Dupree or Eddie Bo, and occasionally James Booker.
2007 has been a busy year for Kate and Skip. They commenced working on their next album in Adelaide with renowned guitarist, composer, producer Peter Gelling. Stay tuned for a new album in 2008 full of new and original material.

Kate Meehan and Skip Landy  
Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society - Australia

Two of my favourite things are blues piano and b...

Two of my favourite things are blues piano and blues singing, so this duo is right up my alley. Singers so often have to compete with their musicians to get heard and are perhaps forced to sing tunes that don't suit their voice, just because it has a good guitar solo in it! It also takes a lot of confidence to strip everything back and let your voice be the main instrument. Kate obviously has that confidence, not only in her voice but also Skip's playing as he too has no one to hide behind. There are so many things I like about this album. I haven't seen or heard a lot of Kate or Skip (sorry guys!) so it is refreshing to hear someone new. There is a great mix of blues and ballads on this album, with the tempo being pretty laid back, allowing us to hear the lyrics and Kate's voice clearly. Kate sings within herself and this controlled power and subtlety really adds depth to the songs. Even though the lyrics cover the usual blues themes they explore more emotional dynamics than just, "my man left me." The original "Leave the past behind" delves into the deep emotional material of how separation and scorn can impact on children. Kate also delves heavily into Texan songwriter Kathy Murray's catalogue with five tracks including 2003 Chain Award winning song of the Year "Call me Mrs Blues."
Don't get me wrong there is still plenty of Kate getting back at men who done her wrong, just imagine getting a song like "Money Hungry Man," or "Second hand man," written about you, exposing your every sordid detail! Often female blues singers are categorised as either the sassy, sexy mama or the big blues shouter, but the likes of Fiona Boyes and Kerri Simpson show you can be all that but a lot, lot more. I think I was expecting Kate to just be a blues shouter, but there is virtually none of this on the album and instead she shows that her voice is strong and dynamic and her songs are rich in content. Kate also doesn't shy from the often more difficult slower blues. With the Murray penned ballad, "Out of Love," her voice is bared for all to hear and it comes up a treat.
You may be saying, yeah but what about Skip Landy? Well you don't notice him, but you do! It isn't a matter of "here comes the piano solo," as the two blend seamlessly, you are able to take in the full song rather than being hindered by what one person is doing. I love the fact that Skip has kept to the piano sound throughout rather than trying out the million sounds keyboards have to offer these days. It takes away any distractions from his playing or Kate's singing. Piano blues offers so much variety in itself and Skip handles all of them and control and subtlety win again. His boogie on "Aint like it is" isn't 100 miles an hour, it's respectful of the song and Kate and spot on.
The other highlight is the album finishing, rather than starting with, "I'm a woman." To hear Kate belt out "oh yeah, everything's gonna be alright this mornin'" at the end of an album of well structured and well performed songs is exhilarating. It has greater impact due to what has gone before it and it oozes confidence. Think of the greats like Etta James and Koko Taylor, it is as if Kate is saying "I can belt it out with the best of them............AND DON"T YOU FORGET IT!!!"
It looks like Kate and Skip will be doing a few winery gigs in June, but hopefully they can arrange a few small, smoky (but not for too much longer), laid back, pub gigs as well for all us real people!!!
Rooster

Press Reviews

CD Review from Rhythms Magazine - June 2007-by Al Hensley 
Rhythms Magazine Pty Ltd
Kate Meehan & Skip Landy
Pocketful of Blues
(Ind...
Kate Meehan & Skip Landy
Pocketful of Blues
(Independent – www.katemeehan.com)

Following up their 2004 CD success Can I Play Too, multi-award winning duo, raunchy vocalist Kate Meehan and barrelhouse piano player Skip Landy, carve a niche for themselves among the top echelon of Aussie blues performers on the release of this new album. Presenting six original songs by Meehan and five by her friend Texas blueswoman Kathy Murray, it climaxes a blistering 45-minute set with a dynamic reading of Koko Taylor's I'm a Woman.

Meehan, from Tasmania, and Landy, from the ACT, are regular performers at major national jazz and blues festivals from Noosa to Wangaratta, the former being acknowledged Queen of the Blues in both 2002 and 2003 at the Australian Blues Music "Chain Awards". Playing in the Dr John/James Booker New Orleans style, Landy is the ideal vehicle to transport Meehan's gutsy voice through a repertoire of swinging uptempo and slow blues, funky R&B and soulful ballads.

A seasoned performer with over two decades experience in the business, Meehan displays adroit songwriting skills on themes ranging from old boyfriends to greedy musicians. The jaunty stop-time feel of her self-penned title track and the rolling boogie of It Aint Like It Is demonstrate an evenly matched pairing of blues talents oozing energy steeped in tradition.

Kate Meehan and Skip Landy
Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society - Australia

Two of my favourite things are blues piano and b...

Royal Oak Performance Review 
Sauce Editions Online
Dubbed "Australia's Queen of Blues" Kate – origina...
Dubbed "Australia's Queen of Blues" Kate – originally
of Hobart – has been on the Australian blues scene
for around twenty-four years. Skip was born and
raised in Canberra, and is easily the best blues
pianist I've ever seen live! Separately, they are
accomplished individuals – Kate winning a "Chain
Award" for Female Vocalist of The Year in 2002/03
at The Australian Blues Festival among others; and
Skip, first pounding the ivories at Byron Bay's Blues
and Roots festival in 1984 and recording/touring
with various bands and artists since. Together,
they're a staple at most major blues festivals around
the country, and the perfect compliment to each
other.
On the last day of their Tassie tour, supported by a
small but stoic crowd in "The Boatshed" at The Oak,
the duo performed some classic old-school blues
(both originals and covers), pulled some sweet little
jokes (Kate even sang an orgasm, blues-mamma
style, just like in the classics), and both delivered
it all in the ease one might expect from two such
professionals. Skip is an absolute stand-out on
the keys and had me transfixed on his seemingly
effortless style and speed, and Kate has one of
those gutsy voices that transcends generations, and
is instantly recognisable to any fan of the blues;
a real comfort after the hangover I most richly
deserved.
If you love classic blues/piano, make an effort to see
them next time you get the chance.
-Adam Ferguson

Setlist

As Long as I've Sung the Blues - Kate Meehan
It Aint Like It Is! -Kate Meehan
Leave the Past Behind -Kate Meehan
Money Hungry Man- Kate Meehan
Pocket Full of Blues -Kate Meehan
Second Hand Man - Kate Meehan
Black Cat - Kate Meehan
Sign of the times - Kate Meehan - Gospel
Call Me Mrs Blues - Kathy Murray
Exception to the Rule - Kathy Murray
Final Verdict - Kathy Murray
Off the Clock - Kathy Murray
Out of Love -Kathy Murray
Room for More -Kathy Murray
Spell it Out - Kathy Murray
Your Barn Door's Open - Kathy Murray
One Lie Leads to Another - Kathy Murray
Best Old Friend
Finest Loving Man
I Cant Help You Now
I Will Not Be Broken
Love Me Like a Man
My Sister's Shoes - Kate Meehan & Peter Gelling
Every Blues Singer - Kate Meehan & Marisa Quigley
In the Middle of it all - Arthur Alexander
Hard Times -Eddie Bo
Let the Good Times Roll
Hey Bartender
Where Did I Go Wrong -Peter Gelling
Your Good Thing Has Come to an End
Spoonful
Damn Your Eyes - Etta James
Smackwater Jack - Carole King
6345789
Stormy Monday
Be What You Wanna Be -
That's Why I'm Crying -
Call Me Big Mama -Big Mama Thornton
My Man Called Me - Big Mama Thornton
All Around the World- Titus Turner
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
The Lights of the City - Michael Murphey
Amazing Grace
I Aint Got Nothing But the Blues
Wichita Lineman -Jimmy Webb
Autumn Leaves
Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate -Jackson Browne
Don't Touch Me
Don't Explain
Don't Go To Strangers
Lullaby of Birdland
Can it Be Done -Wilson Turbington
My First Night Alone Without You
You Don't Know What Love Is
The Gypsy
Paper Moon
All of Me
Aint Misbehavin
Body and Soul
Lover Man

Hallelujah Louisiana - Dann Penn
Aint Gonna Worry My Mind -Richard Leigh
Lay me down a pallete on your floor

Basic Requirements Being a piano and vocal duo, we can play on just about any size stage from about 3 square meters (10 feet by 10 feet) upwards. If we are not travelling with our own equipment, then we would require the following: An electronic piano (if no acoustic one is available) with 88 weighted action keys. Such as a Yamaha P200. And a suitable stand and stool. A keyboard amplifier Two microphones and stands.  Kate Meehan & Skip Landy

Fan Collector for NuLL