Patti Cathcart

While Patti Cathcart's name may not be overly well-known, her association with her husband, guitarist Tuck Andress, as Tuck & Patti is world famous. Cathcart grew up in San Francisco, sang in her church choir and school chorus, and studied violin for quite a few years. She also learned a bit of piano and guitar. But it was obvious early on that, due to her beautiful voice, her career would be in singing. Although she attended college during 1967-1968, she soon dropped out to become a professional singer in the San Francisco Bay Area, appearing in a countless number of settings. In 1978 she met Tuck Andress at an audition, and within a few months they were practicing songs as a vocal-guitar duo. Although they were soon performing in public and were married in 1983, Tuck & Patti waited until 1987 before making their recording debut, wanting to be sure that they had something original and unique to offer. Performing jazz, folk music, soul, R&B, some suitable pop music, and originals that were often written by Cathcart. Tuck & Patti caught on at first locally and then nationally. Their string of recordings for Windham Hill Jazz made them famous outside of California, and recently they have been recording for T&P/33rd Street. While Tuck & Patti's style is largely unchanged since the 1980s, their repertoire has steadily grown and their enthusiasm for their often-surprising music has not lessened. It is surprising that Patti Cathcart has not recorded without her husband (Tuck Andress has recorded a few instrumental albums) or with a full band, but she has made her mark with Tuck & Patti. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide