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eoole. ..C..........C...........O.Q........Q.......... U By Deborah Crandall t‘s not a simple thing for a singer to find his or her true voice. But after years of performing everything from show tunes to top 40 to country, Cathy Menard has found her voice â€" and her soul â€" in JazzZ CATHY MENARD Local jazz performer finds her true voice The Kitchener singer‘s career began about 20 years ago when she read an ad in the newspaper â€" the Don Pond Show, a popular local sixâ€"piece band, was looking for a keyboard player. And Menard. then just barely out of her teens, drummed up the courage to respond ‘I got really brave one night and decided to phone because the ad kept reappearing and reappearing, and | thought, ‘Oh, they can‘t find anybody â€" I‘ll go for it‘. So I called to set up an audition time, went out, and | was dreadful," Menard recalls. *But they really were desperate and | think they saw potential. Bless them, they saw potential and | was accepted into the band. But at the time, Don didn‘t know | could sing. and it wasn‘t discussed. So it was a couple of weeks into rehearsal that he became aware of the fact that | could sing." Menard stayed with the band a few years, singing mostly top 40 hits at parties and local clubs. After she left the Don Pond Show, Menard toured lounges across Ontario and New York as part of duet. And though she knew she wanted to sing, performing top 40 tunes in lounges was not someâ€" thing she could see herselif doing for long. Enter the Blue Moon Hotel â€" George‘s Jazz Celâ€" lar, to be exact. That‘s where. in the late ‘70s, Menard got her first real taste of performing the kind of music she was made to sing. Menard got up to sing a few numbers with the house band and something clicked. *I finaily got to sing what | wanted to sing, and | don‘t think | ever realized I‘d have so much fun in the a SA . ts ifi ck. h citin adtdbu i d B 4ds tA 200 and | was dreadful." Menard recails. R And even though the name of *But they really were desperate and the quintet bears her name. | think they saw potential. Bless T i Menard considers herself a memâ€" them, they saw potential and | was ber of the band, not its leader. accepted into the band. But at the "I remember having an arguâ€" time, Don didn‘t know | could sing. a ment with Cathy about the name and it wasn‘t discussed. So it was a of the band," McDougal! says. "I couple of weeks into rehearsal that t wanted to call it the Cathy Menard he became aware of the fact that Jazz Quintet because she‘s got a could sing." name and a following in the area Menard stayed with the band a few years, . form jazz, it poured out, â€" people want to come out to hear her sing. But singing mostly top 40 hits at parties and local clubs. 1 had never really thought about it. But what | she felt that we shouldn‘t do that â€" that it would After she left the Don Pond Show, Menard toured . fealized in retrospect was that, even through my . come off looking like she was on a power trip of lounges across Ontario and New York as part of teens, that‘s what I listened to. Aithough | wasn‘t was some kind of prima donna. But I did finally duet And though she knew she wanted to sing, . aware of what | was listening to," Menard says. "So convince her that we should. And none of the perforning top 40 tunes in lounges was not someâ€" . all of a sudden, when | started singing these songs,. . guys in the band had a problem with It, at alil." thing she could see herseif doing for long. I knew all the words. People would say, ‘How do _ A recentlyâ€"released demo tape, which Enter the Blue Moon Hotel â€" George‘s Jazz Celâ€" you know all these songs?‘ and I‘d say, ‘I‘d don‘t McDougaill has personally distributed to club ownâ€" lar, to be exact. That‘s where. in the late ‘70s, know â€" they‘re just there‘. My mom had been a . ers and media types alike, is sparking favorable Menard got her first real taste of performing the . plano player in a dance band in the ‘40s, and her interest. The Quintet made an appearance 0n kind of music she was made to sing. Menard got . influence is definitely there." Cityâ€"TV‘s Breakfast Television last month, and has up to sing a few numbers with the house band _ After her experience at the Jazz Cellar, Menard been booked to play clubs in Burlington and and something clicked. worked a regular gig at the Valhalla in with the Toronto. Also, plans are underway to record a fulâ€" "I finally got to sing what | wanted to sing, and | . Fiftzâ€"Pattrick Trio and also worked with several Jazz â€" length CD, which could concelvably be indepenâ€" don‘t think | ever realized I‘d have so much fun . bands in and around the Kâ€"W area. denitty released by the end of the year. doing it. That‘s when | realized, ‘Yeah. if I‘m going _ Three years ago, Menard met local Jazz drummer _ And while Menard is excited and optimistic to do this (make a career of performing). then I‘m . Don McDougalll, who, at the time, was perforning . about the quintet‘s future. she‘s realistic, given going to sing my kind of music." with the Top Pocket Jazz Quartet. As they got to . jazz‘s lessâ€"thamâ€"commercial marketing potential. Funny thing is Menard had never really labelied . know each other (which they did quite well â€" _ *| would like to be able to sing Jazz and be sucâ€" *her kind of music" as jazz. it was Just music she . they‘re now marmied), and as Top Pocket showed cessful," Menard says. "It‘s a very unrealistic grew up, and when the opportunity arose to perâ€" . Signs of winding down. Menard and McDougal! (Continued on page 26) o o o 0o 0o 0o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0o 0 0 0 0 0 0o 0 0 0 0o 0 0o 0 0o 0 0 0 0 0 0 O 0 0 0 _ AND FAMILY PLAYGROUND pen Ually stafting June 10th 1380 Victoria St. N., Kitchener For Details Call: 744â€"1555 forn jazz, it poured out. "I had never really thought about it. But what I realized in retrospect was that, even through my teens, that‘s what I listened to. Aithough | wasn‘t aware of what | was listening to," Menard says. "So all of a sudden, when | started singing these songs, I knew all the words. People would say, ‘How do you know aill these songs?‘ and I‘d say, ‘I‘d don‘t know â€" they‘re just there‘. My mom had been a plano player in a dance band in the ‘40s, and her influence is definitely there." After her experience at the Jazz Cellar, Menard worked a regular gig at the Valhalla in with the Fritzâ€"Patrick Trio and also worked with several jazz bands in and around the Kâ€"W area. Three years ago, Menard met local jazz drummer Don McDougall, who, at the time, was perforning with the Top Pocket Jazz Quartet. As they got to know each other (which they did quite well â€" they‘re now maried), and as Top Pocket showed signs of winding down, Menard and McDougail! Bingeman‘s Two New Mini Golf Courses _ fi& are NOW OPEN! Waterpark Now Open Weekends km Open Daily Starting June 10th mex Waterloo Region‘s Oldest Mini Golf _ &’Nfifi is NOW the Newest! discussed the possibiiity of forning a jazz ensemble. "Top Pocket was coming to an end. We played twice a week for two years, which, for a Jazz quartet, was unheard of â€" we were very were starting to fizzle, and we knew it, So Cathy and I started talking about putting our own group together. At this point, we were together (as a couple), but | hadn‘t really worked with her that much. But we thought it would be nice to work together." McDougall suggested they recrult Mike Bergauer to play bass, being familiar with his work after a 15â€"year association, and Menard suggested they recrult Toronto Guiâ€" tarist Dave Patterson and key:â€" boardist Paul Stouffer, with whom she had previously worked in a band called Friends. Voila â€" The Cathy Menard Quinâ€" tet was bom.