Feedback - leave me a note
Cathy,
Was the song you played last night, the Civil War era one Ashokan Farewell? The first time I heard it was from a friend in Bar Harbor who plays the fiddle and I was transfixed by it’s haunting melody. The first time I heard you play it, I was totally blown away by you! We were sitting at our table and this guy walked up from the back of the room and stood right next to me. I realized he just wanted to hear the music and was spellbound by the beauty of your playing. It was a cool moment. He finally realized he was standing so close to me and apologized…no apology needed. I understood the spell he was under! Music is balm for the soul, thank you.
Marcia Martin
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Greetings from Scotland Cathy (and Jim),
Just downloaded your album Catlayst from itunes and already I’m hooked…love your take on the traditional songs and the purity of your voice and playing. Thank you for a great treat.
Cheers,
Craig
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Cathy,
Finally, we were able to pickup your CD! Love it -
I was pleasantly surprised to to see another one of my favorite songs on it!
For years I have been collecting different renditions and versions of three song – Amazing Grace, Wayfaring Stranger and The Water is Wide.
I now have versions of two of the three from you …..
Susan and I found Friday night’s evening at the Acoustix Cafe a real treat. It was great to see both of you! It had been awhile since we were at one of your concerts, so, Susan and I were really looking forward to an evening of your music – which you provided in your usual style and excellence.
It was wonderful – thanks!
Craig & Susan Lanham
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I just wanted to say Thank you. Your album is awesome. I have listened to it so much this week. I have had a rough week and it is so comforting and uplifting.
Keep up the good work and I hope to hear some live Cathy soon.
Scott Taylor
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I mentioned that I am enjoying Catalyst, but I wanted to let you know that I am particularly enjoying your original songs. They’re both poignant and moving. They tug at my heartstrings; they resonate with my restless soul.
Thanks – Jay Lynn
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I am delighted that I am among the very first to receive your cd Catalyst! I love the alternation between your more traditional string pieces and your autobi/Americana vocals . . . just the right distance and speed I needed.
I love music that’s sung from the heart, and drawn from the soul. The Under Cover cd is wonderful, and top quality sound as well. Easy Money rocks and I haven’t heard such a good Boom Boom Boom since the Animals. Your voices are great . . . Jim’s deep voice shook my dashboard and your clear pitch further shook my inner walls (hey, I’m starting to sound like a PR guy in Nashville!). I also really like Houses in the Fields, but can you guess my favorite cut of all? I bet you . . . . . know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know . . .
Mitch Small
Pittsburgh, PA
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Some folks play the violin, while others learn how to help it sing.
You are the latter.
Blessings and Balance.
Ernest Whaley,
Cleveland area performer______________________________________________________________________________________
When I watch you perform you look like you are wrapping your arms around the crowd that you are performing to and embracing them. You close your eyes, concentrate and escape.
Robert Andrews
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great show tonight at the Winery at Wolf Creek! You and Jim have a great thing going; your voices blend very well and your playing is exceptional. The beginning of Ain’t LIfe Grand was particularly powerful as well as the vocal interplay in Jim’s song, I Was Lonely. I look forward to hearing the new CD when it’s finished.
Anonymous
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you again for a wonderful evening of music (at Sully’s Irish Pub in Medina). I truly enjoyed you and Jim. I look forward to seeking you guys again in the near future.
Keep up the great music and filling people’s lives with happiness and joy.
Robert Andrews
_______________________________________________________________________________________
So glad to have had you and Cathy play. I appreciate your professionalism and your musical talent. It is immediately apparent that you and Cathy are seasoned pros! It is also obvious that you enjoy what you are doing and that the two of you play so well together.
I will keep you and Cathy on my radar when I get back to focusing on the fall and winter line up.
Have a great summer!Thanks again for a great show-
Bonnie Flinner
Owner, Prosperity Social Club_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great show (at Prosperity Social Club). Fabulous as always!
Maureen Manning Allison
Cleveland_______________________________________________________________________________________
Each performance surpasses the one before…what an amazing presence and outstanding talent you and Cathy bring to everyone lucky enough to be in the audience (at Maize Valley Winery)!
Patty Stevic
_______________________________________________________________________________________
You two sounded GREAT (at Red Horse Winery). Thanks for putting it out there and still obviously enjoying what you’re doing!
Your voices blend so well together, and I really like how you’re able to harmonize with yourselves with the looper. Would love to hear you guys play more of your own stuff too, I’m looking forward to the CD when you finish it!
You guys keep playing, and we’ll keep coming out to listen.
Bill Gill
_______________________________________________________________________________________
“Hurricane starts the night. Ted Riser (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and his band: Dave Miller (guitar), Kenny (Buff) Marklow (bass), JB Smooth (upright bass), Steve Masek (keyboard), Greg Campoletti (drums), Tom Foster (steel pedal & guitar) and this time an added touch with Cathy Miller on fiddle. Ted and Cathy met on Facebook just weeks ago. What’s so impressive is that they never met in person until this performance. Ted gave her his schedule and told her to come sit in when she could. So, she did and she dazzled. Cathy told me later, she only knows a couple Neil Young songs, she just watched Ted’s hands for the chords! A great talent and Ted was thrilled with the little “extra” she added to the show.”
Trenda Jones
North Coast Voice
February 2, 2011
_______________________________________________________________________________________
It’s not surprising that so many would return for a second year and bring friends to hear Jim perform. Once you see him, you want to share his beautiful music and funny stories with others! His partner, Cathy Miller was amazing as her violin and singing enriched Jim’s original songs. And she brought the house to a clapping frenzy with her Celtic fiddle talent!
From the New Life Church Newsletter
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Jim, once again you made our night. Your show at Mastropietro was amazing. It was our first time seeing you with Cathy and you both were fantastic. We will be seeing you both again real soon.
Your #1 fans Matt and Cindy
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Mark and I had such a great time (at Mastropietro Winery) on Saturday night…
Hoping to go back (to see you & Jim) next Saturday.
You two were GREAT!!Mary Lou Warley
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Not sure if it was because it was (Jim’s) birthday, the location or the warmth of the audience, but you guys nailed it last night (at Mastropietro Winery). Lovely performance.
Cindy Timko
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great performance (at New Life)! Really enjoyed it.
Kelly Mackey
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great show (at Mastropietro Winery)! We really enjoyed the new material along with the ones we’ve come to know. You and Cathy are really becoming a team, kind of like John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.
John Ciccarelli
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Hello Cathy,
Hopefully you remember me. I took Celtic fiddle lessons from you about 2.5 years ago when you were still based in Cleveland. After you left, I continued taking lessons with a CIM grad student, but I didn’t feel very challenged by her so I discontinued the lessons and instead hired a friend who is classically trained. However, I have really only been maintaining my skill rather than learning anything new.
You are definitely the best instructor I’ve had.
Thanks for your time,
Rita
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Been meaning to tell you how much Annette and I enjoyed your show in the Alley at the Kent Folk Festival. Yes, that was me, the Recorderman. Your musical partner, Cathy Miller, is a fantastic addition to your act!
Jim Tinter
(posted via Jim Gill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Fantastic show last night (at the Winery at Wolf Creek). My sister-in-law and her husband really enjoyed your music as well.
Kevin Palm
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great to see (and hear) you guys last night. You & Jim have a great sound together & put on a helluva’ show! I also love your use of effects in your performance…very nice indeed.
Joe Lang
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Our group at Sully’s Saturday evening loved the sound of you and Jim combined! What a great pairing! Thank you….
Lisa Meilander Miller
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Great show at the Greene Eagle Winery tonight!
Ted Rupe
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The show in West Virginia (Wheeling Jamboree radio concert) was great! I listened to the feed from your website and you sounded great. Cathy is awesome.
I will try for Barking Spider next week.Jim Murphy
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Jim & Cathy:
Really enjoyed it. “Turn the Page” with the addition of violin was outstanding!
Hope to see you at Matus.Bryan
(posted via Jim Gill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We were delighted to enjoy your music again (at The Ritz Theatre in Tiffin). It is such a wonderful memory for us. We do want you to know that Cathy is indeed a blessing for you and your songs. Together, you make wonderful music.
Our love,
Bonnie and Jim Boroff (posted via Jim Gill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We’d seen you at a concert near Youngstown during the summer and were amazed at your talent. So you’d think we’d have been prepared for your show at Maize Valley (Winery) this past weekend –but still it blew us away! The fiddle player, Cathy, I think, is awesome.
We’re hoping they bring you guys back to Vienna for next summer. We will bring a boat load with us!! Thanks for a great evening.
Doug and Nancy T. (posted via Jim Gill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Tonight (at Maize Valley Winery) was just awesome Jim. You were right on the money and Cathy was just as awesome. The two of you connected with every song you played.
The new arrangements you played tonight for us were just like the two of you had been playing together for years.
Dana Ray
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We are the loons that were feeding you (and Jim) the harvest blend wine at Paper Moon last week. This specifically is Dave typing away at work (aka Santa).
We really enjoyed your music and had a great time. We will definitely be keeping an eye out for you guys.I also had a listen to your other band, Uzizi. Very cool–definitely outside the mainstream. Keep up the great work!
Dave and Micki
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I wanted to tell you how fantastic Uzizi’s performance was at the festival. With so much music programmed I was physically unable to see each act perform, but I made a special effort to see Uzizi since I thought it might be really amazing live.
It was beyond my expectations. I very much enjoyed the performance and am so glad that we could have you on the line-up! Keep up the great work. It was a true pleasure!
James DeRosa,
Board Member, Ingenuity Cleveland LLC
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I greatly enjoyed the Uzizi performance at the library Sunday. What a great fusion of styles and (Craig Matis’) personal singer-songwriter touch. I wanted to share a realization I had during the concert about…the audience…via a poem. I thought you’d enjoy it.
Marc Mannheimer
audience/performer
our hearts in their hands,
they are dancing, singing, playing, rejoicing –
and we sit and watch.
isn’t there something better
an audience can do?
a few songs in,
plucked harp and melodic fiddle,
I glance over
at the profile of the audience.
theirs is an engaged listening;
their spirits give to the moment
what they can no longer keep for themselves –
they are playing along with the band,
their silence as golden
as any sweet harp arpeggio,
as any soaring fiddle.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We finally made it out to one of your shindigs at the Red Horse Winery. It’s been way too long since we’ve been to one. It was a great show. Cathy Miller on the fiddle was fantastic. She’s a real complement to your show. Good stuff.
We really enjoyed the evening.
Two long lost Gillbillies,
Stan & Judy King
(posted via Jim Gill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Tonight was awesome (at Maize Valley Winery). You were pretty much on top of your game and Cathy Miller’s fiddle complimented you very much. She was right in tune every step of the way.
You did make new fans out of the one couple that was near us. Your Bob Seger cover was the icing on the cake
Dana Ray


