"Cathy has contributed much to vocal jazz in Los ANgeles. The music on this album is, in some ways, a culmination of all of her efforts...she creates the quality of intimacy that pervades her singing." by Kirk Silsbee "Pianist Ross Tomkins played for every singer who sat on Johnny Carson's couch on the Tonite Show, for 25 years. His style is the epitome of classic elegance...he's a singer's dream...." by Cathy Segal-Garcia L.A. Jazz Scene July 2005 Cathy Segal-Garcia & Ross Tompkins "Heart to Heart" It takes a rare and dedicated artist to work in duo, since there's nowhere to hide. It's just you and your musical partner, baring your souls to the world out of a deep love for the music and an intense desire to share it with someone. Vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia and pianist Ross Tompkins have shared with local audiences for decades in intimate settings where they've gotten to know us as thoroughly as we've come to appreciate their love for good music. Heartfelt songs such as "Skylark," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "My Old Flame" and "More Than You Know" bring a tear to your eye as the duo interprets from a personal viewpoint. Segal-Garcia approaches each selection slowly with emotions bared. You can't rush some things. In order to express these songs appropriately, she uses every ounce of her life's blood. Tompkins, on the other hand, likes to reach out on occasion and liven things up with a smile. His contrasting solos give the album a considerable balance. As they perform together, the duo forms a spiritual alliance that results in torches being burned down to the bottom, until there's nothing left to say. Jackie Gleason's "Melancholy Serenade" summarizes the performance, since the program paints each selection as a melancholy ballad with obvious emotion. Unlike the characteristic way that Gleason used his television theme song to showcase ironic with and extravagant comedy, Segal-Garcia and Tompkins interpret it slowly with waves that dampen the song's luster. "Exactly Like You," unlike the rest of her program, represents the center of Segal-Garcia's musical arena. On this interpretation, she uses her familiar musical approach to swing a little, move casually through a wide vocal range, and shape each phrase colorfully with precision. Accents introduce a familiar jazz force to her performance that highlights an otherwise slow and spiritual message. The duo's gift to their audience is filled with love, and presented slowly with deep feelings that are worn on their shirtsleeves. ~~~ by Jim Santella Cathy Segal-Garcia is an L.A.-based jazz singer, recording artist, educator, and composer. She has performed for over 20 years with literally hundreds of musicians, some of the more well known include Russell Ferrante, Tom Brechtlein, Marc Johnson, Gary Willis, Ted Greene, Jeff Richman, Mike Miller, Bob Sheppard, Peter Erskine, Kei Akagi, Joey Barron, Mike Lang, Diana Krall, John Robinson, David Benoit, Billy Childs, Joey Heredia, Sam Most, Carl Schroeder, Bill Berry, Don Menza, Dave Mackay, John Pisano...the list goes on. She has sung in styles that range from bebop to modern jazz. "A model of warm, exquisitely focused jazz vocalizing...sensuous voice and cool harmonies." Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times "To sing so engagingly as to utterly charm the audience; to seemingly underplay in presentation, yet achieve maximum impact on the listener, and doing it all in a deceptively simple manner, now that takes an artist who knows what she is doing musically. That certainly is the case with Cathy Segal-Garcia, daughter of a Boston saxophonist Mike Segal and that city's rewarding gift to Los Angeles and beyond." Bob Agnew..L.A.Jazz Scene