- Conductor/vocalist Matt Catingub and vocalist Anita Hall will join DSO to perform casino classics
Detroit, (January 15, 2019) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) PNC Pops Series continues with a concert program celebrating the 60s Vegas scene and the “Rat Pack”—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.
Conductor, pianist, and vocalist Matt Catingub (who also arranged the show) returns to Orchestra Hall, along with vocalist Anita Hall and drummer Steve Moretti, to perform symphonic takes on Rat Pack classics like “Hey Big Spender” and “That Old Black Magic.”
The concerts take place Friday, January 18 at 10:45 a.m., Saturday, January 19 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, January 20 at 3 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, within Midtown Detroit’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
In 2017, the DSO’s pops programming took on a fresh title: the PNC Pops Series, thanks to the generous support of PNC Bank. “This is a terrific series that showcases both the DSO and a wide variety of popular music, said Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. “That combination is sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone who attends the concerts.”
Additional support for the PNC Pops Series is provided by Masco Corporation Foundation and Greektown Casino-Hotel.
About Matt Catingub
Matt Catingub wears many hats: saxophonist, woodwind artist, conductor, pianist, vocalist, performer, composer, and arranger. Catingub is the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Macon Pops (GA) and has also served as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Glendale Pops in Los Angeles and the Hawaii Pops, as well as the Festival Pops Conductor of the New Hampshire Music Festival. He has also held the Principal Pops Conductor positions of the Honolulu Symphony, the Hawaii Symphony, and the New Mexico Symphony.
The son of the great jazz vocalist and “Polynesia’s First Lady of Song” Mavis Rivers, Catingub regularly performed with his mom. As a young man, he played a variety of instruments, conducted his first orchestra at age 15, and played alto sax at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age 17. He then toured Japan, playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Ruth Brown, before joining the Louie Bellson Big Band and later the Toshiko Akiyoshi & Lew Tabackin Big Band.
Catingub wrote, arranged, and performed music for the George Clooney film Good Night, and Good Luck, making an onscreen appearance as a bandleader. The film’s soundtrack, which features Dianne Reeves and a band including Catingub, won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Catingub has also enjoyed success as the leader of his big band, Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack, which has toured the world with Rosemary Clooney and backed notable artists including Michael Feinstein, Linda Eder, Lionel Hampton, and others.
About Anita Hall
Anita Hall is an award-winning vocalist and entertainer currently based in Indianapolis. Before moving to Indiana in 2010, Hall lived in Hawaii for more than 20 years, where she became highly sought after for her diverse talents: she can easily change gears from country to jazz, rock to Broadway, and beyond.
Hall has enjoyed a long and fulfilling partnership with Matt Catingub and Steve Moretti. As a working trio, they have performed pops programs with top symphonies all over the United States, including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Pops Symphony, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, and many others. She is also a regular at corporate functions, and has performed at VIP events organized by Microsoft’s Bill Gates, PGA golfer Phil Mickelson, actor Wayne Brady, and NFL Hall-of-Famer Eric Dickerson, among others.
Hall’s 2009 album Send Love received a Grammy nomination and was awarding the Hawaii Music Award for Inspirational CD of the Year.
About Steve Moretti
Drummer, percussionist, and producer Steve Moretti is a two-time Grammy Award nominee and winner of two Telly Awards. He has enjoyed an extensive recording career, playing on more than 30 albums (and counting), and made his big screen debut playing live in the 2014 Clint Eastwood film Jersey Boys.
A regular guest of symphony orchestras, Moretti has appeared with the Long Beach Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and others; he is also co-founder, president, and CEO of Macon Pops (GA), an innovative pops orchestra created by Moretti and Matt Catingub.
With his production company Morettiman Music, Moretti has worked with a wide range of talented musicians: pop singer Bailey Coates, hip-hop artist Floco Torres, soprano Leah Partridge, and many others. Morettiman Music also produced the music for the PBS special A Grand Mercer Christmas, recorded in the historic Grand Opera House in Moretti’s native Macon.
Moretti served three terms on the Board of Governors for the Atlanta Chapter of the (Grammy) Recording Academy. He is endorsed by Pearl Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Aquarian Drum Heads, Audix Microphones, Future Sonics Ear Monitors, and Vic Firth Sticks. He resides in Macon with his wife and two young sons. An avid soccer fan, Steve enjoys coaching for Macon Soccer Club, where his two boys play.
Ticket Information
Tickets for Vegas and the Rat Pack begin at $24 and can be purchased at dso.org, by calling (313) 576-5111, or in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit).
Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30% on the price of a single ticket for most DSO concerts. For more information, contact Group Sales Manager Jim Sabatella at (313) 576-5130 or jsabatella@dso.org.
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the institution. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who recently concluded an acclaimed decade-long tenure at the helm, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate, endowed by the Kresge Foundation. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall will celebrate its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.