Hey everybody
Just putting out the official announcement that SisterMonk is working with a new rhythm section and has added sax player Tom Mazzuca to our line-up.
Dereke James is playing with us on bass. Derrick hails from Detroit, MI and some of his credits include touring with R&B sensation Aliyah and Aretha Franklin. He's also performed in Detroit based techno/hip-hop band The Tec Bros. The man's got serious groove and funky-soul.
Grant Schroff is playing with us on drum kit. Grant is a student at Cornish and I am completely in awe of his talent and skill, his ability to hold down a rock steady beat and yet keep things fluid at the same time. He also plays with Seattle bases nu-jazz/funk band The Jake Shaw Trio.
Tom Mazzuca joins us on tenor and soprano saxophone. Tom puts his whole soul into his playing whether it be playing beautiful, moody melodies or totally shredding over our funk and rock tunes. He's got a long list of bands he's played with in the past, most notable Seattle ska band Engine 54. He was also voted Best in the Northwest (wind/reed) by the WA State Blues Society.

Also big in the news is the upcoming ISLAND FESTIVAL (July 20-22)! Held on Whidbey Island, the line-up includes Anoushka Shankar, Michelle Shocked, and much much more. SIsterMonk performs on Saturday July 21 at 11:30am. So excited to be a part of this festival and sharing the stage with such amazing musicians.

We are totally psyched for the road ahead and hope to see you at a show soon!!

Well it's definitely high time we gave you guys a SisterMonk update. There is much to talk about and be thankful for.

After much, much adoo, we finally finished our 4 song EP, "Data and Surrealism", to be available for sale through the website and at stores shortly. We are hoping that this is the beginning of a full length CD project - to be embarked on in 2007. Much thanks to Troy Chapman who engineered, mixed, mastered and played lead guitar on "Data and Surrealism" and also much thanks to Tracy Ferrara for her stellar sax playing on the album as well.

Kathy & Jody are kicking off '07 by heading to Paris to further spread the message and music of SisterMonk. They'll be there till the end of March, travelling to Berlin and Prague as well so stay tuned for gig info and regular updates on their antics abroad.

Oh and to further confuse you, we've added a myspace site to our list of online addresses. No really, myspace is actually a great and easy way to make connections with your favorite bands and friends and also meet new people. You can find SisterMonk at:
www.myspace.com/sistermonk.
You can also listen to our new EP on the site.

And I can't thank enough all the amazing friends who came out and packed the house for our show on New Year's Eve on Whidbey. It was the best NYE to date for us and it's all cause a you!!!
Much love and blessings from the band to you in 2007.
We'll see you at the shows!!!!!!!

Our apologies for not keeping this page updated. A lot has happened in the last year and you're all well overdue for the latest news...
Stephan Ross joined the band a few months ago, playing bass, solidifying an incredibly powerful, super funky, danceable rhythm section with his bro Rachman and the dance floors have been bumpin'..
Joseph Sanchez has left the band to pursue other interests, though he will be sitting in with us from time to time playing didgeridoo. We miss you Joseph!
We've been working hard on a slew of new songs, exploring new sounds & stretching our limits.
Hopefully we'll get into the recording studio in the coming months and have a new CD out in 2006.
We've been blessed to have 2 incredibly talented musicians sitting in with us at various shows:
Tom Hoeflich, well known here on Whidbey Island for his stellar guitar playing and songwriting, joins us on lead guitar and Tracy Ferrar, best known for her years rockin' it with Northwest band Swamp Mama Johnson joins us on saxophone.
That's all the news for now folks. Much thanks to all of you for your continued support and enthusiasm. We couldn't do it without ya cause it takes a community to build a band.
Blessings
SisterMonk

Just a quick news update to fill you all in on the goings on of the Harem. SMH has grown to a 7-piece ensemble with our newest addition being Robert Goldstick , a.k.a. "Professor Funky," on Hammond B-2 keys. Our full line-up now includes:
Kathy on djembe and lead vocals
Jody Rubel - guitar and songwriter extraordinaire!
Talia Toni Marcus - violin and Stroh viola
Joseph Ravenwood - bass (5-string and fretless)
Joseph Sanchez - percussion, didgeridoo and flute
Rachman Ross/Benji Bohannon - drum kit
Professor Funky - on the keys
After a Spring full of shows we have been quiet on the gig scene this month (but not on the busking scene) to focus on recording some tunes to go on our next album. We'll be back in July with some festival performances and more shows in the works.
Thanks so much to all who were at our Folklife performance! It was so much fun and ablsolutely fablulous to see so many people up on their feet dancing away and singing along with us. A band is nothing without the people that support it and cheer them on. We love you guys!
Hope to see you all at shows to come.
Kathy

Greetings!
As always things are evolving here in the Harem and I am happy to say that we now have an awesome drummer/percussionist, Rachman Ross playing with us. The rhythmic current is so strong I feel like flying when we play together! So we have been working hard on our songs, integrating drum kit and challenging ourselves creatively. We have started work on a new album and that will be our primary project for the next couple of months. We are asked so often, "When's the new album coming out with your current sound?" Hopefully sometime in the spring I project....
So it's holiday time for merry making and we wish you all joy and peace and beauty for the season and New Year!
Look for the Harem to resume regularly scheduled performances in late January.
Much love and thanks to you all for your support and love and enthusiasm!

Hi folks
Just a little news update to fill you in on the current goings-on in the Harem. Fall is here and our fingers are still purple from all the blackberry picking...Jody is crazy for fishing and making chocolate puddings - stevia sweetened with coconut milk. I just got a fire going in the woodburning stove and it is warm and cozy here in the cabin...my drum likes that a lot.
Our current musical line-up - me (Kathy on vocals and djembe), Jody (guitar), Joseph Sanchez (percussion, didge and flute), Joseph Ravenwood (Bass) and Talia Marcus (violin & Stroh viola) is the best yet and I am really exicted for the upcoming year for us. We hope to head back to the recording studio this winter and record a new album. We've got lots of new songs and hopefully they will be available on CD and MP3 by the Spring. Much thanks to all of you who have supported us by coming out to the shows and giving us postive feedback and loving the music! As I have said before - it really is the fuel that feeds our fire and inspires us to continue on our path.
Our website will be getting a bit of a face lift soon - new colors, graphics, updated bio, pic, etc..Hope you all like the changes and feel free to send us your input and let us know if there's anything you would like to see posted that we haven't thought of.
More news soon.
Much love and Happy Fall to you all!

March 2003
I apologize for the length of thime it has taken to update our news page. So much has happened in the last few months...Jody and I (kathy) have been here in the NYC/NJ area since October. My family has been going through some very difficult times and I thank all of you who have sent your prayers, love and kindness our way. It has given us a great deal of strength. During this time we have been performing here and have been blessed with the addition of 2 very talented and beautiful people to our group. Joelle Jaffe is now singing with me (and let me tell you the girl can sing like nobody's business!!) and Trevor Hochman has been weaving some killer saxophone into the mix. Joseph has been doing his best to come out and join us here when he can. The shows have been going really well and we have been warmly received here in the city. It is strange that such gifts as new friendships and creative collaborations that feel so good and great shows and other blessings can occur as my family transitions into a new reality but this is life and it is so much more than I will ever be able to fathom. (Mama, I know you have a hand in this!!)
We have a bunch of new songs to share with you all and we will be returning to perform in the Pacific Northwest later this Spring.
Much love to you all!!!!
PS WE love hearing from you. Drop us a line on the guestlist on the website or e-mail us at sistermonkharem@yahoo.com

It's been a while since we last filled you in on the goings on of the Harem. Well, what can I say...Kathy just got back from a wonderful, very inspiring and all too short, trip to Ireland (there is an old and beautiful magic there that nurtures my soul and leaves me feeling at peace) a brand new CD just released, YEAH!!!!!!!!!, some great gigs coming up, a west coast tour in the works and lots of warm, sunny days here on Whidbey Island with the smell of Fall in the air.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us out with promotion, graphics, and just getting the word out about the band. If anyone out there is interested please contact us either by e-mail (sistermonkharem@yahoo.com) or phone (360) 579 4208. In return for your service we can offer you free merchandise and tickets to shows.
Our new CD is just released and will shortly be available for purchase online.
Enjoy these last few days of summer and hope to see you at the shows!!!

MAY 23, 2002 FolkLife weekend is almost here and we'll have advanced "unofficial" copies of our upcoming CD available for sale. This CD will have 10 of the 13 songs that will be on the upcoming CD. Many great acts will be at FolkLife this weekend. DON"T MISS IT!!!

The website is alive and beginning to take shape. Stay tuned for lots of changes and features.