Open Mic, Featured Poet Katt Tait and The BIG MONEY SLAM - Poets in this slam will be competing for $100 cash.
Email slam@poetryfestival.org for more details

Actress, Poet, Singer and Performer Extraordinaire Katt Tait grew up in Washington, D.C. surrounded by music. Gospel music was big in her household, as were the sounds of Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, and The Staple Singers. She began singing in church at the age of three and later developed her wide-ranging repertoire as part of a harmonizing quintet, several rock bands, and a jazz band touring and performing numerous dates throughout North America.

As a singer Katt is often compared to Carly Simon and Ella Fitzgerald combined. The former because of the fresh, crisp sound of her voice, the latter due to her ability to simply deliver the lyrics thereby transforming the personality of a song. Her appreciation of music and her fondness of words gives her the ability to interpret lyrics- tell stories through songs. Katt’s simple approach to material and her natural ease in delivery delights audiences whenever she performs.

Her Seattle debut at The Wild Ginger in 1992 cemented her spot in the music scene and soon she was mesmerizing audiences in Seattle’s most noted venues, including Jazz Alley,- the premiere jazz club in the Pacific Northwest- Cafe Sophie, The New Orleans, and the Crepe de Paris (Seattle’s best known cabaret venue). She also created Seattle’s only jam session for singers at Tula’s Jazz Club which became the venue’s mainstay. Katt became the voice in the Pacific Northwest as host of two popular radio shows, “Sunday Side Up” and “Night Moods”, on National Public Radio affiliate KPLU, and delivered inspiring theatrical performances on some of Seattle’s top stages. In 2003 she was cast as a female Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and performed her own work, You’re Looking At Me, a one-woman play based on the life of the great jazz diva, Carmen McRae.

What the Critics Say…

“…There is going to be a demand for what Katt has the ear, sensitivity and talent to give.”
-Doug Ramsey, Author, Jazz Matters: Reflections Of The Music And Some Of Its Makers

Katt will bring poetry, sass, incredible presence and a voice that will move you to our stage - please join us in welcoming her.