"Passing: A California Suite" was inspired by the poetry of Los Angeles' first poet-laureate, Eloise Klein-Healy. Each piece is based off of a poem with a similar title, and the overall theme of the entire suite is inspired by "Passing," a poem about the ephemeral beauty of life and the roots that grow deep and outlast generations. The music reflects this in it's heart-wrenching melodies, churning rhythms, and lush textures. It is a deeply emotional journey through the awe-inspiring state of California. The ensemble features Cathlene Pineda’s “unique and thoughtful” compositions, and her lyrical and lush playing, the “extraordinarily inventive” trumpet player Kris Tiner, the “master of subtlety,” percussionist Paul Kikuchi, and bassist David Tranchina, known for his warm sound, solid groove, and melodic solos. Passing These are the days that must happen to you, Mr. Whitman says. And the nights passing in succession like images on film–– old movie star moon filling up each frame then going into hiding. People don’t live long enough to see the end of their experiments. At 24 frames a second it’s soon over–– fireflies in the meadow, games of children flickering in the park. -Eloise Klein-Healy, from "Passing," 2002 “Cathlene Pineda is a sought-after composer and pianist known for her beautifully intimate and heartfelt music” --Ralph Alessi, musician, composer, and creator of the School of Improvised Music. "Cathlene Pineda has the ears, touch and sound of a player decades beyond the date on her license – what a surprise to find that she is at the beginning of her career. Record companies, this is your wake-up call – She’s a player to watch…and a name to remember.” --John Schneider, The Global Village. Cathlene's music has the ability to stand out as a unique and original voice in the jazz world. In 2014, Orenda Records released Cathlene's first album of original compositions, "A Week's Time." Grammy award-winning artist Dave Douglas, creator of Greenleaf Music, calls the album "a personal statement, the originality and good taste of her composing reflect that...Pineda is a great artist who you will want to listen for and get to know," and the Los Angeles Times calls the album "a graceful pleasure." Joe LaBarbara, world renowned member of Bill Evans Trio says that: "A Week's Time" is a "wonderful journey into the world of this fresh and original young musician. Cathlene Pineda and her band perform her new compositions that are unique and thoughtful, but, above all, very enjoyable to listen to." Cathlene strives to incorporate other art forms in her music and connect to the core of the human experience. She has worked with dance companies, as well as puppeteers, animators, and visual artists. Recently she performed and composed a large-scale work with multi-reedist Vinny Golia in collaboration with the dance, animation, and music departments at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts as part of the festival of Indonesian Music and Dance in Jakarta, Indonesia. Other recent projects include a collaboration with the Big Show Dance Company to incorporate original compositions with recorded memories, and a commission to compose a piece for the Jane Goodall Institute. Cathlene has worked with an extensive list of notable musicians and composers, including: Charlie Haden, Bobby Bradford, Ab Baars (From the ICP), Art Lande, Dave Douglas, Ralph Alessi, Wadada Leo Smith, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Kris Tiner, Vinny Golia, and Mark Miller. She is an artist on the Orenda Records label and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their dog, and their son, expected in March of 2016. www.CathlenePineda.com www.orendarecords.com