cat sank trio

About Catsank : Our History

One afternoon in 2002, Crystal Jensen started singing along with some doo-wop music playing at her friend Terry Ruud’s apartment. Terry was blown away by her great singing, and by how someone so young could know so many old tunes. The two sang some songs just for the fun of it, with Terry’s acoustic guitar accompaniment, and were so energized by the sound that they decided to add Steve Marquart, another vocalist/guitar player who—along with the other two—was working on an MFA at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

They began rehearsing, recording and playing regularly, taking an “acoustic/ eclectic” approach—”deep” album cuts, forgotten hits, originals, songs by off-the-beaten-path artists, and three-part vocal/two guitar arrangements of alternative tunes that most bands/groups don’t do—so they wouldn’t be pigeon-holed into a specific genre other than three-part vocal/two guitars. Crystal started mastering the penny whistle, to add another dimension, and the trio added percussionist Mike “Fanks” Semanko to keep the three in line.

Local poet and friend Kevin Zepper worked the band into coffee shop poetry readings in Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Minneapolis, and the word started getting around. After playing just a few shows (and knowing only a few tunes) the trio started a weekly two-year stint at the now-defunct Red Bear Grill and Supper Club, and—more recently—has also been playing semi-regularly at the Cork and Cleaver in Fargo, and the Speedway in Dilworth.

They’re a happy little trio of four, playing songs that one doesn’t hear every day but including some not heard in years, and they have played engagements ranging from Moose Fest in Karlstad, MN, to opening for the Mammals at Ralph’s Corner Bar, from political conventions to Halloween at Fargo’s Spirit Room. The Cat Sank Trio has also been honored with the title of Official Band of New Rivers Press (MSUM’s publishing company), as declared by Dr. Alan Davis.

They have recorded one vanity CD—”The Bean Project”—have begun recording a CD of cover tunes, and hope to do a CD of original tunes, if they can somehow find the time.