THE NEWSFILE

July 4, 2010


Cartoon Johnny has been busy in the studio working on an upcoming Christmas release, but took a break to record our version of "America the Beautiful," released as a free download today!

The track was recorded for premiere on the Mouth Off! podcast and is featured in the July 4th segment by contributor Catherine Lewis about the song's history. Thanks to Deke Sharon for the arrangement, and Freddie Feldman of Vocomotion for the great mix!

March 8, 2009


After a busy few months, including a great holiday season, Cartoon Johnny came out full force at the 2009 New York Harmony Sweepstakes. The group went home with first-place honors, as well as the coveted Audience Favorite award.

The evening was one great performance after another. Other awards included:
2nd Place: Rub
3rd Place: Classic Sounds
Best Original Arrangement: "Damaged" Arr. Nick Fox - Kelso
Best Original Song: "We Rub" - John McMahon - Rub
Best Solo: "At Last" - Julie Seda - Classic Sounds

"This means so much to us, especially for me, since NYC is my hometown!" said Malcolm Lee. This was Cartoon Johnny's first win after Malcolm joined the group in 2007. Cartoon Johnny took 2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Sweeps in 2008.

Cartoon Johnny will go on to represent New York in the 2009 Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals, May 16, in San Rafael, CA. Details...

March 1, 2009


Cartoon Johnny's "Power Up" now available at Singers.com, and sits at #14 on their Best Sellers list as of March 1. The album review: "Cartoon Johnny has a full, rich sound with wonderful vocal percussion, faux instruments and effects than make us check the liner notes for the reassuring 'All sounds heard on this recording were generated by the human voice or body,' which is of course there. Every cut here is a winner, and 'Power Up' is one of the best Contemporary recordings we've reviewed this year!"

More here...

May 23, 2008


The Washington Post calls Cartoon Johnny's new CD, Power Up "the work of a group at the top of its game, with the vocal power and precision that come from years of harmonizing together."

Read the full review and then get your copy in our store!

May 19, 2008


Cartoon Johnny is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the new CD, "Power Up!" Featuring five original songs and six of our favorite covers, the CD is a collection showcasing the unique Cartoon Johnny sound.

"It took a little longer than we hoped, but we are really proud of the product," said Cartoon Johnny's Kieran Daly. "The recording process allowed us to get a little more creative with the arrangements on some of the pieces. Mike did a great job on his tracks."

Cartoon Johnny's own Mike Henrickson mixed eight of the 11 tracks on the album, including the five original songs he also penned. A Cappella mix-master Bill Hare worked his magic on two of the tracks, and Freddie Feldman of VOCOMOTION lent his talents to the group's cover of Sting's "If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)." The complete track listing:

1 - Let's Groove (sample)
2 - More Like You (sample)
3 - Rock Your Body (sample)
4 - Love Will Decide (sample)
5 - Walking on Sunshine (sample)
6 - When Will You Come Home (sample)
7 - Walked Away (sample)
8 - If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free) (sample)
9 - What I Want (sample)
10 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered (sample)
11 - Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning (sample)

The album will be available for the first time on May 28th during the official CD release show at Jammin Java. See the calendar for details, and get your tickets today!

April 6, 2008


Cartoon Johnny took 1st Runner-Up honors, as well as Best Original Arrangement for their version of Josh Kelly's "Only You" in the Harmony Sweepstakes Mid-Atlantic competition at The Birchmere on Saturday, April 5.

"We had a blast," said Cartoon Johnny's bass, Kevin Dixon. "The reaction to the new material was great. We couldn't have asked for a better response from the audience." The group debuted three new arrangements, including the award-winning "Only You," Rascal Flatts' "Bless The Broken Road," and Sting's "If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)."

German contestants Vocaldente took first place, and will represent the Mid-Atlantic region at the finals in early May. Local group Skyline took 3rd place in their first appearance at Harmony Sweeps.

"What was so great about this year's show was all of the local talent! Almost all of the groups were from the DC area," said soprano Darcy Romano.

Cartoon Johnny thanks all of their fans for the amazing support, and thanks show producer Ted Donat, the entire Harmony Sweepstakes staff, and the Birchmere for another great, sold-out show!

March 31, 2008


Cartoon Johnny makes another run in the Harmony Sweepstakes Mid-Atlantic competition at The Birchmere on Saturday, April 5. CJ took first place in 2005 at the regional and hopes to repeat that honor with their first appearance in the competition in three years.

"We really just want to do a great show," said tenor Kieran Daly. "We're doing three new songs in the competition. Kinda crazy, but we just wanted to put out some new music for our loyal fans. And it's such a great show to be a part of. We're glad to be back on the Sweeps stage!"

Malcolm Lee has been with the group for just over a year, and this marks his first appearance in the competition. "I've been looking forward to this for months! We got a taste of the great talent out there at the East Coast Summit, and I can't wait to hear the other groups."

This year's show will be hosted by last year's Mid-Atlantic champions, DoubleShot, and features 8 other competitors: Downtown, Euphonism, Skyline, Stu-dio Singers, Tonic & Gin, Top of the Seventh, Venus d Minor, and Vocaldente.

For more details about this MUST-SEE event, check the calendar.

February 2, 2008


On Saturday, February 9, Cartoon Johnny will be "Singing Out for Shelter," along with Augmented 8, Tonic & Gin, and the Yale Wiffenpoofs. We will be participating in the 16th annual concert which benefits the homeless. Details on our calendar.

November 23, 2007


Cartoon Johnny will be celebrating the holiday season in several special performances. Join us!

First, we'll be singing in the National Symphony Orchestra's "Happy Holidays" Pops Concerts, December 13-16 at The Kennedy Center. The NSO will be under the direction of Marvin Hamlisch, who also hand-picked a couple of holiday tunes for Cartoon Johnny to sing during the concerts. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season. Tickets are almost sold out for Friday and Saturday, so get yours ASAP! Details...

We'll also be spending New Year's Eve in Hazleton, PA at First Night Hazleton! The event features fun for the whole family, and marks our first performance in the state of Pennsylvania. Hope to see you there. Details on our calendar.

May 29, 2007


NBC4.com caught us Jammin' Java and posted a very nice review. Check it out...

April 24 , 2007


So much has been happening in the Cartoon Johnny universe! Time for a long overdue update.

We had to say goodbye to our bass Mike Webb at the end of 2006 as he dedicated more of his time to other opportunities. After 4 months of meeting some great people through the audition process, Cartoon Johnny has welcomed Malcolm Lee into the group!

Who is this guy? Well, come meet him at his first show with Cartoon Johnny on Tuesday, May 15 at Jammin' Java! We'll be singing with DC Vocals that night, details to follow soon! We'll also be adding his bio to the site soon so you can get to know him just as well as the rest of us.

But that's not the only addition to the family. Cartoon Johnny's Darcy Romano gave birth to her first child, daughter Taylor Ashton Bailey on March 26, 2007! She and husband Rodney are enjoying their new little girl while we get Malcolm up to speed on the music. Taylor has already joined us in rehearsal too, and she really seems to enjoy her mother's music!

So all this means we have shifted focus a little. The cd has been on hold for a few months, but when it's done, you'll get to hear some favorites recorded with Webb, as well as new tracks recorded with Malcolm. It's really a win-win.

We can't wait to spring the new stuff on ya. In the meantime, feel free to welcome Malcolm with your email greetings!

January 28 , 2007


Cartoon Johnny, 2005 Harmony Sweepstakes National Finalist, is still hearing candidates in our search for a new vocalist. Basses, tenors and females with great stage presence are all invited to audition.

We're especially interested in finding a new bass. Candidates should have a strong low range, excellent stage presence, and a love of performing.

In addition, we are searching for another tenor or a second female vocalist. Candidates should have a strong, versatile solo voice, and be able to blend seamlessly into backgrounds. Excellent stage presence is a must.

Time commitment is generally one rehearsal per week with performances averaging one per month.  Performances are generally paid.

Auditions by appointment on January 31 and on a rolling basis. Please contact Mike by email at <mike [at] cartoonjohnny [dot] com>, or by phone at 703-314-5519 to schedule your audition.  

November 10 , 2006


Cartoon Johnny, 2005 Harmony Sweepstakes National Finalist, is still hearing candidates in our search for a new bass vocalist. Candidates should have a strong low range, excellent stage presence, and a love of performing.

In addition, we are searching for a second female vocalist. Candidates should have a strong, versatile solo voice, and be able to blend seamlessly into backgrounds. Excellent stage presence is a must.

Time commitment is generally one rehearsal per week with performances averaging one per month.  Performances are generally paid.

Auditions by appointment November 15 and 16 in Arlington, Virginia. Please contact Mike by email at <mike [at] cartoonjohnny [dot] com>, to schedule your audition.  

August 23, 2006


So it takes a lot of hard work to make a cd -- at least the kind of cd we're trying to make. And as mixing contiues, we get more and more excited and feel certain fans will like what they are going to hear. There is no set release date yet, but as we get closer, we'll start sharing some preview clips. In the meantime, you can hear some of the news songs by catching us at one of our upcoming shows.

March 22, 2006


The 2006 Harmony Sweepstakes Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition is around the corner, and Cartoon Johnny will be there to host this year's event. Joining is for the show is former member Evan Edwards, who will be returning for this performance to sing bass. We'll miss Webb for this performance, but if you're an Evan fan, here's your chance to see him again!

Pick up your tickets before the event is sold out! Order here.

March 20, 2006


Work on the new CD is in full swing. It's taken us longer than we'd like, but the extra time will pay off. Trust us! The new disc is set to include 12 tracks, including a cover of Phil Collins's "Why Can't it Wait Til Morning."

"It's a rare gem that not a lot of people are familiar with," said CJ's tenor, Kieran Daly. "I brought it to the group last year when we were considering new pieces for Sweeps, and Henrickson put together a great arrangement. I can't wait for people to hear it."

The new disc will also feature a bunch of new originals, including a funky upbeat track called "Love Will Decide", with leads by Kevin, and "More Like You," featuring leads by Darcy. Both were written by Mike Henrickson, who also sings lead on the original track "Walked Away." Webb and Ben supply the bass and beats as usual.

The disc will also feature the groups award-winning arrangement of the Stevie Wonder classic, "Signed, Sealed Delivered," Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body" and a cover of an Earth Wind and Fire classic to be unveiled at the 2006 Mid Atlantic Harmony Sweeps.

Keep up with the latest on the new cd, including the official release date to be anounced here soon, along with sound clips we'll be posting as the mixes are completed, and details about an upcoming CD release show which will feature exclusive give aways!

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