posted June 6, 2010

“A literate songsmith who’s as satisfying as barbeque and sweet tea.”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“I can’t think of many Nashville troubadours whose albums I look forward to more eagerly than Kate Campbell’s. You need this woman’s music in your life.”
MUSIC ROW MAGAZINE

“With a literate eye for detail and metaphor, Campbell weaves her country-folk tales like a masterly storyteller.”
MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL

“Possessed of the Lyrical grasp of Lucinda Williams and the eloquent vocal timbre of Emmylou Harris, she is a major talent.”
TIME OUT

“Discovering this country/folk artist is like finding a sparkling diamond in a pile of coal.”
TOLEDO BLADE

Since making her recording debut in 1995 with the heart-rending Songs From The Levee, singer/songwriter Kate Campbell has since put together a body of work matched only (perhaps) by Emmylou in consistency, Lucinda Williams in terms of pure, wrenching, honest self-examination and self-revelation and no one for its sheer display of broad-based, intimate artfulness.    While doing so, she has managed to include the likes of Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Maura O’Connell, Buddy Miller and the heart of the Muscle Shoals classic soul and R&B hit-making machine as both admirers and collaborators in her distinctly literate musical vision.

Her endearing, clear-water vocal delivery, eloquent gift for storytelling (which has drawn repeated comparisons to such bastions of the Southern writing tradition as Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welty and William Faulkner) and easy command of a full-range of American music styles, have combined to earn Campbell recognition as a formidable talent by critics, musicians and a discerning public. Kate's sublime Moonpie Dreams (1997) and Visions Of Plenty (1998) each garnered "Folk Album Of The Year" nominations from the Nashville Music Awards (as well as enthusiastic airplay by Triple- A, folk and Americana stations), while the southern-folk tinged Rosaryville (1999) and the gospel flavored Wandering Strange (2001) extended the upward-bound arc.

On Monuments, Kate’s musical vision combined and extended these influences into a sound that is both rootsy and contemporary. Twang On A Wire followed close behind and paid homage to the 1970's Nashville female country singer-songwriters who inspired Kate as a teenager when she began writing songs and playing the guitar. The Portable Kate Campbell and Sing Me Out offered new renditions of Kate’s earlier songs albeit with fresh and innovative arrangements. Blues And Lamentations encapsulates the musical under-story heard in all of Kate’s music – a form of blues that mines the veins of country, folk, gospel and pop. Each of Kate's albums is a singular, distinctive and incomparable slice of music from one of the most unique artists recording today.

With her compassionate tone and sometimes-quirky approach, Kate Campbell has made a musical niche for herself telling stories exploring the complex topics of race, religion, history and human relationships. It continues with her latest offering, Save the Day. The new project also includes shades of Kate's entire musical history -- running the gamut from R&B and pop rhythms to gospel, country and folk sounds.

Campbell has played - and wowed - the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival (England), Merlefest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Port Fairy Folk Festival (Australia), been featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Live From Mountain Stage, and had her story (and haunting song "When Panthers Roamed In Arkansas") included in the debut issue of The Oxford American's ultra-hip Southern Music series. An interview with Kate (along with Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Nanci Griffith and others) also appeared in the fascinating book Solo: Women Singer- Songwriters In Their Own Words.

As the daughter of a Baptist preacher from Sledge, Mississippi, Kate's formative years were spent in the very core of the civil rights movement of the 1960's, and the indelible experiences of those years have shaped her heart, character and convictions ever since. As a child of the South, her musical tastes were forged in the dampered, smoky fires of soul, R&B, Southern rock, country, and folk music.

Kate Campbell’s music continues to inspire and enthuse a growing audience. Ballet Memphis featured songs from each of Campbell’s six CDs as well as a live performance by Kate and band at a ballet entitled South Of Everywhere. Campbell continues to impress audiences across the US and overseas and tours extensively in support of her CDs including tours to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.

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Find out more and listen to Kate Campbell... www.katecampbell.com

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Kate Campbell in concert, Friday, October 15 • 8:00 p.m. • at First Baptist Church, 133 South Main Street

Tickets: $15 adults, $8 students

Our 2010-11 Season Ticket will be available soon. Check our Tickets page for details.

posted March 4, 2010

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