KATE THE GREAT



I saw a man with a yellow guitar
Standing by the side of the road
Through the steam coming off the tar
Posing like some delta ghost
The sun was rising
It was shining
Halfway to Memphis
Halfway to Tupelo

-K.Campbell, "Yellow Guitar"





I first heard Kate Campbell's music when her press kit landed on my desk in early 2003. Listening to her CD Monuments, I was floored by her seamless shifts between folk, blues, gospel and rock styles. Her voice was soulful, soothing and just twangy enough to reflect her Southern roots.
You've probably never heard of Kate, even though her formidable talents put her on a par with Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris (Emmylou, by the way, sings backup for Kate on the Visions of Plenty CD). She's influenced by legendary women writers such as Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor and Zora Neale Hurston, and her lyrics have a rare literary quality. She's an ace storyteller, pure and simple.
If I've piqued your curiosity and you're in a mood to flesh out ye old music collection, I recommend that you start with Monuments or Rosaryville. I'm also partial to Twang on a Wire, a collection of cover songs on which she rips "Harper Valley P.T.A." a new A-hole.
Also visit www.katecampbell.com, where you can listen to some song samples and see if she's ever touring in your neck of the woods.