Awards, Recognition, & News

 Best New CD - The Sacred Spud
Best Songwriter
Best Folk Music
Runner up Best Vocalist

 

2003 TAMMIES:   BEST CD FOR LOVE IS BEST OF ALL and BEST SONGWRITER
Vol. 20, No. 22
Aug 7, 2003           
 

 

 Click here to read , reknown veteran of Americana folk singers, indie recording pioneer, Glen Canyon activist, and writer RE: the Sacred Spud. 

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"What I have to say is that you just keep writing songs the way you want; you do have your fans. And many of them are plenty smart. And we thank you for having some integrity." Diane Rapaport, author of How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording and Music Business Primer

 

Rhythm & Views - "The Sacred Spud" by Kathleen Williamson By GENE ARMSTRONG. (02-02-2006) TUCSON WEEKLY

Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
A quick glance at the cover of Kathleen Williamson’s The Sacred Spud lends a clue to what’s on her mind: the spud is shaped like a heart. The lead track, “Lookin’ for a Saviour,” is an easy rolling song that evokes a number of early seventies songsmiths, Sandy Denny, for instance, on “Sandy.” Hal Rugg’s pedal steel adds a country tinge, while the vocal harmony inserts an ethereal feel. “Shake the Demon” has a similar laid-back feel, with Williamson unfurling a story of love gone wrong. The song, at six minutes, is rather long, but it works thanks to Williamson’s relaxed delivery and, as with “Lookin’ for a Saviour,” the addition of Lisa Otey’s background vocals. There’s also a clever, upbeat travelogue titled “American Dream” with a nice arrangement of electric guitar, steel, piano, and accordion.  These songs, however, are just one of The Sacred Spud’s many approaches. There are folk songs, like “Good Ole’ Fashioned UnAmericana,” a tribute to being unfashionable and non-commercial, and “My Hometown,” a contemporary protest song. There are also a number of blues, including “Don’t Make a Scene, Kathleen” and “Brother Can You Spare Ten Bucks.”  Williamson has crafted several fine songs on The Sacred Spud, highlighted by tasteful arrangements and a solid production, and the album should appeal to those who appreciate eclectic singer-songwriters.  
 

    

 Tucson Daily Star Article by Cathalena Burch
October 20, 2005  Former Tucsonan Doesn't Ignore Muse. 
New CD, Sacred Spud =  "neo-traditional glory"

 

 ASCAPlus Award
2005 and 2004
 - American Society of Composers and Publishers

The ASCAPlus is a cash award granted by ASCAP to support and encourage writers of serious music. The award is made by an independent panel of music scholars and professionals. It is based on the unique prestige value of each writer's catalog of original compositions and works performed substantially in media not typically surveyed by ASCAP.

 

2003 Champions of the Arizona Blues Showdown:  
Kathleen Williamson  & Lisa Otey
(solo/duo division) sponsored by the Phoenix Blues Society and the Tucson Blues Society

 

Blending music from around the world
Reviewer: Melesa Hamer - Flagstaff Live
Hints of Eastern Music lull the listener into a hypnotically groovy trance. Old-school blues remind you of a smoky backroom jazz club where Duke Ellington might once have sung. Subtle hints of hip-hop get you shaking to the beat. What performer could hit all these different styles and blend them so seamlessly together? Kathleen Williamson. It is a complex background of influences and styles which lends Williamson’s set list such amazing diversity. Williamson’s style is so broad across the spectrum of genres there’s bound to be something everyone loves. Her new CD, “Love is Best of All,” features 10 incredible originals. It reflects her vast world experiences and eclectic musical expressions.

SING OUT! MAGAZINE FALL 03--"Combining world mysticism, soul, and jazz, Kathleen Williamson brings a new relevance to the word "eclectic." The title track harks back to George Harrison's sitar-tinged work; 'Secret Song' recalls Astrud Gilberto; and 'Big Deal Small Talk' combines funky guitar and rap. Love may be best of all, but genre hopping is lots of fun, too."

See Fitz's cartoons in the Arizona Daily Star

 

...Her ability as a writer and the overall intelligence of pieces like "I Can See a New View" will convince many to keep listening... Love Is Best of All will also appeal to singer/songwriter aficionados bored by the typical product. ~
Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide

 

Reviewer: Fred DELFORGE, ZicaZic E-zine, France  
Difficile de faire bref quand on parle de Kathleen Williamson tant la dame force le respect … Avant tout, parce qu'elle est une des rares américaines à manger des escargots et à les aimer, mais surtout parce que c'est une formidable chanteuse qui laisse passer une foule d'émotion dans ses compositions. Aux côtés de l'artiste, on retrouve la fabuleuse Lisa Otey au piano, John Westfall à la batterie et Ed Friedland à la basse mais aussi une foule d'intervenants ponctuels. Enregistré et mixé à Tucson, Arizona, par Lisa Otey et Kathleen Williamson elle-même, " Love is the best of all " se veut une ode à la diversité des genres, faisant la part belle tant au blues et au jazz qu'à la musique orientale … Un exemple de musiques du monde un tantinet différent de ce qu'on a l'habitude de rencontrer au détour de nos platines. _Les connotations asiatiques du titre générique de l'album combleront d'entrée de jeu les amateurs de sonorités chaudes et subtiles. Les fans de morceaux langoureux et poignants craqueront à l'écoute de " I can see the new view ", " Didn't know what I was in for " ou " An hour to Maggie " tandis que les fondus de prouesses linguistiques s'extasieront au son des " Big deal small talk " et autres " Jazz fiesta show ". Il y en a pour tout le monde chez Kathleen Williamson et on assiste même à de fabuleux passages de blues rap ou à des envolées dignes des chevauchées épiques du far west … Les racines irlandaises de la chanteuse font régulièrement surface et une chose est certaine, on a pas fini de chercher à s'approprier l'album en cherchant si tout compte fait s'il ne serait pas plus jazz que blues ou plus celte que folk. Et si tout le monde s'accordait le plus simplement du monde à voir en " Love is the best of all " un excellent album tous styles confondus ? Fred DELFORGE - 21 Decembre 2002, http://www.zicazic.com

 

Kevin Smith, Arizona Daily Star

Ice Cube and Joni Mitchell. If you think that's an odd pairing, you haven't heard Kathleen Williamson's music.Williamson, who will be playing Javalinas Saturday, has influences, such as Ice Cube's old rap group N.W.A. and Mitchell, as varied as her musical stylings.

She said she's been in a songwriting "frenzy" in the past year for her forthcoming Americana and Roots-tinged album, "The Sacred Spud." The title refers to a "magic potato" that grew in her kitchen and ended up resembling the Sacred Heart. Coincidentally, much of the album's content explores spirituality in America and the current political climate, William-son said. She said she has matured enough as a songwriter to know that when she finds an inspirational muse, she should focus on it as long as she can. Previously, she said, she was more prone to push the inspiration aside until she had more free time. Downtime might seem hard to come by in Williamson's world, where her other full-time job is as half of the Tucson law firm Williamson and Young P.C. She moved to Tucson around 1986 to attend the University of Arizona and graduated with a degree in law and anthropology. She will be furthering her law education this fall, focusing on intellectual property in entertainment law, at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in her hometown of New York. ...

 

Reviewer: Scott Barker, Tucson Lifestyle, March 2003
It's easy to run out of superlatives trying to describe Kathleen Williamson. She's as smart as a room full of Nobel Laureates, has a sly sense of humor, and is an uncommonly talented musician/singer/songwriter. She also loves to stretch her boundaries, which is one of the things that makes her new CD -- Love is Best of All (Owl's Nest Productions) -- so much fun. Williamson moves effortlessly between song styles on this album, working in genres as diverse as smooth jazz ("Secret Song"), Eastern ("Love is Best of All"), country ("The Stars Draw Near"), and gently rockin' blues ("I Didn't Know What I Was In For"). Her core band includes pianist/vocalist Lisa Otey, drummer Jon Westfall, and bassist Ed Friedland. They're joined by everyone from Pete Fine on sitar to the Tucson Symphony Orchestra String Quartet to Hurricane Carla Brownlee on flute and sax. The disc was recorded, engineered and mastered by the multitalented Jim Brady, and the cool portrait photos are by Deb Whalen.

 

Love is Best of All is a Triumph for Williamson
Reviewer: Gene Armstrong of the Tucson Weekly
Love Is Best of All, Kathleen Williamson. Owl’s Nest Productions. The primary strength of this album is its stylistic diversity. Listening to its combination of folk, country, pop, jazz, novelty and blues, listeners may feel that they are stuck in the corner of a comfy pub with the coolest jukebox in town. Better still is that many of Kathleen Williamson’s songs, which frankly are too sophisticated and complex to become Top 40 hits, take on new and deeper meaning on repeated listening. Throughout the CD, the core band – pianist Lisa Otey, drummer John Westfall and bassist Ed Friedland – does a marvelous job of creating and evoking a variety of moods and settings. The album starts out with a welcome surprise – the Indian-inflected title track, which is backed by local group Sanjaya (Pete Fine, sitar; Todd Hammes, tabla; Stefin Gordon, tamboura). Against this tapestry, Williamson weaves a mantra-like, impressionistic chant that isn’t so much a pop song as it is a tone poem about the “cornucopia” that is a life filled with love. Sweet-tempered cocktail jazz with a Brazilian lilt is the vehicle for the sultry “Secret Song.” Guitarist Ed Delucia shines here, as he does throughout. Jazz is further explored in a whimsical fashion on “Jazz Fiesta Show,” a high-energy romp – composed for a jazz festival, in fact – that name-checks bundles of classic jazz tunes. What could have been a throwaway novelty has become a joyful, unself-conscious celebration and some pretty cool abstract poetry: “’Round midnight, scotch and soda / Takin’ five, when Sonny gets the blues / Nefertiti, Mr. PC, freedom jazz dance, since I fell for you.” Then comes time for the rapping. No, that’s not a typo, Williamson does a “suave” mumbling sort of rap over the funky “Big Deal Small Talk,” a hilarious rumination on those empty conversations of meaningless chatter and the empty people who inhabit them. Although the music bops and rolls, it also is infused by Lisa Otey’s salsa-style piano playing. Her rap flow is even more convincing on “I Can’t Make a Livin’ Lovin’ You,” an exploration of lower-socioeconomic realities that balances blues and hip-hop, as well as featuring potent saxophone and flute by Hurricane Carla Brownlee. “The Stars Draw Near” is a jaunty, ambitious track that is ostensibly a Western tune, but evolves into something greater. While Williamson adopts a sweet, slightly updated version of an Appalachian vocal melody, it’s filled with cool guest stars, most notably music-biz veteran Hall Rugg, who contributes pedal steel and Dobro, as well as the fabulous Rosano Triplets on horns. This impeccably crafted work explores in beautiful symbolism a longtime love and the forces that strive to divide it. And there’s a subversive musicological element in the way Williamson throws into the break a German polka followed by a mariachi interlude, eventually bringing the two styles together in a rollicking finish. “I Can See the New View,” an example of restrained, awe-filled Americana, juxtaposes the immigrant experience with the aftermath of 9/11. Beautiful, warm melodies make the perfect couch for Williamson’s dusky alto. Love is Best of All is a triumph for Williamson. -- Gene Armstrong

 

Olvidando los malos momentos  Santos Suárez, DJ at Radio Carcoma 107.9 FM, Madrid
NO TE ECHES LA SIESTA radio show
Como reza el título "Love is best of all"(el amor es lo mejor de todo), en tiempos de distorsión social lo mejor es refugiarse en el amor. Kathleen nos ofrece un repertorio que va desde las influencias de George Harrison hasta el rap, pasando por el blues,country, hot-jazz y la canción lenta. Especialmente destacable la canción "I can See The New View" (merecedora de cualquier tipo de premio) que nos anima a reconstruir un mundo que se derrumba. Canciones para reir, llorar, soñar y bailar, con una estupenda producción y acompañada de grandes músicos interpretando un repertorio elaborado por Kathleen que recoge la evolución del mundo de la música en USA en las últimas décadas. Comprar el cd y tendréis un compendio de estilos musicales fabulosamente interpretados por una mujer que lleva la música en las venas.