Kate Wolf - An Evening In Austin
Kate Wolf
An Evening In Austin
1989
Liner Notes
Kate performed on Austin City Limits in 1985 at the height of her career, just a few months before she was diagnosed with acute leukemia. It was her first major television exposure, and a great success. The show was edited for PBS and broadcast frequently the following years. Accompanied by her long-time band members Nina Gerber and Ford James, Kate delivered a strong performance that remained faithful to her Northern California folk style.
The release of "An Evening in Austin" is a continuance of Kate's music. Although she is gone, Kate has left a collection of songs and performances that share innermost thoughts through imagery of life that will be with us for years to come. This concert recording captures Kate's intimate performing style, and we proudly present it as a memorial to her.
Tracks
Listen to 1-minute clips here or full songs on YouTube and Spotify.
Also check out our DVD of the concert!
STILL NEED TO REPLACE AUDIO
Original Liner Notes
Kate performed on Austin City Limits in 1985 at the height of her career, just a few months before she was diagnosed with acute leukemia. It was her first major television exposure, and a great success. The show was edited for PBS and broadcast frequently the following years. Accompanied by her long-time band members Nina Gerber and Ford James, Kate delivered a strong performance that remained faithful to her Northern California folk style.
The release of "An Evening in Austin" is a continuance of Kate's music. Although she is gone, Kate has left a collection of songs and performances that share innermost thoughts through imagery of life that will be with us for years to come. This concert recording captures Kate's intimate performing style, and we proudly present it as a memorial to her.
Credits
Concert Recording: November 1985 Austin City Limits
Executive Producer: Bill Arhos
Concert recording produced by Terry Lickona, directed by Gary Menotti
Audio remix: Nina Gerber and Tom Diamant
Audio engineers: Tim Record and Billy Lee Meyers, Jr.
Color photographs by Scott Newton
Graphic design and production: Beth Weil & Jil Bishop
Musicians
Kate Wolf vocals, guitar
Nina Gerber harmony vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica
Ford James harmony vocals, electric bass
Randy Sabien violin, mandolin
Release History
1989 Owl Productions OWL-005 Video Cassette
1989 Kaleidoscope Records K-36 Soundtrack
1994 Rhino Records 71487
2005 Owl Productions OWL-005 DVD
Review of the An Evening In Austin Video
Folk Roots
By Tony May
What's left to say about Kate and her music? We've exhausted our descriptive powers, sought for new ways to express ourselves, to describe perfection, and have fallen back on our hearts, and her untimely passing ranks alongside Kennedy's assassination in our personal 'Where were you...?' diary. It's incredible to appreciate just how many fans who had never encountered her personally felt deep grief. In my understanding it's quite a rare phenomenon for someone (unlike, say, Elvis) who never attained mega-stardom.
This 75-minute video encapsulates the true essence of Kate's beauty, her spirituality, almost amounting to a C.S. Lewis-like other worldly charm, and what I can only describe as her radiance, singing brilliantly. Before a large Austin audience she conveys a warm intimacy and of course, that most magical of voices is completely spellbinding. The wonderful contributions of Nina Gerber (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and guest Randy Sabien (fiddle, mandolin) provide some dazzling effect picking. The fourteen songs don't include my personal favourites Great Love Of My Life and Safe At Anchor, but are all masterpieces, and of course there's a distressing pathos in hearing near-prophetic songs like These Times We're Living In knowing now that Kate only had a year to go.
A wonderful memento of my number one all-time singer-songwriter. She's irreplaceable, but the video helps a bit.