Kate Wolf
Looking Back At You
1994

Original Liner Notes

There was a story that Kate would often tell her audience when we had the opportunity to perform together. It concerned our first meeting at an outdoor concert in Sonoma County in 1974. According to her, I was wearing a Donald Duck hat at the time. She told this story year after year. For my part, I don't remember ever wearing such a hat but the audience liked the story, or at least the way Kate told it, and I eventually gave up trying to convince that it was any other way.

Kate had an amazing way of tying things together, not only in her songs, but in her life as well, so it came as no great surprise when a package addressed to me arrived two weeks before she entered the hospital for treatment in her fight against leukemia. The note said "Thanks, Bill." The box contained. . . a Donald Duck hat!

Tying things together is an art. Kate set the standard as far as I'm concerned. This collection of her early work is an attempt at tying some things together myself, and hopefully I'll balance the scale a bit in the process.

It reflects Kate in the days when the stage truly was her kitchen in the old house on Dutton Avenue, and the audience her friends gathered therein. It reflects her music in the days before I was asked to arrange it for her recordings. It reflects my desire to share Kate in the pure folk tradition from which she came, including her versions of songs by some of her favorite writers and stories about her own songs. To share Kate's obvious joy in her work. Most of all her laugh.

My heartfelt thanks to the folks at McCabe's Guitar Shop and to Howard and Roz Larman for having the vision to produce these recordings and the thoughtfulness to make them available.

Bill Griffin
June 25, 1990

Musicians

Kate Wolf  vocals, guitar
Don Coffin   guitar, vocals
Nina Gerber   guitar, harmonica
Don Lange   guitar, vocals