Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf

Kate's "Red Tailed Hawk" will always be inscribed on my brain its beauty its realness, its aptness, and the reality of the golden rolling hills of California. So perfect and beautiful even though I never had a tape or LP or a CD of it until 12 years after it came out, until after we lost Kate. Still its power comes to me as it did on an old radio sitting in an Oakland apartment, the signal fighting its way all the way up from KFAT ("because we need the bucks) down in Gilroy.

The vision of California that Kate weaves on all her records is preciseless, unique real, and a treasure even if much of it is sweeten myth.

I feel so bad that I lived in San Fransisco and Oakland and travelled up and down California and the West Coast in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Kate was doing her best work and only saw her sing once. There was something to her voice that gets through to me, something pure. Part of Kate's magic is the superb arrangements and backup that got from the musical genius Nina Gerber her main accompaniest. Nina is now out there solo alot. If you like guitar and this kind music check out Nina too.
Oh Kate, why didn't we realize how much of a golden treasure you were when you were among us. In her memory think of a performer you might miss like we all miss Kate--well that isnt fair because thats a big ideal to measure up to--how about someone you would miss half or a quarter as much as I miss Kate, and make sure you go see them while you can, and maybe bring a friend, bring two. How about going to see everyone on this record who is touring and ask them to do a Kate Wolf song, or better, ask them to do whatever song Kate liked them to play for her.