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The Lonesome Chronicles, Kathy’s 23rd album and the Kathy Kallick Band’s 7th, was released in late October.
The Folk Alliance International Radio Charts had them at #2 (Top Artists), #3 (Top Albums), and #5 (Top Songs - “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio”). The album, band, and a second song (“It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go”) spent several months in Top 5 of the FAI charts ... which is unprecedented for a bluegrass album!
“It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go” is currently #13 on the National Bluegrass Survey (Bluegrass Unlimited chart), where the album spent six months.
The Lonesome Chronicles was part of 2023’s Top 10 for many bluegrass/old time/folk DJs around the world; songs from The Lonesome Chronicles have been played on more than 250 radio programs and stations, and the reviews have been, as usual, excellent.
Donald Teplyske (Fervor Coulee) writes:
The release of The Lonesome Chronicles marks Kathy Kallick’s 40th year as a bluegrass recording artist. As its title suggests, The Lonesome Chronicles focuses on the ‘lonesome’ theme of bluegrass which, along with murder, moonshine, and Mama forms the classic bluegrass quadrant. Now, being bluegrass, the tone, timbre, and tempo of the songs frequently betray the songs’ true intent and theme, so one needs to attend to the lyrics to ensure one isn’t grooving too hard with too much of a grin to a plum pitiful tale.
The first half of The Lonesome Chronicles does nothing to disguise its theme with ‘lonesome’ being in each of the song titles. The pandemic influenced a few of these songs, lyrically in “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio,” “It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go,” and a harmony-rich take of The Osborne Brothers’ “A Lonesome Feeling;” this is a highlight of the album, with fiddler Annie Staninec and Kallick’s voices providing the emotional gravitas befitting the song.
Another vocal harmony highlight occurs when we encounter the 19th Century hymn, “A Beautiful Life.” Kallick’s lead is complemented by her bandmates with either of Greg Booth or Tom Bekeny seamlessly popping up to take the fore position. It is a masterclass in vocal precision and fluidity.
Kallick injects lightness into her albums — remember, this is the songwriter of “Use a Napkin (Not Your Mom)” — and “25 Chickens” and “The Weather Song” provide topical levity without drifting toward novelty. “I’m Gonna Miss This House” is thematically heavier, while Tony Rice and more personal loses are remembered within the original “This Old Lonesome Song.” John Prine’s “Souvenirs” (circling back to Kallick’s Chicago coffeehouse days) is ideally presented with a bluegrass treatment featuring Booth’s Dobro and Staninec’s fiddle.
As required, instrumentally the musicians shine. They cut loose to conclude “25 Chickens,” and Booth showcases his Dobro throughout, including on his own “Lonesome Dobro Blues” and a delightful reworking of Earl Scruggs’ “Foggy Mountain Chimes.” Staninec provides complementing fiddling, especially on “Never Been So Lonesome” (a Bekeny lead) and “Roscoe Got the Rabbit,” a tune on which Cary Black’s deep notes are appreciated; Black also adds dark touches to “I’m Gonna Miss This House.” Bekeny provides a ‘joyful romp’ to conclude this album of lonesomeness with “Reunion.”
It is always a pleasure to listen to and write about a new Kathy Kallick Band release. The care that goes into their albums is apparent. The Lonesome Chronicles is no exception—14 tracks of bluegrass perfection.
Kathy's (except where indicated) notes on the songs ...
1. It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go (Kathy Kallick)
In the style of the Delmore Brothers, we're addressing a sad and lonesome experience in an upbeat and bluesy way.
2. Just Lonesome Ol' Me and the Radio (Kathy KallickI)
In that bizarre time of lockdown, we all looked for ways to connect to other people, and have a feeling of sharing time, being together. My dear friend, Gene Tortora, and I started having a Saturday evening date listening to Peter Thompson's Bluegrass Signal on KALW radio. We'd tune in together, in our separate places, and listen, commenting to each other via email, text, or calling on the phone. It made us feel like we were having a little party!
3. A Lonesome Feeling (Billy Henson)
In the same vein as the radio, Annie and her partner John Kael started presenting a livestream concert every week, which became a kind of touchstone for so many people. Folks tuned in and listened, played along, made hilarious comments; the audience became international with at least one fella setting his alarm to wake up at 3 am and watch. I saw Annie sing this one from the Osborne Brothers, and said: Oh, yeah, this is the theme of the new album.
4. Lonesome Dobro Blues (Greg Booth)
Greg: Kathy said to Greg, "Hey, wanna write a tune for this album? Something about lonesome?" Greg said, "Sure, here ya go. I’ve got an arrangement of ‘Lonesome Fiddle Blues’ in Cm, we’ll call it ‘Lonesome Dobro Blues.’" Kathy said, “Not so fast, Buckaroo, you mess around with it, you’ll come up with something different.” After Greg was finished, not much remained of the original tune other than the first pickup notes, and the whole band added creative and tasty licks to the new composition.
5. This Old Lonesome Song (Kathy Kallick)
When Tony Rice passed away during the first year of the pandemic, the sorrow was colossal. It was universal for the music community, but there were private and personal losses as well, and this song grew out of the intimate and shared sense of absence.
6. Never Been So Lonesome (Ted Lundy, Fred Hannah, Sam Humphrey; additional lyrics: Tom Bekeny & Kathy Kallick)
A classic learned from the Paisley-Lundy clan(s) with a few rewritten lyrics to tune it in to this very time.
7. Roscoe Got the Rabbit (Dennis Robert Fetchet)
Annie: This fiddle tune was written concerning a gentleman, a VW, and a gig. We hope you enjoy this tune as much as we enjoyed recording it! If you're curious about the rest of the story, see elsewhere on this site (or come to a show), where all will be revealed.
8. 25 Chickens (Kathy Kallick)
There really were 25 baby chickens; well, some of them turned out to be turkeys.
9. The Weather Song (Kathy Kallick)
Some may think this song is full of hyperbole, but it's pretty dang real. Particularly the parts about the bats and the buck deer.
10. A Beautiful Life (William M. Golden)
A favorite forever and one that always makes a person feel better. It's got the Golden Rule, social justice, old time religion, and those beautiful harmony parts. We need all that.
11. Foggy Mountain Chimes (Earl Scruggs)
Greg: I’m somewhat familiar with open D tuning on the banjo and the fabulous tunes Earl Scruggs played using his Scruggs Pegs to bend notes and go between G and D tuning. It dawned on me that I could do that with my new “joystick,” the precision tailpiece made by HipShot called the DoubleShot. I believe this is the first time any instrument besides the banjo has played the chimes like Earl did in this song, and they ring out full and strong on the dobro; the third time even has those chimes in stereo!
12. Souvenirs (John Prine)
There are so many wonderful John Prine songs, and he's one of Kathy's big influences in life. His songs are so good at making us laugh and cry all inside of three minutes. This one resonates like a big ol' bell.
13. I'm Gonna Miss This House (Kathy Kallick)
This one inspires people to ask Kathy if she's moving out of her home. Her answer is: feet first, baby.
14. Reunion (Tom Bekeny)
Tom: A joyful romp reflecting the end of all that lonesomeness.
The Folk Alliance International Radio Charts had them at #2 (Top Artists), #3 (Top Albums), and #5 (Top Songs - “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio”). The album, band, and a second song (“It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go”) spent several months in Top 5 of the FAI charts ... which is unprecedented for a bluegrass album!
“It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go” is currently #13 on the National Bluegrass Survey (Bluegrass Unlimited chart), where the album spent six months.
The Lonesome Chronicles was part of 2023’s Top 10 for many bluegrass/old time/folk DJs around the world; songs from The Lonesome Chronicles have been played on more than 250 radio programs and stations, and the reviews have been, as usual, excellent.
Donald Teplyske (Fervor Coulee) writes:
The release of The Lonesome Chronicles marks Kathy Kallick’s 40th year as a bluegrass recording artist. As its title suggests, The Lonesome Chronicles focuses on the ‘lonesome’ theme of bluegrass which, along with murder, moonshine, and Mama forms the classic bluegrass quadrant. Now, being bluegrass, the tone, timbre, and tempo of the songs frequently betray the songs’ true intent and theme, so one needs to attend to the lyrics to ensure one isn’t grooving too hard with too much of a grin to a plum pitiful tale.
The first half of The Lonesome Chronicles does nothing to disguise its theme with ‘lonesome’ being in each of the song titles. The pandemic influenced a few of these songs, lyrically in “Just Lonesome Ol’ Me & the Radio,” “It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go,” and a harmony-rich take of The Osborne Brothers’ “A Lonesome Feeling;” this is a highlight of the album, with fiddler Annie Staninec and Kallick’s voices providing the emotional gravitas befitting the song.
Another vocal harmony highlight occurs when we encounter the 19th Century hymn, “A Beautiful Life.” Kallick’s lead is complemented by her bandmates with either of Greg Booth or Tom Bekeny seamlessly popping up to take the fore position. It is a masterclass in vocal precision and fluidity.
Kallick injects lightness into her albums — remember, this is the songwriter of “Use a Napkin (Not Your Mom)” — and “25 Chickens” and “The Weather Song” provide topical levity without drifting toward novelty. “I’m Gonna Miss This House” is thematically heavier, while Tony Rice and more personal loses are remembered within the original “This Old Lonesome Song.” John Prine’s “Souvenirs” (circling back to Kallick’s Chicago coffeehouse days) is ideally presented with a bluegrass treatment featuring Booth’s Dobro and Staninec’s fiddle.
As required, instrumentally the musicians shine. They cut loose to conclude “25 Chickens,” and Booth showcases his Dobro throughout, including on his own “Lonesome Dobro Blues” and a delightful reworking of Earl Scruggs’ “Foggy Mountain Chimes.” Staninec provides complementing fiddling, especially on “Never Been So Lonesome” (a Bekeny lead) and “Roscoe Got the Rabbit,” a tune on which Cary Black’s deep notes are appreciated; Black also adds dark touches to “I’m Gonna Miss This House.” Bekeny provides a ‘joyful romp’ to conclude this album of lonesomeness with “Reunion.”
It is always a pleasure to listen to and write about a new Kathy Kallick Band release. The care that goes into their albums is apparent. The Lonesome Chronicles is no exception—14 tracks of bluegrass perfection.
Kathy's (except where indicated) notes on the songs ...
1. It’s Lonesome Everywhere I Go (Kathy Kallick)
In the style of the Delmore Brothers, we're addressing a sad and lonesome experience in an upbeat and bluesy way.
2. Just Lonesome Ol' Me and the Radio (Kathy KallickI)
In that bizarre time of lockdown, we all looked for ways to connect to other people, and have a feeling of sharing time, being together. My dear friend, Gene Tortora, and I started having a Saturday evening date listening to Peter Thompson's Bluegrass Signal on KALW radio. We'd tune in together, in our separate places, and listen, commenting to each other via email, text, or calling on the phone. It made us feel like we were having a little party!
3. A Lonesome Feeling (Billy Henson)
In the same vein as the radio, Annie and her partner John Kael started presenting a livestream concert every week, which became a kind of touchstone for so many people. Folks tuned in and listened, played along, made hilarious comments; the audience became international with at least one fella setting his alarm to wake up at 3 am and watch. I saw Annie sing this one from the Osborne Brothers, and said: Oh, yeah, this is the theme of the new album.
4. Lonesome Dobro Blues (Greg Booth)
Greg: Kathy said to Greg, "Hey, wanna write a tune for this album? Something about lonesome?" Greg said, "Sure, here ya go. I’ve got an arrangement of ‘Lonesome Fiddle Blues’ in Cm, we’ll call it ‘Lonesome Dobro Blues.’" Kathy said, “Not so fast, Buckaroo, you mess around with it, you’ll come up with something different.” After Greg was finished, not much remained of the original tune other than the first pickup notes, and the whole band added creative and tasty licks to the new composition.
5. This Old Lonesome Song (Kathy Kallick)
When Tony Rice passed away during the first year of the pandemic, the sorrow was colossal. It was universal for the music community, but there were private and personal losses as well, and this song grew out of the intimate and shared sense of absence.
6. Never Been So Lonesome (Ted Lundy, Fred Hannah, Sam Humphrey; additional lyrics: Tom Bekeny & Kathy Kallick)
A classic learned from the Paisley-Lundy clan(s) with a few rewritten lyrics to tune it in to this very time.
7. Roscoe Got the Rabbit (Dennis Robert Fetchet)
Annie: This fiddle tune was written concerning a gentleman, a VW, and a gig. We hope you enjoy this tune as much as we enjoyed recording it! If you're curious about the rest of the story, see elsewhere on this site (or come to a show), where all will be revealed.
8. 25 Chickens (Kathy Kallick)
There really were 25 baby chickens; well, some of them turned out to be turkeys.
9. The Weather Song (Kathy Kallick)
Some may think this song is full of hyperbole, but it's pretty dang real. Particularly the parts about the bats and the buck deer.
10. A Beautiful Life (William M. Golden)
A favorite forever and one that always makes a person feel better. It's got the Golden Rule, social justice, old time religion, and those beautiful harmony parts. We need all that.
11. Foggy Mountain Chimes (Earl Scruggs)
Greg: I’m somewhat familiar with open D tuning on the banjo and the fabulous tunes Earl Scruggs played using his Scruggs Pegs to bend notes and go between G and D tuning. It dawned on me that I could do that with my new “joystick,” the precision tailpiece made by HipShot called the DoubleShot. I believe this is the first time any instrument besides the banjo has played the chimes like Earl did in this song, and they ring out full and strong on the dobro; the third time even has those chimes in stereo!
12. Souvenirs (John Prine)
There are so many wonderful John Prine songs, and he's one of Kathy's big influences in life. His songs are so good at making us laugh and cry all inside of three minutes. This one resonates like a big ol' bell.
13. I'm Gonna Miss This House (Kathy Kallick)
This one inspires people to ask Kathy if she's moving out of her home. Her answer is: feet first, baby.
14. Reunion (Tom Bekeny)
Tom: A joyful romp reflecting the end of all that lonesomeness.
Watch the band play three selections from The Lonesome Chronicles: Greg Booth's reimagining of Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Chimes" (video by Greg), Kathy's "Just Lonesome Ol' Me & the Radio" (video by Peter Thompson), and -- coming soon! -- John Prine's "Souvenirs" (video by Irene Young).
Claire Levine's feature article, "Kathy Kallick Honors Her Mother's Legacy While Establishing Her Own," published in The Bluegrass Situation on July 8, 2022 is HERE. It provides biographical information and an overview of the album, What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? It also includes audio of "Put My Little Shoes Away" (Kathy & Molly Tuttle), "Sittin' On Top of the World" (Kathy & Tristan Scroggins), "The Wild Side Of Life > It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (Kathy Kallick Band), and "Farther Along" (Kathy & Mike Compton and Joe Newberry), as well as "I Can't Stand To Ramble" by the Good Ol' Persons.
Thanks to Irene Young for recording Kathy’s 9-19-18 concert, “My Route To 66,” at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. Two of the new songs got their debut on that occasion.
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Featured Video
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Foxhounds Kathy Kallick Band
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The Wild Side Of Life > It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Live at the 2022 California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival
THE KATHY KALLICK BAND -
Kathy Kallick: guitar, vocals
Annie Staninec: fiddle
Tom Bekeny: mandolin
Cary Black: bass
Greg Booth: dobro
plus
Paul Shelasky: fiddle
Juniper Waller: vocals
Riley Thompson: vocals
Live at the 2022 California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival
THE KATHY KALLICK BAND -
Kathy Kallick: guitar, vocals
Annie Staninec: fiddle
Tom Bekeny: mandolin
Cary Black: bass
Greg Booth: dobro
plus
Paul Shelasky: fiddle
Juniper Waller: vocals
Riley Thompson: vocals