Horrible World–Reviews
“Kathy Kallick, with her big engaging voice and compelling musical style, has been a keystone of the West Coast bluegrass scene for decades. On her latest CD, the ironically titled Horrible World, Kallick takes an inward turn, looking at bluegrass through a West Coast-influenced lens. Backed by Annie Staninec (fiddle), Greg Booth (resonator guitar and banjo), Tom Bekeny (mandolin), and Cary Black (acoustic bass), her punchy rhythm guitar, sure-handed songwriting, and stellar contralto voice create a rich, deeply engaging sound that should appeal to everyone from hardcore fans of Monroe-style bluegrass and the modal mountain melodies of mentors Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard to fans of more contemporary acoustic and urban folk styles … Horrible World is classic West Coast bluegrass, filled to the brim with driving rhythm, timeless bluegrass instrumental stylings, and a sense of freedom and exploration [and] Kallick’s deeply soulful voice and magnificent delivery shows she’s one of the greatest bluegrass vocalists of her generation or any other.”
— David J. McCarty, Bluegrass Unlimited
“As a founding member of Good Ol’ Persons, Kathy Kallick pioneered a place for women in bluegrass. Some 20 albums and several major awards later, the East Bay singer-songwriter/guitarist approaches her music with the same irrepressible enthusiasm. Horrible World’s 13 songs survey the range of American vernacular music, (and) you’ll marvel at the individual virtuosity, group cohesiveness, and several beautifully sung Kallick originals that express both timely pessimism and tireless hope.”
-- Derk Richardson, Oakland
“What becomes a legend most? If that legend in question happens to be Kathy Kallick, suffice it to say it’s a body of work that has no equal in the modern bluegrass realms and shows no sign of stopping. These days, with a talented group of colleagues – each boasting an impressive resume all their own – she’s found the ideal symmetry. On the group’s new album, melody and musicianship are given equal prominence, and in the baker’s dozen offered here, there’s not a single selection that doesn’t stand out all on its own. To her credit, Kallick doesn’t attempt to dominate the proceedings. The Kathy Kallick Band is just that – a band; Kallick’s vocals and guitar steer the proceedings, but it’s apparent this is a group effort in every regard. The result – Horrible World – is clearly really anything other than what the title implies.”
-- Lee Zimmerman, Bluegrass Today
“There’s nothing this quintet can’t do … humor and contemplation and some political references [with] an impressive amount of finely-played musical horsepower, led by Kallick’s versatile vocals.”
-- Rich Warren, “Midnight Special” (WFMT) Favorites of 2018
“One of the most enjoyable bluegrass albums I’ve heard all year, a refreshing and dynamic blend of traditional and contemporary bluegrass sensibilities. We should welcome Kathy’s views, ideas, and solutions (and her surprisingly cheery good-humour), and embrace the spirit of hope in which her songs are written. The sound is most pleasing to the ear, empowering and uplifting in the best tradition of bluegrass. Throughout, the sense of ensemble is enviably strong, the musicianship brilliant without needing to grandstand or resort to easy clichés or moves to prove its point; everything in its rightful place and a constant delight to the ears and feet and mind.”
-- David Kidman, Fatea (U.K.)
“Kathy Kallick’s voice is always warm and inviting, even when singing songs with the coldest of themes. While she can and does perform in a range of situations, never is she so strong than when fronting a vibrant, driving bluegrass band, and, over the past many years, has been releasing complex and engaging albums with her band. Horrible World continues the Kathy Kallick Band’s streak of excellence … [This] is one of the strongest, most consistent and satisfying bluegrass bands going. That they never receive their due from the IBMA voting membership come awards time is a shame. An album like Horrible World could change that, should folks in positions of influence ever bleeding notice.”
-- Donald Teplyske, Fever Coulee Bluegrass / Country Standard Time
“Put a Kathy Kallick Band album on, and you know you’re in for songs, arrangements, and performances at the highest level. And you will never have your intelligence insulted. As the title implies, Horrible World carries a strong element of social commentary directed at this particularly unsettled, chaotic moment in our national journey, but the criticism is laced with hope and humor, the commentary subtext as much as text … Amid all the superior music and musicianship, “Cotton Eyed Joe” is the standout, brilliantly reinvented … Just about everything I love about American folk music is in that song. Kallick and companions lay down an adaptation for the ages.”
-- Jerome Clark, Rambles
— David J. McCarty, Bluegrass Unlimited
“As a founding member of Good Ol’ Persons, Kathy Kallick pioneered a place for women in bluegrass. Some 20 albums and several major awards later, the East Bay singer-songwriter/guitarist approaches her music with the same irrepressible enthusiasm. Horrible World’s 13 songs survey the range of American vernacular music, (and) you’ll marvel at the individual virtuosity, group cohesiveness, and several beautifully sung Kallick originals that express both timely pessimism and tireless hope.”
-- Derk Richardson, Oakland
“What becomes a legend most? If that legend in question happens to be Kathy Kallick, suffice it to say it’s a body of work that has no equal in the modern bluegrass realms and shows no sign of stopping. These days, with a talented group of colleagues – each boasting an impressive resume all their own – she’s found the ideal symmetry. On the group’s new album, melody and musicianship are given equal prominence, and in the baker’s dozen offered here, there’s not a single selection that doesn’t stand out all on its own. To her credit, Kallick doesn’t attempt to dominate the proceedings. The Kathy Kallick Band is just that – a band; Kallick’s vocals and guitar steer the proceedings, but it’s apparent this is a group effort in every regard. The result – Horrible World – is clearly really anything other than what the title implies.”
-- Lee Zimmerman, Bluegrass Today
“There’s nothing this quintet can’t do … humor and contemplation and some political references [with] an impressive amount of finely-played musical horsepower, led by Kallick’s versatile vocals.”
-- Rich Warren, “Midnight Special” (WFMT) Favorites of 2018
“One of the most enjoyable bluegrass albums I’ve heard all year, a refreshing and dynamic blend of traditional and contemporary bluegrass sensibilities. We should welcome Kathy’s views, ideas, and solutions (and her surprisingly cheery good-humour), and embrace the spirit of hope in which her songs are written. The sound is most pleasing to the ear, empowering and uplifting in the best tradition of bluegrass. Throughout, the sense of ensemble is enviably strong, the musicianship brilliant without needing to grandstand or resort to easy clichés or moves to prove its point; everything in its rightful place and a constant delight to the ears and feet and mind.”
-- David Kidman, Fatea (U.K.)
“Kathy Kallick’s voice is always warm and inviting, even when singing songs with the coldest of themes. While she can and does perform in a range of situations, never is she so strong than when fronting a vibrant, driving bluegrass band, and, over the past many years, has been releasing complex and engaging albums with her band. Horrible World continues the Kathy Kallick Band’s streak of excellence … [This] is one of the strongest, most consistent and satisfying bluegrass bands going. That they never receive their due from the IBMA voting membership come awards time is a shame. An album like Horrible World could change that, should folks in positions of influence ever bleeding notice.”
-- Donald Teplyske, Fever Coulee Bluegrass / Country Standard Time
“Put a Kathy Kallick Band album on, and you know you’re in for songs, arrangements, and performances at the highest level. And you will never have your intelligence insulted. As the title implies, Horrible World carries a strong element of social commentary directed at this particularly unsettled, chaotic moment in our national journey, but the criticism is laced with hope and humor, the commentary subtext as much as text … Amid all the superior music and musicianship, “Cotton Eyed Joe” is the standout, brilliantly reinvented … Just about everything I love about American folk music is in that song. Kallick and companions lay down an adaptation for the ages.”
-- Jerome Clark, Rambles