Recordings
Count Your Blessings: A Bluegrass Gospel Collection
Count Your Blessings, a collection of 18 bluegrass gospel songs performed by Kathy Kallick between 1982 and earlier this year. Kathy is singing and playing with two versions of the Kathy Kallick Band, the Good Ol' Persons, and longtime musical associates like Laurie Lewis and Keith Little.
Thirteen of these songs are taken from a half-dozen previous releases; four are brand-new recordings, and one is a recently-discovered live recording. Kathy composed seven of the songs and arranged and/or added new lyrics to five others on this CD. Three of the previously-unreleased tracks were learned from Bill Monroe, and it seems fitting to include them on an album released on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Kathy has additional reasons for releasing this collection in 2011, noting that, "I think we're living in hard times. We're living in a time when people are struggling and sad and scared, and need to have their spirits lifted. I think it's a bit of healing to hear spiritually uplifting songs and to have a chance to sing along with them."
These comments are taken from a recent conversation with Kathy, which is available on CD for bluegrass radio programmers. In this "interview" (with Kathy's voice only), she discusses many things in addition to Count Your Blessings, including everyone in her band, the influence of Bill Monroe, and, especially, the music on Between the Hollow and the High-Rise, the Kathy Kallick Band release which has been in the national charts for over a year.
Please contact your local DJ and ask to hear this, as well as songs from Count Your Blessings.
"Count Your Blessings -- A Bluegrass Gospel Collection" just arrived in this afternoon's mail. A beautiful experience from Lisa Berman's elegantly designed CD cover case to the photos of the musicians through the years. Most of all I enjoyed your selection of songs and the much-loved warmth of your voice. I wish tomorrow was a weekday and not the weekend so I could share this CD with my listeners right away." -- Katy Daley, WAMU's Bluegrass Country; 2009 IBMA Broadcaster Of the Year
Count Your Blessings: A Bluegrass Gospel Collection
Kathy Kallick: guitar, lead vocals (except as noted)
To hear sound clips on an iPhone or iPad, you must have a Flash-enabled browser app. (Photon is a good one.)
1. There's A Higher Power (Charlie & Ira Louvin Sony-ATV Acuff Rose Music/BMI; arrangement and additional lyrics: Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 3:04
The Kathy Kallick Band: Between The Hollow And The High-Rise (Live Oak Records/2010)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Dan Booth: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
Greg Booth: banjo, harmony vocal
Annie Staninec: fiddle
2. Lord Protect My Soul (Bill Monroe, Unichappell Music/BMI) 3:01
The Kathy Kallick Band: previously unreleased
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Dan Booth: acoustic bass, harmony and lead vocals
Greg Booth: harmony vocal
3. Count Your Blessings (Kathy Kallick, Spruce & Maple Music/ASCAP) 2:26
Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick: Together (Rounder Records/1991)
Laurie Lewis: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
Tom Rozum: harmony vocal
Tony Marcus: harmony vocal
Charles Sawtelle: lead guitar
4. The Messenger (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 3:27
The Kathy Kallick Band: Warmer Kind Of Blue (Copper Creek Records/2004)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: banjo
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
Brian Wicklund: fiddle
5. Daniel Prayed (Ralph Stanley, La-Car Pub. Co./BMI; arr. Laurie Lewis, Spruce & Maple Music/ASCAP) 2:40
Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick: previously unreleased
Kathy Kallick: duet vocal
Laurie Lewis: duet vocal
6. I’ll Not Be A Stranger (Glen T. Presley, Bridge Building Music/BMI) 4:00
Kathy Kallick & Friends: previously unreleased
Kathy Kallick: harmony vocal, guitar
Keith Little: lead vocal, guitar
John Reischman: mandolin
7. Wings (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 2:31
The Kathy Kallick Band: Walkin’ In My Shoes (Live Oak Records/1999)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: guitar, harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
8. Late Last Night (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 2:53
The Kathy Kallick Band: Warmer Kind Of Blue (Copper Creek Records/2004)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin
Avram Siegel: banjo, harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
9. Center Of The World (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 1:23
Good Ol’ Persons: Part Of A Story (Flat Rock Records/1986)
John Reischman: vocals
Sally Van Meter: vocals
Bethany Raine: vocals
10. It’s Gonna Rain (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI and John Reischman, Blue Badger Music/BMI) 2:09
Good Ol’ Persons: Part Of A Story (Flat Rock Records/1986)
John Reischman: mandolin, harmony vocal
Sally Van Meter: dobro, harmony vocal
Paul Shelasky: fiddle
Bethany Raine: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
11.God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign (Trad., arr. and add’l lyrics, Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 2:51
The Kathy Kallick Band: Warmer Kind Of Blue (Copper Creek Records/2004)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: lead guitar, harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
12. Row Us Over The Tide (Traditional, arr. Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 3:24
Kathy Kallick: My Mother’s Voice (Copper Creek Records/2001)
Kate Brislin: harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: harmony vocal
Jody Stecher: guitar, harmony vocal
13. When I Wake Up To Sleep No More (Marion W. Easterling, Bridge Building Music/BMI) 2:02
The Kathy Kallick Band: Walkin’ In My Shoes (Live Oak Records/1999)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
14. Lone Pilgrim (Traditional, arr. Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 4:54
Kathy Kallick: Reason and Rhyme (Copper Creek Records/2004)
Laurie Lewis: fiddle
15. In The Middle Of My Town (Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 4:04
The Kathy Kallick Band: Warmer Kind Of Blue (Copper Creek Records/2004)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: lead guitar, harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocals
Brian Wicklund: fiddle
16. Precious Memories (J.B.F. Wright, Bridge Building Music/BMI) 5:05
The Kathy Kallick Band: previously unreleased
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Dan Booth: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
Greg Booth: dobro, harmony vocal
Annie Staninec: fiddle
17. I’ll Fly Away (Traditional, arr. Kathy Kallick, Red Shirt Pub. Co./BMI) 3:48
Kathy Kallick: My Mother’s Voice (Copper Creek Records/2001)
Tom Bekeny: mandolin, harmony vocal
Avram Siegel: banjo, harmony vocal
Amy Stenberg: acoustic bass, harmony vocal
18 Hidden bonus track: That Home Above (Bill Monroe, Unichappell Music/BMI)
Good Ol’ Persons: previously unreleased (Live at Freight & Salvage/1982)
John Reischman: mandolin, harmony vocal
Sally Van Meter: dobro, harmony vocal
Paul Shelasky: fiddle
Bethany Raine: acoustic bass, harmony vocal