Kate’s first solo album is a collection of fiddle and banjo tunes, ballads, string band numbers and old songs. Highlights include her singing with fiddle accompaniment, her old-style banjo-led songs, and her incorporation of Scottish ballads and tunes into her own style. The banjo tune John Lover’s Gone, to which banjo player John Whelan has added lyrics, has become a listeners’ favourite.

Instrumental and vocal accompaniments are provided by Joe Locker, Robin Gillan and Gail Williams.

Tracks include:

1. Bluejay/Piney Woods/Camp Chase
2. Hog Eyed Man/Santa Anna’s Retreat
3. John Lover’s Gone
4. Flying Indian
5. Sweet Sunny South
6. Ain’t No Grave
7. High Dad in the Morning/Fine Times at our House
8. The Little Carpenter
9. Demicentenary Blues
10. Coal Creek March/Payday at Coal Creek
11. Liberty Off the Corn Liquor Still
12. Johnson Boys
13. Hatton Woods
14. Cattle in the Cane
15. Tifftie’s Annie
16. Duchess
17. The Conundrum
18. The Lady Gay
19. Elzic’s Farewell
20. Teardrops Falling in the Snow
21. New Lost Train Blues

“…the slow brooding numbers…allow Kate’s earthy, up-front vocals to shine against the backdrop of Gail Williams’ and Robin Gillan’s harmonies. The instrumentation is also top-notch, with Kate’s fleet-fingered fiddle and banjo work getting Sterling support from Joe Locker (guitar), Robin Gillan (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica and harmony vocals) and Gail Williams (harmony vocals).

Highlights include Bluejay/Piney Woods/Camp Chase, Hog Eyed man/Santa Anna’s Retreat, John Lover’s Gone, and the sheer instrumental brilliance of The Conundrum. But the real standouts are Ain’t No Grave, Coal Creek March/Payday at Coal Creek, Johnson Boys and the immaculate Teardrops Falling in the Snow. Be warned—this is genuine folk music, the real deal.”
Country Music International (awarded five stars)

“Ain’t No Grave is Kate’s first solo album, and it’s pure gold; a marvellous collection… An excellent line-up and a first class album…”
Owen O’Neill, Folk Roots“For me, its two outstanding tracks are the title song - a rousing gospel piece from the repertoire of Estil C Ball - and the vibrant Coal Creek March / Payday at Coal Creek, recorded by Pete Steele in the 1930s for the Library of Congress, and popularised by Pete Seeger in the '60s. Both pieces feature a good blend of voices and instruments, and are delivered with irresistible enthusiasm…Kate sounds at home with The Lady Gay - a West Virginia variant of The Wife of Usher's Well. Her singing of this demanding ballad is relaxed and assured, with her fiddle providing a subtle contrast to the vocal line.”

Mustrad North American Music Reviews

Kate's newly released second album, Walk Chalk Chicken, was recorded and engineered in St. Albans, West Virginia, at the studio of Jim Martin Productions. Jim is an expert at capturing the natural feel of old-time music and has recorded numerous West Virginia traditional artists.

The CD was produced with the assistance of Jim, Dave Bing and Johnny Whelan and features the outstanding instrumental and vocal support of brothers Dave and Tim Bing. Dave, considered by many to be the finest exponent of West Virginia music of his generation, appears as a superb back-up guitarist, and also contributes his talent on the fiddle to three tracks, playing twin on Jeff Sturgeon, harmony on Shove the Pig's Foot and instrumental lead on County Farm Blues. Tim, widely recognised as the leading traditional banjo player in West Virginia, can be heard on this recording playing a wonderfully seamless, melodic and driving accompaniment to the Kate's fiddle. Additional help is given by Ginny Hawker, Woody Lissauer and Mark Payne on harmony vocals, Johnny Whelan on two-finger picking banjo, and Jim Martin on instrumental and vocal bass.

The album is a collection of some of Kate's favourite fiddle, banjo and guitar-led old-time repetoire presented in a variety of styles from solo performances to full string-band arrangements.

Tracks include:

1. Hop High my Lulu Gal
2. Jeff Sturgeon
3. Faded Coat of Blue
4. Walk Chalk Chicken with a Necktie On
5. Walking in my slee
6. Country Farm Blues
7. Mississippi and Martha
8, Lincoln's Gunboats
9. Won't You Come and Go
10. John Rawl Jamieson
11. Pretty Polly
12. Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Further in the fire
13. Down the Road

"All I really want to say is that this CD is excellent and that if you like old time music then you really need to buy it . . .

One of the things that struck me about this CD was the variety of different kinds of music and among the 13 tracks here there is something for everyone (as a long time lover of old time music I hate to say this but some old time CDs can be a bit repetitive). There are fast fiddle tunes, slow fiddle tunes, fiddle tunes with and without words, there are gentle melodic songs and dark and lonesome songs. And it is all right within the tradition so the old time thought police will have nothing to complain about!

Kate is a very versatile musician and we hear her on fiddle, banjo, guitar and of course singing,all of which she does so well. Her voice has that slightly husky quality which can make sentimental songs sound more real but is perfectly suited to the more lonesome traditional ones.

Kate has managed to gather around her some of the best musicians who are currently keeping the traditions of West Virginia old time music alive. "
Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance review

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