Mississippi Bound...Again!

Hi Friends,
I've been on a little hiatus managing winter, the cold and a car accident. I'm doin' really well though and back to writing again which always makes me happy.

When I got back from Mississippi I found a group of people who could help me understand the breadth of my experiences at the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology located here at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Long story short, I ended up realizing that I wanted to continue my artistic development in Mississippi and decided to apply for a graduate studies. I have been accepted and, much to my surprise, I'll be starting graduate school full time in September 2009...this year. I am very, very excited to have this opportunity and to be willing to give it to myself. So what does this have to do with Mississippi...well, I'll be focusing my thesis on the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band of North Mississippi. For the first time in the lineage of that style of blues music the fifer is a young woman named Sharde Thomas.

After 24 years in Social Work it is quite a thing to realize that I want to dedicate my life to music. My new motto...if it doesn't have music in the title I don't want to do it!

I've also made application for some music grants and have had a blast working on my 3 song demo with don benedictson and Christian Dugas. The songs turned out great now we wait to find out if the coffers will open for a brand new CD project. I'm very excited that this will happen for us. Positive thinking.

I hope you are well and that you'll drop me an email at: katdanser@shaw.ca so we can keep in touch with each other.

xo Kat

Mississippi Medicine Show

Hi there....
November came and went so fast that I didn't have a moment to catch y'all up on what's goin' on in my music life. The summary...two sold out shows, great audience (minus the out of control fan ...aka...the toe licking stripper) and the catfish...yummy! Great nights of music and a wonderful way to share the adventure. Right after that I hopped the train to Winnipeg and back to do some pre-production work with don benedictson and Christian Dugas. It is very exciting to be moving in the direction of the new disc. We've got a solid start with the demos and the grant writing will begin tomorrow. Yeehaa! Bring on the funds.

I'm in a holding pattern right now with festival applications and such. I was very fortunate on my tour down south as I'll be playing a bigger festival this coming summer. Can't say which one just yet but I'm really, really pleased.

Solstice and Christmas are creeping up so quickly. It'll be good to be moving into days with more light after December 22nd. One of my favorite days of the year is...boxing day. No, not for the sale, for the quiet and reduction in consumerism.

On that uplifting note...ha ha...I'll wish you all the best of the season and catch up with you again in 2009.

Thanks for a great year! xo Kat

MJB & Me

I had the immense privaledge of recording my song (Notes from) The Other Side with national roots musician, Michael Jerome Browne. We recorded it in the Twilight Lounge with sound engineer Ian who managed to get a sound that was incredible! The producers, Graham Guest and Grant Stovel, were simply outstanding to work with. I couldn't even imagine a more calm, centered and caring environment. I think it will definitely reflect in the finished project!

One of the great blessings music has bestowed on my life is working with like minded, sensitive men!

xo kd

MGAM Inc. & Busted Flat Records

Hello Fellow Music Lovers...
What a week...what a week this has been!!! I am very pleased to announce that I have signed an exclusive international artist management agreement with Toronto based MGAM Inc. With clear minded and inspiring Marilyn Gilbert at the helm I fully expect to be putting into place even more foundational career building blocks. It is wonderful to have the support of a professional of this caliber in the business. I feel very blessed and look forward to a long and productive working relationship.

Busted Flat Records from Kitchener/Waterloo, an indie label, has come on board to support and distribute my next recording which I'm temporarily naming 'the mississippi project'. Mark Logan and the gang have been super positive and wonderful to work with. Just the energy I need to welcome my new 'baby cd' into the world. Ha ha.

And, to complete the trifecta...funding has come through to complete my pre-production with my producer, don benedictson, and our kickass percussionist, Christian Dugas (The Duhks). In mid November I'll ride the rails to Winnipeg for the first in a year long process of recording this disc.

Over and Out...Kat

Pilot Design & Website Update

I am lucky to have Pilot Design working hard for me on my website. I am making some changes to specific aspects and you will note a new button called "Musings" in the coming weeks. It will provide some interesting links and information that should intrigue roots and blues lovers. Although the overall design will remain the parchment and old radio, there will be many updated photos and access to this blog. Already this blog has received over 13,000 hits so I'm pretty excited to think that there will be access to my website as well.

Very cool thing happened this week...I received an email from Blues DJ Charly from Florida. We met in Clarksdale at the Juke Joint Festival and he emailed from out of the blue. That lead me to reconnect with the fine folks in my Clarksdale family and has renewed my integration and passion for this experience. It won't be long and I'll be back in Mississippi...I just know it in my bones!

If you get a chance check out www.ratpackstlouis.com and see some photos of me with a big laugh and some playing at the Riverside Motel with Frank Ratliff.

Keep on keepin' on my brothers & sisters in the Blues...Kat

Centre for Ethnomusicology & Folkways Alive!

Dear Friends,

The last week has been absolutely amazing for me and my musical evolution! At the encouragement of my dear friends Russ Baker and John Newton I have made contact with and am being supported by a team of wonderful people at the University of Alberta's Center for Ethnomusicology and Folkways Alive! There is alot of space for my artistic expression and I find myself deeply stimulated by the conversation. I've resisted academic pursuits in the past because I could not see the point in furthering my education..until now. Resistance is futile as I have a huge YES in my mind's eye about this connection. This is very, very needed and a major boost to my career.

The gifts of the Mississippi Delta and blues music continue to be abundant in my writing and overall creative process. It is too early to go into specifics but I will say that the November concerts are just the beginning of grounding my Southern USA trip into the Alberta musical landscape. The most exciting piece is the amateur documentary which will provide alot of information about how to pursue a full length documentary. I don't think it's too early to say but I want you all to know that in the midst of this fellow blues woman Ndidi Onukwulu and I will be working together for part the larger documentary. I admire her artistic work and am thrilled that this connection has been made. I can't say more right now but will as time moves forward.

I hope you can take time and join me in November. If you cannot please check in with this blog from time to time and keep in touch! It means alot to me that you are reading.

Happy Fall Season!
Hugs, Kat

Evangeline & Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

Hi again friends...it is great to be back blogging once again.  I sure appreciate you checkin' in with this ongoing process I'm in.  

Nova Scotia was more than I had imagined it would be.  The people are second to none (as my mom would say), the scenery and the musical vibe was outstanding!  I had an terrific time at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival (first three photos) and really want to thank all the volunteers and organizers.  The blessings on my music were abundant in Lunenburg and there were too many moments of gratitude to even measure.  What I will say is that on the Wharf Stage on a sunny Saturday afternoon playing music across from the Bluenose II all I could think of was "I can't wait to tell everyone back home about this experience".  Who knew 9 years ago that music would become such a joy in my life.  

If' you've been following along in this blog you'll know that I was introduced to Evangeline in Lafayette, Louisiana this past Spring and she has continued to be quite a source of inspiration as I learn about the story of the Nova Scotian Acadian people.  As luck would have it I ended up playing a gig in Wolfville, Nova Scotia which happened to be along the 'Evangeline Trail' and the National Historical Site of Grand Pre which is where the Acadian deportation of the 1700's occurred.  Amazing!!  That thread continues to lead me in interesting directions.  If you get a chance to read Longfellow's prose poem, Evangeline, it is worth it.  

No matter where I go during this time of artistic development in my life...my Southern USA adventure continues to unfold.  

I've included some photos of funnin' and playin' in Lunenburg as well as a photo of the statue of Evangeline in Grand Pre.  Enjoy!

Hugs,

Kat