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Hi...
Karen Almquist and I will be sharing a gig with me this Friday @ the
Moosewood
9pm.
see ya, Lou
http://www.karenalmquist.com./
"Gutsy guitar playing and songs straight from the heart."
-- Alex de Grassi, Windham Hill recording artist
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"Karen is one hell of a guitar player. Her playing
enhances her songs beautifully. Give her a listen!"
-- Kristina Olsen, Philo recording artist
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"The real thing! Karen possesses that rare and
indefinable element called soul, palpable in both her
singing and playing ... The kind of guitarist to die for."
-- Louise Taylor, Signature Sounds recording artist
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"Karen is a soulful player and singer and has a feel for
the groove. She is the kind of player and singer
musicians love to work with."
-- Gene Parsons, formerly of the Byrds
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"Karen Almquist is high quality. Her playing is
impeccable, her singing and songwriting are anchored in
the deep soul of a wonderful human being."
-- Barbara Higbie, Windham Hill recording artist
Dirty Linen - OCT/NOV 1997
Every so often a really, really
good album will slip into the
enormous piles of CDs and
cassettes that cross the desks of
reviewers and music magazines
across the country. So if a CD
can make an immediate
impression on the most jaded of
listeners. the music reviewer, it
already says alot about the
musician's artistry. Karen
Almquist stands out from the
rest for several reasons: First,
she writes outstanding songs,
full of honesty and spirit, much
in the vein of Kate Wolf.
Second, she possesses a rich
full woman's voice, devoid of
cute mannerisms or trendy
acrobatics. Finally, the lady is a
bad-ass slide guitar player,
who could easily keep company
with blues gals, such as Rory
Block or Bonnie Raitt, without
sounding like she's trying to
imitate them.
On her first album, "Tracking of
Time," she is joined by
California musical
heavyweights Sally Van Meter,
Laurie Lewis, Nina Gerber,
Barbara Higbie and Gene
Parsons. The songs range from
the bluesy Bobby Charles tune,
"Why Are People Like That?"
and her own funky "If Your
Soul Gets Lonesome" to the
country tinged "Silver Wings"
and "Little Jewels" to the
sensitive and gently majestic "A
New Direction". She even turns
in a snappy version of Bob
Dylan's often-overlooked
"Buckets of Rain." This is one
of the best debut albums this
reviewer has heard in a dog's
age, and it is well worth
seeking out by mail or
requesting it at your local
record store.
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Lou Hinkley
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