Album Review of
Horrible World

Written by Joe Ross
January 9, 2019 - 12:00am EST
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Guitarist and singer Kathy Kallick has hailed from the San Francisco Bay Area since 1973. For about twenty years (1975 - 95), she was with The Good Ol’ Persons until they disbanded. In 1999, she formed The Kathy Kallick Band. In 2009, fiddler Annie Staninec and bassist Greg Booth joined her band that also includes Cary Black (bass) and Tom Bekeny (mandolin). Kathy and the band have been quite busy and prolific with several album releases over the years. “Horrible World” continues to show the eclectic nature of this group. There are a half dozen Kathy Kallick originals (e.g. “Ride Away”, “Pockets Full of Rain”, “The Sunday Road”) and a self-penned instrumental from Tom Bekeny (”Edale”). A tip of the hat to traditional music includes covers of Bill Monroe’s bluesy “Dark as the Night” and A.P. Carter’s “My Honey Lou.” Featuring Greg Booth’s Dobro, “Boot Heel Drag” has a nice Western Swing feel. Besides solid song selection and arrangement, the band offers straightforward picking and good harmony. “Horrible World” is another engaging and tastefully-rendered project from the Kathy Kallick Band. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)