Kathye Long

NW Singer/Songwriter

Kathye Long is a singer/songwriter/guitarist with over twenty years experience. She has performed in duos, trios, bands and orchestras. She studied voice and guitar with classical instructors and has taught guitar for over 15 years. She has performed at weddings, receptions, community events and business meetings.

Her vocal repertoire includes original, folk, pop and swing. Her instrumentals include classical, blues, swing and ragtime. The original songs are observations about her place in the food chain; sometimes funny, sometimes sad, always dead on. Her recently released CD Stone Soup is a collection of twelve original songs accompanied by such gifted musicians as Rod Backman on bass, Barbara Collins on fiddle, Perry D'Armond on Keyboard and Will Dowd on Drums. It is an eclectic, up beat mix of Folk, Doo-Wop, Jazz and Pop. The Elegant Guitar CD is a compilation of solo guitar arrangements of pieces by Bach, Sor and Mozart.

Gigs:

Monday May 26th - Juan De Fuca Festival in Port Angeles at 3:15 on the Fine Arts Stage

May 10, June 7 and August 2 - Proctor's Farmer's Market N 27th and Proctor Street in Tacoma 9:00 - 11:30

The Buzz!

Guitar Lessons- Vol... 1 is complete and available for $20 from the Enumclaw Music store or from Kathye directly.

Note from Kathye Long on Guitar Lessons Vol. II

I am pleased to announce that my second instruction book Guitar Lessons Vol. II is now available. It continues where Volume I. left off. I am confident that you will enjoy learning the techniques and information. It covers reading tablature, more fingerstlye and flatpicking skills, moveable chords, bass lines, and playing melodies from chord shapes. You may purchase the book for $20 from me directly or through Enumclaw Music.

Read about Kathye Long in the Enumclaw Courier-Herald.

Check Please has 13 original songs masterfully engineered by Mr. Rob Folsom and features lead breaks by Orville Johnson (dobro, mandolin), Mark Iler (harmonica), Claire Wesley (recorders), Tracy Knoop (sax, clarinet), Cynthia Huber (flute) and Annette Kruzic (cello). It also includes Jon Belcher on drums and Rod Backman on bass. Kathye did all the guitar and vocals. There is quite a variety of styles from pop to campfire/folk to crossover country. Two instrumentals: “Fairy Waltz”- a trio of finger style guitar, flute and cello and Spring Thaw- an open tuning guitar solo. The final versions of “I Need a Dress for My Ex-husband’s Wedding” and “It’s Enough to Drive a Man to Think” are sure to please the red neck in y'all.

What People Are Saying About Stone Soup:

"I love it! I've listened to it several times."
—Tom May of River City Folk

"I especially like Y'all Come Back Cafe...Very funny."
—Chris Lunn, founder of Victory Music

"Beautiful and haunting lyrics."
—National Writers Conference (NRW)

"Refreshing and truly original songwriting."
—Seattle Folk Review

"Stone Soup is a creative folk production which stirs the spirit like a teasing memory. Based on the old story that a starving village can come up with something wonderful to feed itself when everyone puts a little of something into the pot, Kathye Long's Stone Soup is a wonderful dish of original music filled with a dash here and there of down to earth folk, a little bit of swing and 50s & 60s-style music, as well as the contributions of local favorites—Will Dowd, Red Rhys, Liz Savage and Alicia Healey, Perry D'Armond and several other well loved local artists.

Instrumentation is wonderful. Kathye Long has chosen the right ingredients for each song to create a perfect blend of music and ambience. The CD grabs the listener right away with Kathye Long's trademark guitar playing in "My Mother's Eyes". In addition to Long's remarkable guitar work throughout the CD, you will hear a breathtaking tenor recorder played by Claire Wesley in "At Last It's Halloween", beautiful violin and cello work by Pat Henrickson and Linda Madsen respectively, in "I've Been Waiting For You", and moving piano work by Red Rhys in "Do You Ever Think Of Me". For those interested in Long, the artist, "Y'all Come Back Cafe" showcases the other multi talents of Long—banjo work, harmonica and hammered dulcimer—instruments that all musicians in the folk community know take a special musician to learn and play. Long's singing style is somewhat a mixture of present-day popular folk singer, Iris Dement and old time favorite, Betty Boop—which works well with her song style and content.

Some composition and arrangement is equally impressive. Coming from a performing/recording song writer's perspective, I have to admire the smooth transitions from song to song and the seeming ease of use of Kathye Long's chords and moving progressions. Kathye's lyrics are thoughtful and reflect matter of fact sincerity, bringing to mind some wonderment about the people she is talking about—for example, "People always scatter when they take one look at my face...At last it's Halloween...It's so good to be a part of this...It's the one day of year that I'm welcome here...At last it's Halloween." Long's song lyrics bring up vivid images to mind and clear emotions to heart. Also something to mention, the sound work in this recording by Rob Folsom is as grand as it comes. Folsom has a "gift of ear," bring together the many sounds of a perfect balance. Stone Soup is a wonderful production. Like all music styles, Stone Soup may not be for everyone—but is certainly for all those who have a genuine appreciation for fine folk writing and musianship."
—Madeline Johnson, Victory Jazz and Folk Review Magazine

Home · Order · Contact · Samples · Interesting Links · Webmaster