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Blues Underground Network |
Kat Danser "Passin'-A-Time"
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A hauntingly beautiful and eloquently lyrical Album, is the best way I can describe Kat Danser's masterful new release, "Passin'-A-Time". Kat Danser has been described as "Edmonton’s Queen of the Swamp Blues", a moniker that she proudly wears, although she has far surpassed a simple location such as Edmonton and therefore can quite simply be referred to as "Canada's Queen of the Swamp Blues". The liner notes for "Passin'-A-Time" basically describe this Album as a journey from the Heartland of the Canadian Prairies to the Heartland of the Mississippi Delta, and if anyone is more qualified to write music about those locations than Kat Danser, I simply do not know who that would be. Kat Danser was born and raised in Saskatchewan, and the fact that music became such an intrical and important part of her life was what we could all call, her destiny. From the time she was born Kat has had music around her as a gentle form of foreshadowing her future. Her mother was a player of the Autoharp, and her uncle gave her a Button Accordion when she was only 5. From a young musical past, Kat's love of music blossomed into what it is today, with her love of Roots and especially Blues and hence the creation of "Passin'-A-Time", the perfect meld of both genres. "Passin'-A-Time" consists of 10 irresistible tracks, all Originals with all lyrics written solely by Kat. Joining Kat on this journey were, Don Benedictson (Bass/Ozark Harp), Christian "Coco" Dugas (Drum Kit/Hambone/ Percussion/Background Vocals), John MacArthur Ellis (Lead Electric/Resophonic Guitars), Darryl Havers (Keyboards), Sarah Dugas (Background Vocals), Gord Kidder (Blues Harp), Murray Pulver (Electric Guitar/Tracks 1 & 2). Not to be left behind, Kat gets in on the musical action with her choice of instruments, such as, Weissenborn Lap Guitar, Acoustic & Resophonic Guitars, and Minstrel Banjo. Throughout "Passin'-A-Time" your will be swept away with the genuine simplicity and authenticity of the music. Instruments as simple as hand claps will take you back to the Cotton Fields of Mississippi, while the Minstrel Banjo playing will firmly plant you in the Wheat Fields of Saskatchewan. For "Passin'-A-Time", Kat Danser has once again drawn totally from lifes experiences and how she lived them, dealt with them, and interpreted them. From the fun and whimsical reminders of childhood portrayed in her opening track "Little Allis", a song about a little Allis Chalmers Tractor they had on their Saskatchewan Farm, to the album title track "Passin'-A-Time", the first she wrote about her trip to Mississippi, which was written in wheat fields in her hometown of Waldron, Saskatchewan. It is a song in reply to her right to sing the blues and after listening to this little treasure of a song, which clocks in at a healthy 7+ minutes, we as the listener, have no doubt as to her right to sing the blues. "Passin'-A-Time" continues in the tone as mentioned above, taking us on a wonderful journey done in a almost spiritual manner, tending to awaken those bones in us that perhaps have gotten a little to dusty with age and beckons them to perhaps take a few more interesting journeys ourselves. Kat Danser finishes off "Passin'-A-Time", with a couple of great tracks, one titled Miss Bessie's Blues, a song of tribute to Bessie Smith that Kat wrote will staying in the room across from the room that Miss Bessie died in after a tragic car accident, at the Riverside Hotel which was originally a African-American Hospital. The last Track on "Passin'-A-Time" is a wild romp done in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis and playfully brings out Kat's ability to sing a good old edgy song, titled "Birds 'n Bees Me". It is a fun song that leaves you with what I am sure Kat would like you to leave with, and that is a smile on your face. Kat Danser is not an overly prolific writer, as "Passin'-A-Time" is just her third album in 8 years, but what she is, is a writer that thoroughly lives the experiences that has enriched her life, and when it is the right time, Kat passes those experiences unto all of us, and in doing so, enriches our lives. "Passin'-A-Time" is a absolute musical testament from an artist whom not only understands her deep passion for Roots and Blues, but also her amazing gift of being able to transform that passion into a work of art for all of us to enjoy. "Passin'-A-Time" is the best Roots and Blues Album I have heard this year and one that I Highly Recommend you give a listen to. "Passin'-A-Time" gets my highest rating of 5*****. Review By John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) Other Info And Reviews Join Edmonton’s Queen of the Swamp Blues, Kat Danser, as she draws a direct line from the Canadian Prairies to the Mississippi Delta with the release of her third album, Passin’-A-Time. The songwriting takes us with her from the wheat fields of Saskatchewan to the cotton fields of Mississippi. She has a deep passion, understanding and respect for Delta blues, one of the earliest styles of this music. Danser has made several study trips to the Mississippi Delta and draws heavily on the rich and fertile musical climate there. This new album is a testament to those cultural encounters. Rich in tradition, yet modernistic in tone, the songs on this CD chronicle her unique musical journey along the rivers and rails of this continent. Tracklist
1. Little Allis 2:42 About Kat Danser Edmonton-based guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Kat Danser throws down funky, laidback rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics. Her Swamp Blues style, steeped in early roots and blues traditions, distills a refreshing approach to roots, blues, and gospel music for the 21st Century. She reveals a new take on centuries-old premises, and is adept at taking jabs at modern-day cultural phenomena. As well as an excellent tunesmith, Danser is a multi-instrumentalist, playing the Weissenborn Hawaiian lap slide guitar, a vintage acoustic Gibson, National steel resophonic slide guitar, a tack head banjo and the Zydeco scrubboard. A national touring and award-winning artist, Danser has performed at the Calgary International Blues Festival, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, Saskatoon Blues Festival, Lethbridge Roots & Blues Festival, Stir Crazy Festival, Tucson Folk Festival, Saltspring Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Island MusicFest, Juke Joint Festival and CBC Festival of Lights. Media reviews and interviews have occurred on CBC Radio, Global TV, Halifax Chronicle, Vancouver Georgia Straight, Edmonton Journal, CKUA Radio, Winnipeg Free Press, CTV, Edmonton Sun, Toronto Blues Society, Blues Matters!; with highlights being interviewed for the film project Blues Women in Canada and her recent debut directorial film release titled Rails & Rivers: Searching for the Heart of the Blues. Born in Saskatchewan, and raised to the sound of her mother playing autoharp, Danser came into this world armed with a deep love of and respect for music. Her Polish Catholic family upbringing instilled a strong work ethic in her, balanced by time spent in front of the radio to hear the early roots music of the day. At the age of 5, Danser's uncle gave her a button accordion and a family friend taught her to slap the spoons to Acadian rhythms. Danser, an Ethnomusicology graduate student at the University of Alberta, is currently in pre-production with film maker Michael McDonald for a new documentary project titled Women in Blues: Turn the Page Kat Danser performs Passin A Time at Mount Engadine and what a time it was!!!
http://www.katdanser.com/index.html
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