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Current concise reviews of the albums by adult alternative, contemporary, and crossover artists. Images of album artwork and links to both internet-based resources are always included. Click on the title to view the article.

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Land Of Beginning Again CD Cover
Image © Katgalmusic Productions &
Bohunkus Productions 2006
 
 

(26 January 2007) Singer/actress Kathrin King Segal and guitarist Charlie Brown combine their efforts in their 2006 release, Land of Beginning Again. The eleven track album is a collection of jazz, folk, country and even some classical musical influences. This collaboration contains four original songs by Kathrin, including the title track, as well as two of Charlie's songs which are mainly instrumental. The album has been described as an eclectic range of styles and is a collection of original and traditional songs.

Kathrin was a teenager in the 60's and began her singing career in Greenwich Village’s golden age of folk music as Kathy King. She had the good fortune to perform with musician greats such as Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Gram Parsons and later as a backup singer with Bobby Vinton. She hooked up with some other young folk singers and they became the house group at the Café Au Go Go. They cut one LP, but eventually the group went their separate ways. Kathrin met Charlie Brown in New York in a show group called The Performers, and they've been friends ever since. They both entered the Broadway scene with Kathrin in the risque musical Oh, Calcutta! and Charlie as the lead guitarist in Hair. "I had changed my name to Katherine King and then to Kathrin King. I figured that if Barbra Streisand could drop a vowel from her first name, I could drop two."

She later appeared in plays by many gifted writers, including Emmy-nominated Peter Tolan (Analyze This, Rescue Me), and Tony winners Martin Sherman (Bent), and Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt (The Fantasticks). She became a popular performer in New York’s cabaret/supper club circuit before relocating to Los Angeles in the early 1990’s and rediscovering her songwriting and folk roots. She’s the author of one published novel, Wild Again. Her first album, Better Late Than ..., was released in 2002. Charlie has three albums of his own, Up From Georgia and Portrait of a Glad Man (Polydor), and Ride in the Country, and has performed and recorded with Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Solomon Burke, Chuck Berry, Eric Weissberg and Barbra Streisand.

The Land of Beginning Again has brought together these two performers after forty years. Kathrin displays her vocal versatility and virtuosity and Charlie demonstrates his multitalented musicianship on lead guitar, electric bass, Dobro and lap steel. Kathrin said, "As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been waiting for my soprano voice to drop itself down into some kind of blues growl, but it seems I would have to live to be about a hundred and fifty or smoke heavily for that to happen. On the CD, I sing the old Sippie Wallace blues, "Women Be Wise," but as more of a vintage pop/jazz song than a traditional blues. In the title track Kathrin wanted to express her feelings about regret, time passing and second chances.

The jazzy/folk combination of styles presents cohesively in this delightful album. The years of experience between Kathrin and Charlie certainly exhibit a maturity and expertise in their creations. They have not lost their touch and this album exudes a wonderful finesse. Land of Beginning Again will appeal to many.

 
 
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