The KittyHawks are a new old-time band based in the UK. Whilst their repertoire is rooted in traditional old-time, some songs are contemporary and some are plucked from other musical styles and given an old-time twist. All are interwoven with beautiful harmonies creating a mix of high and lonesome, gospel and good old foot-tapping stomps.
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Duo-ality
The latest has been the moving and travelling of members of our band and as we live soooo far apart we have decided to now concentrate on the duo performances of Mo Jackson and Lucy Ray. This is a more intimate performance and Mo and Lucy are planning a small tour in the UK for six weeks from mid-August to the end of September. If you or a club would like to hire us please send us an email and we will send you a CD and a promo pack. The sets include some originals and many traditional oldtime songs from Appalachia featuring beautiful harmonies and backing of clawhammer banjo and mandolin.
News Update
The KittyHawks are about to finally get into the studio for a new recording with their new oldtime fiddler, Miss Christine Cooper. They will miss Richard Partridge as he's taken on further commitments, one being a very important young Mansell Lewis Partrige (congratulations Mom and Dad!). Further gigs have been added beginning in January to start with The KittyHawks new recording and new fiddler! We're an almost all girl band! Now these girls are KittyHawks!!!
Keep Your Hats On
The band have had a busy time between gigs and recording, camps and rainy weather. We even went into the BBC radio studio in Nottingham for Mick Smith's show. This was aired on Tues June 3rd and you can listen to it up to 7 days here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2005/09/22/mick_smith.shtml
We are in the 2nd hour of the show, but have a listen to what the English listen to! All sorts of material here. We have started recording our new CD which will hopefully be ready in August. Lucy will be off gallavanting for the whole of July which is why it won't be done sooner. If you can, please make every effort to get to the Going to the West Festival in Pembrokeshire, Wales. God's country and it's the first time for this festival, and we'd like to ensure it is given every bit of support available. Jo and Jackie (the organisers) have worked hard to get this going. See ya'll there or around. If you're around London, we're playing at the London Bluegrass Club on Tues, 17th June at the Spice of Life in Soho. XXX
March news
What a month February was! It started with a very warmly received appearance at Richard's local pub, the King's Head in Hadstock. The new edition of the Hadstock Magazine said: "The soft southern tones of the KittyHawks played to a full house – a magical blend of balanced harmonies courtesy of Lucy Ray and Mo Jackson, ably accompanied by Richard Partridge, Muddy John and Moira Fraser. Singing the songs of the heartbroken, reborn and broken again, the KittyHawks played to the delight of everyone. Spirits raised and hearts consoled, we left, wanting more. That's mighty fine music!"
The Gainsborough Old-Time Festival gave us a warm reception (although there was a certain amount of comment on the extraordinary dancing style of a certain band member). The following week we played to a packed Green Note in Camden, and then we supported Piney Woods (featuring Kate Lissauer and Tim and Dave Bing) at the Merlin Theatre in Frome – to another full house.
Now it's back to recording our first full-length CD. Our next performance is at the Railway in Saffron Walden on 10 May.
2008: A Very Good Year
We had a great gig at the King's Head in Hadstock, a little village near Saffron Walden in Essex. It's Richard's local pub, and he's putting on monthly acoustic music nights there, which are developing into quite a scene. (Next up it's the New Essex Bluegrass Band on 1 March – check 'em out because they're the business when it comes to bluegrass around here).
Tomorrow we're off to the Gainsborough Old Time Music Festival in Lincolnshire, where we've got a couple of sets to play on Friday and Saturday, and some workshops to run. Then next week, on 16 Feb, we're back in Camden, London, at the Green Note Café Bar (it's a very cool veggie restaurant and gig venue – Tim O'Brien just played there).
And on 20 February we're at the Merlin Theatre in Frome, Somerset, supporting The Piney Woods (Kate Lissauer with Dave Bing, Tim Bing and Jim Martin) in an old-time extravaganza. We're really looking forward to that – it'll be a very special night.
Hawking in the summer
The Kitty Hawks had a splendid summer, starting with a ragingly successful tour of Holland, which resulted in some radio play over there. Their performance at Priddy Folk Festival so impressed the organisers of the Newport Folk Club, who happened to be there, that a date at the club was offered at once! The band were joined in Holland and at Priddy by fiddler Christine Cooper, who did a great job and contributed some fine new tunes to the band. Regular fiddler Richard Partridge was back in the saddle for the Newport gig and for the 'Hawks's spot at Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, where they provided the opening set on the main stage. Didmarton is one of the biggest of the British bluegrass festivals and it's also one of the most fun. It was a privilage to open the show there. Check it out for next year at www.didmarton-bluegrass.co.uk.
Radio Airplay
The KittyHawks have had recent airplay on BBC Radio Nottingham and on Carol Finer's Sounding Out programme on London's Resonance FM.
www.myspace.com/thekittyhawks
You can see and hear more KittyHawk news on their myspace site. Check it out. Become a friend!
Did You Know?
The KittyHawks name comes from a town in North Carolina in which Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first in flight and a prominent historical event. But, did you know that Orville was a mandolin player? Did you know Mo and Lucy once even considered calling themselves Orville and Wilbur. Ha! Too funny!