Welcome to the Blooming page! Blooming, released to radio in October, 2009, is now being played on radio stations across the USA, in Canada and on select stations in Australia and Europe. I send a big thanks to my community for the sold-out CD-release concert in Salt Lake City and for the CD-release party at the home of the Eaton's in Park City, UT. 

This recording project is a culmination of my love and experience with the styles of American music that I have been performing most of my life. On this recording you will hear twelve songs with musical shades of country, folk, bluegrass, folk-rock, pop, art-song and sounds of modern Americana music, held together in a project that is full of personality and ease. 

I'm attempting to save resources by posting detailed notes about Blooming here on the website, to save printed material. You will also find the song lyrics on this site. If listening to Blooming makes you want to sing along, offers you a little respite from the world's complications, or anything like that, please send an email to let me know that you like this recording, and why. That would give me a smile worth a million. 

Listen to samples and purchase this recording at Waterbug Records.

In Kate's home state of Utah, Blooming is stocked at the following music stores...Slowtrain Music in Salt Lake City, and Groovacious in Cedar City.

Watch on You Tube: Blooming CD. Song - The Day is Mine  

Watch on You Tube: Where the Magic Happens from the Park City, UT, CD-release party, Dec. 5, '09

Read about Blooming in the Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 24, 09, by David Burger: http://www.sltrib.com/themix/ci_13404494?source=rv   
The Standard-Examiner, Nov. 24, 09. by Linda East Brady:
http://www.standard.net/topics/features/2009/11/23/kate-macleod-blossoms-blooming 

The radio promotion for Blooming is being handled by Peter Hay at Twin Vision, in Brooklyn, NY.  www.TwinVision.net

Short Biography...
Kate MacLeod composes classic American music while living in the state of Utah; home of rich folklore, the roaming grounds of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, the place where legendary social activist Joe Hill was executed, and the land from where Utah Phillips took his name. Kate is a sought-after performer, studio musician, and leader of master classes and workshops, who is best known for her original songs and her unique fiddling style. Her songwriting style and live performances display an unbreakable link between traditional music and cutting-edge contemporary songwriting. She has been hailed as one of the “Ten Acts to Watch” by the editors of the MusicHound Folk Essential Album Guide. Originally from the Washington D.C. area, she is based in Salt Lake City and tours throughout the United States and Europe. Her music has been described by reviewers as reflecting the panoramic western landscape, perhaps due to her long residence in Utah. Kate's songs have been featured on nationally syndicated radio shows including Tom May's “River City Folk,” the holiday program hosted by Judy Collins, “Peace on Earth,” and have been sung by others on “A Prairie Home Companion.” You will find fans of many music genres in an audience gathered to hear Kate MacLeod perform. Her songs catch the ears of new artists, traditional singers, bluegrass musicians, celtic musicians and songwriters of many styles. Her songs find new life through other musicians at jam sessions and performances throughout the country and have been recorded by artists from California to the Czech Republic.

Introduction to recording...
     A few years ago I asked Tim O'Brien if he would be interested in producing one of my recordings. I actually did not ask anyone else, I think because my gut sensed that he seemed the right person to ask. Never having been in the same place very often, he and I have had a tangential connection through his sister Mollie O'Brien, who sings and has recorded some of my songs, and his old bandmate, Charles Sawtelle, who produced my first two recordings. Well, I guess I caught Tim on a good day, or at the right time for him to consider some production, I don't know. He said, "Yes." And I thought, "Wow! Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." (That’s a quote from a song in The Sound of Music, for those of you who are not well-versed in the Broadway musical genre. I grew up on that stuff.)
     This recording was in the planning stages for a long time before it was actually recorded and published. As you can imagine, everyone involved is very busy and time must be reserved in advance. I cannot thank Tim enough for putting together such a great band. I am also indebted to the musicians for their attention and brilliant musicianship that graced my homegrown songs. I hope that you pick up on the magic that we felt in the studio, when you listen to the recording. 

     The cover art is by William Matthews, the outstanding western watercolor artist based in Denver, CO. This painting of the blooming cactus is a perfect introduction to the music that the package carries. The music is of a variety of human themes, ranging from the humorous to the poignant, with branded hearts and dreamlike exposure, some with specifically western USA regional stories and themes. In western European influenced folk music the rose and the accompanying thorns represent the experience of life and love. In order to pick that most beautiful flower, to experience life and love, you must also experience the thorns. My region's native plant, the cactus, is our own version of that poetic concept. Additionally, the desert cactus plants are in some ways more fragile, but in other ways more resilient than flora that live in more fertile environments. I would say that is also true about myself. Perhaps I relate to my own environment and it is reasonably why I choose to live in a western landscape, despite my east coast roots. William has certainly displayed his brilliancy as an artist by creating this striking painting that causes one to pick up the package and wonder what is inside. 

Blooming is distributed by Waterbug Records, an independent record label that supports musicians in producing music without having to conform to mainstream commercial expectations. Support this business by ordering directly from www.waterbug.com.

For a longer story about this recording experience, see: My Trip to Nashville.

Song List

Lyrics for all songs < link
(You can also link to the lyrics of these songs from the CDs page of this website.)

The Day is Mine 4:11
Blooming 3:50
Where the Magic Happens 3:42
Riding the White Horse Home 4:04
Road to Heaven 3:59
Branded Heart 3:22
Something Left You Living 4:46
My Teton Home 3:49
Return to Rawlins 3:22
The Inner Man 4:26
A Smile Worth a Million 2:42
As Far as the Heart Can See 3:30

Total Time 44 Minutes.
Recording: Copyright 2009, Kate MacLeod, Courier Music, ASCAP. All songs on Blooming were written by Kate MacLeod, except "As Far as the Heart Can See," co-written by Kate MacLeod and Robert K. Wolf, and "The Inner Man," written by Jack Hardy. The Inner Man: Copyright 1979, Jack Hardy Music, BMI.              

This collection of songs was recorded March 9-13, 2009.
It was mixed in March 2009 and mastered in June 2009.
Recorded and Mixed at Signal Path, Nashville, TN
Recording and Mixing Engineer: David Ferguson
Mastering: David Shipley, Foxwood Mastering
Art Image/Cover Design: William Matthews
Graphic Design Assistance: Rich Ikegami

Musicians:
Kate MacLeod – vocals, acoustic guitar
Tim O’Brien – harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, fiddle
Darrell Scott – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, pedal steel, steel guitar
Byron House – acoustic bass, electric bass
Kenny Malone – percussion

Robert K. Wolf is co-writer of track 12, As Far as the Heart Can See. He and I met as back-up musicians on tour with Jack Hardy and started writing songs together while on the road with Jack. "As Far as the Heart Can See" is the one song we have actually had time to finish. In fact, we were finishing it up during the week of recording sessions because we had not seen each other for a long time and saved the last edits for a time when we were in the same town. After all, what good is the last minute unless you use it?

The song Riding the White Horse Home is based on the book by the same name. It is a memoir about rural family life in Wyoming, (Western USA), written by artist and author Teresa Jordan. 

Jack Hardy, writer of The Inner Man, is one of my favorite songwriters. His writing is heavily influenced by traditional folk music, something that he and I have in common. His repertoire is huge and growing. This is the second song of his that I have recorded. I included his song Forget Me Nots on my previous recording, Breakfast. 

Byron House, Darrel Scott, Tim O’Brien, Kate MacLeod, and Kenny Malone

Supporters, Contributors, and Sources of Inspiration for This Project

In alphabetical order…
Andrew Calhoun, Andy Agardy and family, Anke Summerhill, Aria Strack Rockwood, Brian Dobson, Cami Collette, Charlene Weir, Charlotte Bell, Cheryl Herman, Cori Connors, Dani Montague, Don Richmond, Dylan MacLeod, Emily Lobatto, Gary Martin, Hal Cannon, Hattie MacLeod, Katie Monroe and family, Kristin Erickson, Lawson Cannon, Lin Ostler, Marian Auer, Mark Hazel, Paul Doubek, Phillip Bimstein, Rich Wansguard, Teresa Davy Graham and family, Rebecca Eaton, Rebecca MacLeod, Robert K. Wolf, Rocky Anderson, Rose Laughlin, Ruth Nacarrato, Scott MacLeod, Teresa Jordan, Tiffany Draper, Tom Paxton.
In addition: Everyone who bought one of my recordings at a concert between the months of February and July, 2009. That sure helped.

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