I picked up the new double CD, What are They Doing in Heaven Today by Kathy Kallick and Friends and Dodi  Kallick and at the 2022 California Bluegrass Association (CBA) Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley. The first CD is Kathy with friends includes Annie Staninec, Cary Black, Cliff Perry, Greg Booth, Jim Hurst, Joe Newberry, Juniper Waller, Laurel Bliss, Laurie Lewis, Mike Compton, Molly Tuttle, Paul Shelasky, Riley Thompson, Suzy Thompson, Tom Bekeny, and Tristan Scroggins. The second CD contains 1960s archival recordings by Kathy’s late mom, Dodi. Hobart Smith plays fiddle with her on “Down in the Willow Garden.”

The first CD opens with Molly on guitar and harmony vocal on “Put My Little Shoes Away” (see below).  Tristan then adds his cross-picked mandolin to “Sittin’ On Top of the World.” Cliff and Laurel join Kathy on the haunting Carter Family song “Little Moses.” Jim sings and picks the guitar on “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy.” Kathy’s full band (Annie, Tom, Greg, and Cary) backs her on “Footprints in the Snow” and on “The Wild Side of Life/It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Paul adds a second fiddle to that medley while Kathy’s daughters, Juniper and Riley, share lead vocals with their mom. Annie also fiddles on “Handsome Molly.” Mike and Joe add harmony vocals, mandolin, and banjo to “Farther Along,” and Laurie and Suzy add vocals, fiddle, and guitar to “What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?”

The second CD begins with Dodi Kallick on dulcimer and vocal on “What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” It continues with “I’m a Long Time Traveling,” “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” “One Hundred Miles” on guitar, “Row Us Over the Tide,” “Red Clay Country,” “Down in the Willow Garden,” “My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains,” and the a capella “The Parting Glass.” Dodi Kallick has a clear and sweet voice which well suits her folk repertory.

 

This recording will be released shortly. Visit Kathy’s website to check on its release and get other recordings.