| Background: | person |
| Birth Name: | Katherine (Kate) Lindsay McDonnell |
| Birth Date: | 7 March 1961 |
| Genre: | Folk |
| Occupations: | Musician- songwriter |
| Years Active: | 1990s–present |
| Website: | https://katemcdonnell.com/ |
Kate McDonnell is an American folk singer and songwriter.
In her teens and early 20s, she was part of a duo with her sister, Anne McDonnell. They self-produced the LP, "Middle Flight," in 1980, through Owen Productions. From 1989 to 1992, she was part of the duo McDonnell–Tane with Freddie Tane.[1] [2] They opened for Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega, Kathy Mattea, Willie Nelson, Judy Collins, Leo Kottke, and Arlo Guthrie.[3]
McDonnell released her first solo album, Broken Bones reissued by Waterbug Records in 1994.[4] She was voted #1 singer/songwriter in the New Haven Advocate, New Haven, Connecticut, in 1994.[5] [1] Her 1998 album Next was reviewed in the Boston Globe: "Arrangements ... centered on McDonnell's soaring soprano vocals, expressive acoustic guitar finger picking"... "With her poetic songs... she shares life with an unforgettable impact".[6] She has played at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival,[7] and the Kerrville Folk Festival.[8]
In 2001, her CD "Don't Get Me Started" was released on the Swiss label Brambus records. Rani Arbo in Acoustic Guitar wrote: "Kate McDonnell applies a polished and subtle musicianship to bluegrass, swing tunes, and classic single–songwriter fare." When the finger picked or flat-picked, the guitar is rhythmically solid, fleet and energetic... best of all, McDonnell's voice has a sweet patina that complements her stylized yet unaffected delivery and stays fresh throughout".[9] That year, McDonnell performed at the Newport Folk Festival, and in 2002 she won first place at the Mountain Stage Festival new song competition for "Go Down Moses."[10] [11]