Where We've Been... You can learn a lot about who we are and where we're going by looking at where we've been. For a list of where we’ve performed since 1998, click here. Articles Here’s a link to a Feb. 22, 2008, article in the Charleston Gazette, along with an audio slide show that was at TheGazz online. Reviews From The Old-Time Herald, Volume 10, No. 2 Winter, 2005 : Bare
There Were They Tree House Recording, No Number. Bill Kimmons: vocals; Rebecca Kimmons: vocals; Will Fanning: vocals. Pair in a Paradise/The Tattler/Pretty Bird/If Walls Could Talk/Blue on Monday/Red-Haired Mary/Carry My Burden/Beware and Take Care/Mercian Tittery-Ary-A/Don't You Want To Be a Shepherd?/The Mill Was Made of Marble/Little Margaret/David Loved Bathsheba/Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy/Cold Jordan/The Low Road to Charleston/Forgiveness/Some Day
I enjoyed the group name, which is as equivocal as a White House statement. They’re a trio that’s a “missing person quartet.” They're a “gospel” group that sings some material that is not faith-based. That leaves “soup kitchen,” which is not explained in the notes, but is presumably an inside joke. For brevity, I’ll assign them an official-sounding acronym: TMPSKGQ. These are three skillful singers, with vocal ranges that I’d classify as alto (or low soprano?), tenor (Will Fanning), and bass (Bill Kimmons). Rebecca Kimmons sings lead on most of the trio pieces. The extra dimensions of a cappella singing are most evident with a solo voice. An excellent example of traditional mountain style is Rebecca's solo “Pretty Bird.” I’d recommend this CD even if that were the only number on it, but she also sings an excellent “Little Margaret” in haunting Dorian mode, in contrast to Jean Ritchie’s bouncy major key version. Another fine solo, by Bill, is “Low Road to Charleston,” and I thank them for pointing me to an earlier Pennsylvania version of this song, which I’d previously only known as “Spring of ’65” from the Folkways Mountain Music of Kentucky album. Adding other voices necessarily adds some restrictions: rhythm needs to be more predictable (although not necessarily regular), and rules of harmony limit the available modes. TMPSKGQ compensate by applying a number of different harmonic styles. They use Gospel Quartet style fairly often, as well as something like British Pub style. Some harmonies remind me of the Copper Family of England—maybe it’s Bill Kimmons’ fine bass voice. In fact, two of the songs, “Red-Haired Mary” and “Mercian Tittery-Ary-A” (or “Eggs and Marrowbones”) are directly Irish, presumably due to Will Fanning’s influence—he’s originally from Ireland. TMPSKGQ do not use bluegrass or Sacred Harp harmonies, and when they explore non-traditional material (such as Lotus Dickey’s “Blue on Monday”), both rhythm and harmony are reminiscent of uptown groups like Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. They also include Dickey’s “Pair in a Paradise” (this song’s refrain became the album title), “Carry My Burden,” and “David Loved Bathsheba.” I’m only familiar with Dickey from his traditional fiddle tunes, so I don’t know how closely their renditions follow his intentions. Though a strict traditionalist might object when the trio deviates from American old-time singing traditions, an open-minded listener will find a lot to like here. -- Lyle Lofgren To order: Soup Kitchen, 550 Anderson Heights Road, Charleston WV 25314; rhk.katcandu@verizon.net
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People
who listen only to singing accompanied by instruments are missing
some pleasurable musical dimensions. This recording demonstrates
that unaccompanied singing can explore interesting scales and
follow rhythms that are not possible when (say) a guitar is
dictating both harmonies and tempo.
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