Grammy winner Kathy Mattea journeys to Spokane

Mar 23, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

SPOKANE: Kathy Mattea, the two-time Grammy winner and Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year has followed a path of discovery and re-thinking throughout a career spanning 11 albums of intensely felt music. Now Kathy Mattea is embarking on an exciting new phase of her musical journey. She will share that journey in a performance with the Spokane Symphony on Saturday, April 1, at 8 p.m. in the Spokane Opera House under the direction of Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara.

Mattea released her self-titled debut album in 1984. Though it generated several Top 40 singles, it was not until her third album, Walk The Way The Wind Blows (1986) that established her as an up and coming star.

"At the time I broke through, country music had narrowed so much," she recalls. "I was part of an influx of a kind of new breed, where the format opened up again in order to survive" - and open up it did. Mattea scored four Top 10 hits from the album as the rootsy sound brought a critically acclaimed breath of fresh air to country music alongside singles from fellow pioneers like Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett. Mattea earned critical acclaim and commercial success among country music's left-of-center innovators.

Throughout the '90s, Mattea's successes continued, charting still more singles, including 1994s top five single "Walking Away A Winner," and releasing three more gold albums, the platinum-selling A Collection Of Hits and a Christmas album, Good News, which earned Mattea her second Grammy.

During the early 90s, as country music exploded behind the phenomenon of Garth Books, Mattea began to push her own musical boundaries. "I became musically restless. Country music, as a format, seemed to be narrowing down again, at the time I was exposed to all this cool Celtic and world music."

"I began to feel like the next generation was coming up, and I could either choose to play in that arena, or go and see what else might be out there for me. I began to dream of making music without all these rules. I wanted to experiment with some of the sounds I had been exposed to during my trips to Scotland. Adding unexpected elements, like traditional Celtic instruments or more ethnic drumming to our shows has allowed us more diversity. I've always enjoyed making that kind of cultural and musical soup," she said.

Tickets are $17, $26, $34, and $39. Tickets are available in advance without service charge at the Spokane Symphony Ticket office, 818 W. Riverside, Suite 100, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT or at spokanesymphony.org.