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The critics are talking about Fully Charged:
August 2022
In the end, true blues sounds best when it’s stripped to the bone and feels like an open wound. It’s rare to hear something so simple these days, because with recording techniques worthy of the NASA laboratories not many artists keep things to a minimum. Vocalist Kathy Murray doesn’t add on many of the extras in the studio, because she really doesn’t need to. Her voice is switchblade sharp and capable of an emotional knockout punch on demand. She comes by it all naturally too, having grown up in Austin through the golden years of the 1970s when the streets were roamed by the kind of musicians who didn’t much bother with anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. Maybe a turban or two, but that was about it. This was before hi-tech had hit and changed the rule book for everything. So thank goodness for Murray and her band of stripped-down stalwarts. Guitarist Bill “Monster” Jones is right there on the case too, laying in the lowdown lead lines and burning solos with an economy of feeling that comes from the inside emotions which say the most. The Murray-Jones team is a treasure to hear, with just enough vocal sultriness to stir things up, and six-strings to set it all on fire. Ms. Murray’s originals keep things moving in the right direction and ensure nothing becomes too overdone. Even the covers–“It Hurts Me Too,” “Suspicion” and “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is”–stay in the pocket, which is always one of the clues to a great band. While the Live Music Capital of the World (as Austin likes to call itself) can sometimes get a little full-up, there is always room for a group like Kathy Murray and the Kilowatts, because instead of taking up space they’re actually blowing a few cobwebs out of the corners and letting a local outfit come in and show the newcomers how things really get done. Fully charged indeed. -Bill Bentley, Americana Highways
April 2022
Not to make light of the wintertime electricity woes in Texas, but Kathy Murray and the Kilowatts have enough juice to brighten the entire Live Music Capital of the World.
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“Fully Charged” is an energetic blues party from its first note all the way through 14 songs – 11 originals by Murray and three brilliant covers. The band leader is Bill Jones, who plays guitar, accordion, washboard, and he sings.
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After almost four decades on the bandstand Kathy Murray and the Kilowatts are enlightening record listeners to its grooves. Released on Friday, Feb. 18, this one comes on the bootheels of 2018’s “Premonition of Love” and a 2020 Grammy nomination for songwriting.
Turn on “Fully Charged” and ears will remain engaged. The songs are all blues but each with different shades and Texas is shone throughout. This one deserves five Lone Stars. (That’s as big as it gets.) Brass trio The Texas Horns appear on four tracks, and Los Flames barrelhouse piano player Matt Farrell joins the party on an old-timey rocker, “Get Ahold of Yourself.” (Baby!) The fabled little Armadillo World Headquarters is remembered and the Texas Cannonball is honored in “The House That Freddie Built.”
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Here’s the part where the writer finds something to criticize. Um … I wish this band had made more than just five records in its 37 years.
Murray’s conversational, purring delivery is a comfort, especially on the cover of Ronnie McDowell’s cover of Doc Pomus’ “Suspicion.” Yep, it’s multilayered. Murray’s wide-ranging voice is made for the stories of blues tunes. As a songwriter, she’s clever, not cliché. She really gets it. Music fans, too, should get “Fully Charged.” When a new listener plugs it in, they will be shocked.
-Tim Parsons
March 2022
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Kathy has her place among Austin blues divas like Lou Ann Barton and Angela Strehli. An acclaimed Texan singer-songwriter, she earned a Grammy nomination in 2020 for her writing skills. Together with her partner and bandleader/guitarist Bill Jones and The Kilowatts, Murray recorded an energetic collection of eleven new original songs and three cheerful covers. The album diverges, is very enjoyable and therefore highly recommended.
March 2022
At the top of the first page of this band’s website, it says their new album is “showcasing Murray at the peak of her mastery of American roadhouse music.”
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Well. If an album of fine roadhouse music doesn’t deserve mention here in the Roadhouse, where else? Roadhouse music, by the way, is a catchphrase that describes an assortment of musical styles good for things like listening, drinking or dancing (or all three) — and it can put its lovin’ arms around country, blues, ballads, and just about any music that could also be called rootsy, or maybe Americana.
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But that’s just all a bunch of words. Maybe it’s better to describe the music by its performers. And that’s where Kathy Murray comes in.
At first glance, Kathy, plus the Kilowatts, is a bluesy Texas songbird, backed by a crisp combo making fine music. Well, they are that. But they are much more. Murray is a talented singer-songwriter with an expressive honey-layered Southern voice (must be a Texas thang!). Her bandleader and partner, Bill Jones, leads the way with expressive guitar that matches the many moods of the music and Murray’s vocals.
Since this is very much a Texas band, the opener is a traditional Texas shuffle, “Expense of Love.” That’s followed by “My Mistake,” a torchy blues with appropriate guitar and the Texas Horns for good measure. The road (and roadhouse) song “Changing Lanes” revs things into a higher gear.
“The House That Freddie Built” is a tribute to the “Texas Cannonball,” the great Freddie King, and the years he spent on the musically vital Austin scene at The Armadillo World Headquarters.
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There is much more. All excellent listening. Murray’s vocals shift gently from song to song, but never lose their essential expressiveness — she pulls you into each song, especially more thoughtful musings such as “Wash Away The Pain” and one of my favorites, the melancholy country-flavored “Breakup Breakdown.” And she casts her own sultry vocal spell on the old Irma Thomas track, “Anyone Who Knows What Love
Is.” And can rock out hard and fast, as in “Get Ahold of Yourself,” behind a pounding piano.
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Another favorite is her effortless sensuality on the classic Tampa Red version of “It Hurts Me Too.” If you want to take an interesting side trip into the blues, both Red (Hudson Whittaker or Woodbridge) and the song itself have long and colorful histories. After you’ve listened to Murray’s music, come back and check those links. After all, they’re included free of charge, along with this blog, also free of charge.
This is an excellent album by a talented singer and songwriter, with impressive credentials: Along with co-songwriters Christoffer ‘Kid” Andersen, Rick Estrin and Frank Bey, Murray wrote the title cut on Frank Bey’s album, “All My Dues Are Paid,” posthumously nominated for “Best Traditional Blues Album” in the 63rd Grammy Awards, and for “Song of the Year” in the 2021 Blues Music Awards. Murray received the 2003 “Songwriter of the Year” award from the Australian Blues Music Awards and two Silver Medals from the 2018 Global Music Awards.
So have a listen. It’s cool, smart and smooth Texas music from cool, smart and smooth Texan Kathy Murray.
March 2022
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fully Charged, from Kathy Murray & The Kilowatts and its a cool current day blues rocker. Opening with Expense of Love based around an up tempo Sonny Boy Williamson riff, Kathy Murray leads the release off with supple, lead vocals in front of a band that sounds like it's chomping at the bit to run. With Michael DeSantis on bass, Richard Ross on drums, and Bill "Monster" Jones on guitar, solid opener. Rolling into a great blues track, My Mistake, Jones steps up with some hot riffs over DeSantis' bass line, and with the addition of the Texas Horns (Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari sax, and Al Gomez on trumpet). Very nice! With a modified walking bass line driven by DeSantis, Henny Penny Blues is a cool change up mid disc with a nice exchange between Murray and Jones. With solid riffs and a snappy drum base by Ross, a solid addition. Pulling out Tampa Red's It Hurts Me Too, Jones slips on the slide and with Murry's vocal prowess, really delivers on this classic. Wrapping the release is Extra Nice with Murray sharing the vocal spotlight with Jones (who of course has lead guitar and adds accordion) over a cool bass line by Jeff Botta with Jason Corbiere on drums. Cool closer.
The critics are talking about Premonition of Love :
January 2019
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Kathy and the Kilowatts - Premonition of Love
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Kathy and The Kilowatts play real Texas roots and blues music and the 13 cool cuts on this red hot release have 11 original Kathy Murray songs mixed in with two covers which all showcase her super, soulful, sexy, and sultry vocals and the tight backing band. She has a big and powerful voice that I really like: bright, upbeat and comfortable, sorta like an old friend with passionate convictions looking you in the eye and telling you about a lesson learned via a memorable melody mixed with her good phrasing and delivery.
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She successfully moves from different blues genres so naturally and convincingly that it's hard not to notice how good this fourth release from this Austin band really is. For traditional blues, check out the title track "Premonition Of Love" with the great horns and teasing vocals or the nice harp in "Final Verdict" or how tight the group is in the Lowell Fulson's "Black Nights." For Texas shuffle, listen to "I Got This." For rockabilly blues dig "Grow Some" and for funky blues "The Bigger Picture" with its soulful organ. The 1968 Magic Sam cover " What Have I Done Wrong" and "Sugar Bee," with its Bo Diddley beat, are all convincingly authentic and jump out of the speakers. The way the vocals and the drums play off each other in the Detroit meets Memphis vintage blues rocker "Answer Yes" is just killer too. Bill "Monster" Jones on guitar, Benny Turner, Dylan Cavaliere, and Jeff Botta on bass, Richard Ross behind the kit, Nina Singh on percussion, Floyd Domino and Matt Farrell playing piano, Kim Field on harmonica, and Dan Torosian and Eric Johnson on horns never let up as Murray sings the blues in an entertaining, believable, and very personable way. To best sum up this record, the more I play this CD the more I like it! -A.J. Wachtel
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Kathy and the Kilowatts / Premonition of Love / Nola Blue Records 005
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Austin veteran Kathy Murray has released what's sure to be one of the best roadhouse albums of the year. Sounding a bit like Maria Muldaur, Murray leads a crack band through an album of mostly originals that leans heavily on nearly every different shade of Blues and R&B, but also mixes in Cajun (a swampy cover of Cleveland Crochet's "Sugar Bee") and other roots music. Major props to killer guitarist AND producer Bill "Monster" Jones. I can't imagine anyone reading "Blue Suede News" who wouldn't like this album. ​
-Tim Livingston
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Fall 2018
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Kathy and the Kilowatts - Premonition of Love
Austin is the music capital of Texas, and Kathy Murray is a wonderful representative for the blues in this fine city. Kathy got to experience the heyday of the blues scene there while collecting albums from blues masters and learning everything possible from them. As she started performing, Kathy got to share the stage with true blues heroes such as Koko Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert Collins, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Albert King, and W.C. Clark. Over the decades she has released a number of very good albums, and recently signed with Nola Blue Records.
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Kathy fronts the Kilowatts, and her right hand man in this group is guitarist Bill “Monster” Jones, who also happens to be her husband. The band’s latest Nola Blue Records release is Premonition of Love, which was recorded by Jack Miele at Music Shed Studios in New Orleans, and engineered by Jeff Botta at Single Pitch Studios in Austin. Quite a crew showed up to help out in the studio, including Kathy’s label mate, Benny Turner, who laid down some of the bass tracks. Other contributors were Dylan Cavaliere and Jeff Botta on bass, Richard Ross and Nina Singh with drums/percussion, Floyd Domino and Matt Farrell on the piano, and the horns of Dan Torosian and Eric Johnson.
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Premonition of Love has thirteen tracks, most of which were written by Kathy, and she put a lot of thought and quick wit into them. A fine example is the opener, “First Do No Harm,” which is the first song I’ve ever heard that namedrops Hippocrates. This tune features Kathy’s sultry voice over Botta’s fat bass line, fun leads from Jones, and the well-arranged horn accompaniment. After this, the songs cover an assortment of blues genres that can be heard in the lands between Austin and New Orleans.
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The title track is a fat slice of Freddy King-inspired blues with a touch of funk, and Kathy’s voice has an amazing growl as she describes her “Premonition of Love.” There is an Otis Rush feel to “Beggars Can't be Choosy,” which includes a return of the horns, sharp guitar licks from Jones, and tight bass from Benny Turner. Continuing to draw from the masters, Kathy added a Bo Diddley beat to “Answer Yes,” which has cool interludes with just the bass, drums, and vocals; this instrumentation provides a subtle contrast to some of the more complicated tracks on the album.
There is also some rockabilly to be found here, and “Grow Some” has wonderful piano from Matt Farrell to accompany Kathy’s sexy voice. “I Got This” is a great example of a Texas shuffle that includes a cool piano solo from Floyd Domino. And Kathy hoots up a storm in “Always Fooling Me,” a guitar and horn-driven funky soul song. There is a little something here for anyone that likes the blues!
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Kathy and the Kilowatts also run down three neat cover tunes that fit well into this set. One of these is “Black Nights,” a 1960 Lowell Fulson tune that was written by Fats Washington and is presented as a slow-grinding blues tune. There is also a modernized funky re-do of “What Have I Done Wrong,” a 1968 song from Magic Sam. And there is even a little bayou magic thrown in with Cleveland Crochet’s “Sugar Bee,” which in 1960 was the first Cajun song to crack the Billboard Top 100. Jones shows versatility here as he sets the mood with his squeezebox, and Kathy’s vocals have a cool distortion effect added in to help make this song her own.
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Kathy Murray and the Kilowatts put together a fine album with Premonition of Love, and its thirteen solid tracks each have a satisfying mix of vintage and traditional blues themes. The songs are playful and sexy, and you can check out some samples of the bands’ music at their website so you can get a better feel for where they are coming from. Also, if you are going to be in Austin be sure look over the band’s list of shows as there are a few coming up before the end of the year!​
September 2018
Bentley's Bandstand: July 2018
Kathy and the Kilowatts, Premonition of Love
Since moving to Austin 50 years ago with her family, Kathy Murray joined up with the blues crew there on day one. Drawn to local players then like Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Vaughan, Denny Freeman, and Bill Campbell, it wasn't long before Murray got a guitar and jumped in. The wonder of her quest is that she has remained with a low-down sound that takes aim at the center of the heart and stays there. She's won various awards in past years, but never takes her eye off the blues. Murray sings like her life depends on it, and keeps influences like Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Freddie King up close and personal while carving out her own style. Guitarist and co-producer Bill "Monster" Jones keeps the axe fires burning way hot, and matches Murray's vocals with an always-bluesy edge. Wonder of wonders, Kathy Murray's songs grasp a modernity that's often lacking in the blues today without ever trying too hard to be current. They capture a woman's modern world that makes it obvious what the singer has gone through. No small feat in current life. As always, the blues is there to turn sadness into gladness as best as possible, and Kathy and Kilowatts turn that trick with soul and salvation. These could be the songs to turn a bigger spotlight on Ms. Murray, with plenty of Kilowatts to make them bad and nationwide. Blues to use.
June/July 2018
Kathy & the Kilowatts are the kind of band that likely kills it in concert. At least that's the impression they offer on their fourth CD, the intriguingly titled "Premonition of Love." Flush with both frenzy and finesse, it provides grit and a groove. Kathy and company have an inherent feel for authenticity, and though this Austin-based band make it all seem effortless, they can't be confined to one specific genre, even though they're clearly rooted in the blues. The music makes their main intent clear - to connect with their audience and put the essential emotion across.
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That ability is drawn from experience. Singer Kathy Murray played a pivotal role in the Texas blues music scene throughout the '80s and '90s, sharing stages with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball, Albert Collins, Albert King, Koko Taylor, and Lou Ann Barton, to name a few. If she hasn't achieved the ready recognition of those aforementioned contemporaries, the new album suggests that appreciation ought not be long in coming. Kathy's confidence is never in doubt, whether reflected in the blustery swagger of "Beggars Can'r Be Choosers", the surge and sass that drives "Always Fooling Me", the insistent shuffle of the ever effusive "Grow Some" or the relentlessly rollicking "Sugar Bee", the latter one of four covers included in this 13-song set.
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Even when the band slows the pace and digs deep into the searing soul of Lowell Fulson's classic "Black Nights", they show how well suited they are to purveying a stoic sound that resonates with power and finesse. The Bo Diddley beat of "Answer Yes" and the solid strut of "Final Verdict" also attest to their verve and versatility.
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It's evident then that the original premise rings true. Translating the electricity of live performance to a studio situation is no easy task, but Kathy & the Kilowatts lose nothing in the translation. The electricity is, as their handle implies, fully charged from their initial impulse.
- Lee Zimmerman
May 2018
Kathy Murray is certainly no stranger to the blues, moving to Austin with her family in 1968. Before long she was an integral part of that thriving Blues scene, sharing the stage with the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and more. More than simply a fan, Murray became a part of that scene, soaking up the blues...music, traditions, history and lifestyle, learning directly from the legends. She also absorbed the other sounds from the world around her, from the blues influenced country of Hank Williams to zydeco, soul, rockabilly and more. All of these influences are heard in Premonitions of Love, whether on the surface or in the steamy undertones. Kathy Murray & the Kilowatts bring a lot to the table, and we, the fans reap the benefits. A powerful songwriter, the language of the blues is second nature to Murray, whether in traditional blues or carried forward into today's world. Of the 13 tunes on the disc, only three are covers...Magic Sam's "What Have I Done Wrong?", "Black Nights" (written by F. Washington) recorded by Lowell Fulson and "Sugar Bee" (written by E. Schuler), a zydeco tune recorded by Cleveland Crochet, the Sir Douglas Quintet and more. These were done with the utmost respect for the originals, while having the Kilowatt twist added. Murray brings a raw sex appeal and major heat, a factor that I am sure would be appreciated by all of the original artists. The originals, songs of love, love gone bad and reconciliation, set to some incredible blues in varied styles. This band is as good as bands get, with Kathy Murray on vocals, Bill "Monster" Jones on guitar, accordion, percussion and more, Benny Turner, Dylan Cavaliere & Jeff Botta on bass, Richard Ross & Nina Singh on drums, Floyd Domino & Matt Farrell on assorted keys, Dan Torosian on sax, Eric Johnson on trumpet and Kim Field on harmonica. One listen will make it clear why Kathy Murray's name is used in the same sentence as those of Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton in some parts of Texas to this day. This is my idea of the natural progression of the blues. This is a solid blues from start to finish.
- Bill Wilson