Kathi McDonald by Kathi McDonald

She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest.

The idea for this cd project took place in a couple of different legendary San Francisco Bay Area music scenes, the San Francisco Blues Festival, and a restaurant, Horizons(once known as the Trident), located in Sausalito, California. The main forces behind the cd, Pete Slauson and Ann Pierson (partners for years in the nineties at 2B1 Music, Maritime Hall, San Francisco, CA) , and Kathi McDonald, are all friends and compadres who agreed that Miss McDonald needed some studio time back in the area she became legendary in.

Calls were made, connections were instantly at hand, and when Kathi made it down from Seattle to Marin County, California in the late spring of 2003, the recordings began. Pete Slauson, of 101 North Studios, was the driving force behind a new cd that recaptures the magic Kathi instilled in us in the sixties, when she recorded with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Long John Baldry, and Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

Drawing on his vast repertoire of local session musicians, Slauson tempted Vernon "ICE" Black (Lead Guitar) and Greg "GG" Gonaway (Drums) of Mariah Carey's touring band into his studio to back up Kathi, along with Rich Kirch, well known for 13 years as John Lee Hooker's main lead guitarist. Jimi Fischer, Bass player for Steve Winwood, Narada Michael Walden and the Music Producer for the "Temptations". Nick Gravenites, a true "Blues Brother" was brought in as song writer and session consultant, having produced Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Quicksilver Messenger Service and many other San Francisco Bands. The sessions became known in the local music scene, and several other local legends, some involved with Kathi in past projects ( David Frieberg of Quicksilver Messenger Service, for example) happily jumped aboard to lend their talents. Geoff Palmer, B3 Organ player, from The Sons of Champlin&amp. Joli Valenti, (Vocals) Dinos son, from Quicksilver Messenger Service. Annie Sampson (Vocals) from Stoneground. Gail Muldrow from Sly and The Family Stone&amp, Prince, and Graham Central Station. Peter Kaukonen from Jefferson Starship&, Hot Tuna and Black Kangaroo (Acoustic Guitar). Rick Meyers former Hoo Doo Rhythm Devil and writer of Santana's "Over and Over", also on B3 Organ. Mixed by the supremely talented Mix Down engineer Tom Flye, from the Record Plant, Grateful Dead, Tower of Power, Rick James and over 100 Gold or Better albums. Mixed at the premier West Coast recording facility in Sausalito, Ca, at The Plant in the "Garden Room" on the SSL 8000 Console

As an added bonus, this CD also contains three original compositions written by Kathi and Rick Morrison, that have never been released in the United States; Save your Breath, Grand Hotel, and Fantasy. Produced in Toronto, Canada by John King and Rick Morrison, these tracks are among Kathi's strongest all time recorded work

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This cd showcases the still incredible voice, timing, soulful delivery, and talent that is Kathi McDonald, the musician's choice as singer, the musician's musician, and still the biggest little white girl to ever sing the blues coming out of the West Coast.

Partial List of albums with "Kathi McDonald"

1969 Ike & Tina Turner Come Together

1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen

1971 Big Brother & The Holding Company Be A Brother

1971 Freddy King Getting Ready

1971 Leon Russell Shelter People

1971 Delaney & Bonnie To Bonnie From Delaney

1971 Rita Coolidge Rita Coolidge

1972 Big Brother & The Holding Company How Hard It Is

1972 Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street

1972 Nils Lofgren All Out

1974 Kathi McDonald Insane Asylum

1975 Leon Russell Best Of Leon Russell 1971-1974

1976 Long John Baldry Baldry’s Out

1978 Quicksilver Messenger Service Solid Silver

1980 Ike & Tina Turner Best of Ike & Tina Turner 1969-1974

1982 Long John Baldry Best Of Long John Baldry

1991 Long John Baldry It Still Ain’t Easy

1994 Kathi McDonald Save Your Breath

1996 Nick Vigarino Victims Of Cool

1997 Kathi McDonald & Nick Vigarino Ghost Of Time

1997 Big Brother & The Holding Company Can't Go Home Again

1998 Mark Riley Lead Suit

1999 Kate Hart Queen Of The Night

1999 Seattle Women Back Porch Gossip

1999 Seattle Women We Are Not Good Girls

1999 Kathi McDonald Above & Beyond

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