We had written a few times over the past two years about talented young fiddler, vocalist and songwriter Kate Lee, starting when she was still in high school where she grew up near Rochester, NY.
Kate is a rising junior at Belmont University in Nashville, and has begun work on a new recording project there in town. She is also now using her legal name, Kate Lee Gurnow, professionally. She told us that her parents had advised her to avoid her full name while performing as a young girl, both to give her a degree of anonymity, and since her family name was a bit tricky to remember.
The new album will most likely be in an EP format, and she is working with Pledge Music to help arrange financing, and allow her to donate a portion of the proceeds to Pluta Cancer Center in Rochester, NY.
Kate has a varied musical background, studying and performing in the classical and bluegrass worlds. In high school she was part of the student orchestra while also performing locally with her group, No Strings Attached.
In Nashville she is studying now with fiddle legend Buddy Spicher, and Tammy Rogers of The Steeldrivers. Living in Nashville has given her a number of terrific opportunities, like playing on the 2011 CMA Awards Show backing up Rascal Flatts, and in the orchestra for a Glen Campbell tribute.
She tells us the new album will lean to the bluegrass side of her skill set, with an all-acoustic rhythm section. Bryan Sutton and Viktor Krauss have already been in to track with her in Nashville.
Here’s a video Kate created for Pledge Music, to explain her project and as an appeal for help raising the necessary capital to finish the album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj4JBp-q1r8
You can make a pledge online in support of Kate, where you can also hear a couple of audio demos.
