Katie Knipp: Press

"One of the best female musicians in Sacramento"

Sacramento’s bluesy singer-songwriter Katie Knipp played Harlows tonight and it was good. Really good. The crowd was enthusiastic and you could tell Katie was having a great time. This show was with her full band, and they served her well. All were good musicians, though the lead guitarist stood out in the mix and his fills and playing complimented her vocals. She performed a little over an hour, mostly original songs but a few covers including Summertime, Come Together, and Folsom Prison Blues. Her takes on the first two of those were close to the originals but with her own feel too, with Come Together being a standout. The original songs were a sturdy mixture from her four CDs, including a nice song for her mother written about her recovery form cancer. The songs from the latest CD were strong and stood out in their live renditions. We should mention that this show was the CD release event for her fourth and latest, an EP this time.

"Piano and dobro playing that is sweet and soulful"

"In the bed of her languorous, slightly drawling voice, she lets herself drift on the emotion of the moment. Katie Knipp has a knack for sad music to sound consoling."

"A big THANK YOU to Katie Knipp for helping demo our mics at the AES convention!"

"Be sure to check out this up and coming star!"

(Biography/photo feature on pages 114-115)

Awarded Honorable Mention for the songs "Brother" and "Eyes Like Birds"

"With a voice that ranges from smoky blues to smokin' rock, Sacramento newcomer Katie Knipp is a delight to hear. The fact that she writes her own material – and it's really good – makes the whole package even stronger. Knipp has a degree in vocal music from Cal State Hayward and has sung backup for Barry Manilow and has opened for the Doobie Brothers, among others. Recently relocated to Sacramento, she said she wanted this introductory concert at Harlow's to be "extra special." It also will celebrate the release of her third CD, "Midnight Mind." To check out some sound clips and videos, visit her website: www.katieknipp.com"

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/11/2811505/three-to-see-music-to-catch-around.html#ixzz0qYnAfWZ2

"Reminding me of the best days of Bonnie Raitt although the voice is different and you can write very good songs indeed. "Midnight Mind" has been a big and very pleasant surprise to me and I surely play it a lot on my radio show."

"Katie's voice is a joy to hear in a world where so many contemporary female singers rush for 'ethereality' like lemmings at a cliff. Katie has no truck with 'ethereal', she's far too gutsy for that and she's one of the best Roots-related voices I've heard since Amy Speace." (Full Article Below)

"Bluesy singer songwriting young woman with a voice more mature than her years."

"A voice from the gut, resonant with singers like Janis Joplin and Maria Muldaur" (Full article below)

"Blood curdling ballads with balls" (Full article below)

"It is as heartfelt and true a collection of songs as you could hope to hear, while the writing and musicianship stand out from the crowd."

"Hot Damn! It's Dylan in a dress!" after seeing the performance of "Quiet Hell" off her latest dvd

"Aside from her God-given talent, Katie is separated from the rest with her distinctive sound and insatiable passion to succeed."

"Katie is dynamite on both piano and guitar."

"She's one of the most dynamic singers and band leaders in the country right now."

Voted Number One Band in all of Marin County for 2005 and 2006

...“Katie Knipp is another chick with a guitar strapped to her wailing into a microphone, except she is really, really good. Quite a range on her pipes.”

“…one of the most dynamic and exciting live performers with great hooks and a tight band."

“…if you’ve never seen Katie Knipp perform, you’re in for a real treat. One of my favorite bands."

…“Keep a lookout for her. Katie Knipp. She's got a voice that'll knock your head off. With love.”

(Review of "Midnight Mind", translated from Dutch)
The talented Katie Knipp from Northern California can sing, play piano and write. The inspiration for her songs are plucked from her own life and those of others. With her soulful vocals, it invests mainly in the emotion of the song, the intimate piano accompaniment provides additional emotion. She has been playing piano since she was fifteen and she chose the uncertainty of a musical study beyond that of medicine. She can now boast a bachelor's degree in vocal music, but also self-taught on guitar.

After her previous "Take Her Down" from 2005 was "Midnight Mind" her third studio album, although only thirty-four minutes, clearly the quality prevails. The ten songs are imbued with an intense feeling of passion. It is as if she crawls in each song reliving a song lyric. In the bed of her languorous, slightly drawling voice, she lets herself drift on the emotion of the moment. Sometimes they are accompanied by harmonica, like on "Time" and the bluesy "Get In My Life 'it alternates with dobro. Her voice sometimes recalls Laura Nyro, Tori Amos, or even to Martha Wainwright.

Especially the songs with delicate piano create a melancholy late night atmosphere which is hard to resist. In the poignant "Hurricane," "Eyes Like Birds" or the beautiful 'Someonewherelse "when you're lured to a candle lit cafe where the dark night is lonely and collecting angels banished from paradise. Katie Knipp writes music that lingers between poppy soul and jazz. Only "Release" sounds slightly more vibrant and 'Heavy Heart', her passionate piano playing.

Drummer Andrew Griffin and bassist Nathan Hoehner accompany her on her personal journey in which she seems to escape in the beauty of melody and the sound of the piano keys. A gem as the sad "Brother" seems as if a kind of spell to relieve the pain. Once again the scars of songs that can soothe the soul. Katie Knipp has a knack for sad music to sound consoling.