Kate Wolf, who died of leukemia in 1986 at age 44, would surely have been pleased by this tribute album, which was put together by her guitarist and No. 1 fan,
Nina Gerber. Featuring 14 of Wolf's best songs, it includes strong performances by
Lucinda Williams,
Emmylou Harris,
Nanci Griffith, and other prominent artists as well as by some talented folks who've been in the shadows in recent years, such as
Rosalie Sorrels, U. Utah Philips, and
Terry Garthwaite. Interestingly, few of these artists ever actually knew Wolf; they were simply so touched by her music that they felt as if they'd known her. Listening to these warm yet unsentimental, deceptively simple-sounding tunes, it's not hard to hear why. Wolf sang about love and life in a way that made you feel you were being admitted to her private world -- and that you were very glad to be there.
–
Jeff Burger, Rovi