Album Notes

Bare Bones, once known as the Missing Person Soup Kitchen Gospel Quartet or Soup Kitchen, is still singing great songs from all traditions and eras. The May 2008 CD, “Put Your Loving Arms All Around Me” brings together all kinds of songs about love. God’s love, sprained love, mother’s love, love that has weathered years of marriage, love refused, disappointed love, disastrous love, recovering love, yearning, hopeful love. They obviously love singing.

Becky and Bill Kimmons are having as much fun as ever, singing mostly with Mark Davis and sometimes with Dock Cutlip. The trio comes up with some pretty cool arrangements of songs few would think could be done a cappella. They do a lot of traditional songs, but their configuration is not traditional. Bill’s bass, Becky’s contralto, and Mark’s tenor/baritone make for an often unusual, ear-catching sound.

Bill’s background is choral and theatre music, Becky’s is old-time Appalachian, and Mark’s is Afro-pop, so be prepared.

Bill and Becky have taught old-time harmonies at the Augusta Heritage Workshops in Elkins, WV, and at Allegheny Echoes Workshops in Pocahontas County, WV, and Becky has conducted ballad workshops at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival at Clifftop, WV. Mark is a singer and percussionist with the VooDoo Katz, an African-inspired pop band, and Comparsa, a Latin music band in Charleston, WV. Dock Cutlip, Bare Bones’ occasional third singer who is featured on a bonus track on the new CD, is steeped in old-time gospel music and has helped teach Augusta harmony workshops.

This third CD covers two centuries of territory, from the lament of a mournful Old Virginian to advice from Smokey Robinson’s mother.

“Brilliant vocal textures, vibrant arrangements…in short, Appalachia’s premier traditional vocal group.” -- Victor Lukas of American Roots Music Research, Chapel Hill, NC

Discography

Put Your Loving Arms All Around Me
Bare There Were They (as Soup Kitchen)
Stirring It Up (as Soup Kitchen)