Re: Bill Cooley Now More Accessible

Willa Shaffer — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:09:58 -0000

Hi! I've read with great interest your previous posts about Bill Cooley (I subscribe to Google news/blog alerts for Kathy Mattea, so...), and wanted to let you know that I, too, am a big fan of Bill's. He is indeed a sensational guitarist, and on top of that, a helluva nice guy. After the first couple of concerts I attended, I did a web search to find his music and, like you, ended up in direct contact with Bill to purchase the CDs...and also, like you, he burned a copy of the first one that was out of print. Great stuff!

I go to Kathy's concerts almost as much to see Bill as Kathy herself, and know I can always count on him being with her, even when the other regular band members aren't. On this pared-down Coal tour, Kathy isn't using a full complement of musicians, so the wonders of Randy Leago, Jim Brock, and Rick Blackwell won't shine in the background as they did during her Right Out of Nowhere tour. I think Eamonn O'Rourke might be with her in April. She definitely gets the finest and most prolific musicians around!

Anyway, I will be at the April 1st show at the Barns of Wolf Trap, so you'll have to send flares up or somethin' so I'll know who you are! :)

And maybe we can persuade Bill to come out and do his own meet-and-greet after the show, as Kathy does!

You can find me on myspace, too....summersunbird....and I'm going to go there right now and request an add from Bill. He is simply outstanding, and, by the way, an amazing arranger, too.

Thanks for your interesting blogs and for the info that Bill's on myspace!

Willa [geewilla at gmail]

Re: Kathy Mattea at Wolftrap

Willa Shaffer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:19:32 -0000

Thank you kindly, Sir Hadar, for a fabulous review and especially for all those perfectly lovely things you said about ME! :) I, too, am just thrilled to have met such kindred spirits in you and Lois....I share my awe of Bill Cooley with you, and my adoration of and deep respect for Kathy Mattea with Lois, so that's about as "kindred" as spirits get! Y'all have wrecked any inclination I may have had to buy into the universal misperception that New Yorkers are .... well, we all know what the misperceptions are.....and I am hoping that I've shattered any preconceived notions you may have ever bought into about West Virginians... So THERE!

Truly, last night was deeply special for many reasons, due in no small part to the pleasure of meeting you and Lois. I'm SO glad she came down to try to find me, though I had no idea that's what she was doing when I spied her and asked ... "Are you Lois...?"

I could have gone to the Barns again tonight, but had to pass due to a highly inconsiderate knee and exhaustion, but will definitely be at the Rams Head Thursday night to have one more round of the divine Ms. Mattea and her astonishingly talented bandmates. I agree with you wholeheartedly that Bill Cooley is the best acoustic guitarist ever, and that his unique combination of intellect and musicianship shines in his arrangements. You're absolutely correct in your observation that Kathy is deeply respectful and in awe of Bill's talents. She always has that glowing look on her face when she listens to Bill play and has alluded on countless occasions to how lucky she is to have him. You heard her say last night that the one addiction she is happy to admit to is her addiction to musicians! 8~)

Oops...I got carried away on this comment....it should've been an email! GREAT POST, Hadar!

your new hillbilly pal,
Willa

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