Bman's Blues Report

Katie Knipp is a fiercely independent roots-and-blues powerhouse out of Northern California who plays by her own rules. She commands the stage with a wild mix of operatic vocal range , grit-spitting harmonica, and slide resonator guitar , often steering her band from behind a heavy boogie-woogie piano. She has spent years carving out her own space on the roots circuit, opening for legends like Robert Cray , Jimmie Vaughan, and Joan Osborne while quietly landing multiple self-released albums straight into the Billboard Top 10 Blues charts . What makes her stand out is that dual musical personality: she formally studied opera by day while sneaking into smoky clubs to sing the blues by night. That blend of technical vocal strength and raw, unpolished emotion gives her songwriting a distinct edge. Instead of chasing standard studio perfection, she leans heavily into raw soul, Americana storytelling, and the kind of uninhibited energy that you can only truly capture when the amplifiers ar...

  I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Me , by Katie Knipp , and it's quite entertaining. Opening with slinky, Mud , Katie Knipp is showcased with her intoxicating yet unusual vocal style. She also accompanies herself on piano, joined by Steve Ulstein on guitar and Neil Campisano on drums. Excellent opener. Funky, Vampire has a firm bass line by Ulstein and Knipp leads again on vocal and piano. This track has a number of turns and changes with a strong familiarity and again strong vocals. Time and Space is a really nice ballad with a great melody and showing a different side of Knipp on vocal and joining Ulstein on keys. Very nice. The Devils Armchair is a real cool track with a Spanish flair. I really like Knipp's vocal work and Mick Martin's lead guitar work. Wrapping the release is somber ballad, Lava Pot featuring Knipp on vocal and piano. This is a solid piece of work featuring both strong tunes and serious interpretation.    If you su...