Some singers work their whole lives to master that “high and lonesome” sound that seems to come straight out of the Appalachian Mountains. Others, like Rita Hosking, seem to be born with it.
Rita Hosking and (the band) Cousin Jack
Maybe it’s more like I grew up with it. Hosking was raised on Hatchet Mountain. It really was a type of frontier upbringing where neighbors played folk songs and bluegrass music to entertain themselves. (From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, they play it well up there in Eastern Shasta County.)
Hosking and her band Cousin Jack perform at 8 p.m. Friday at Bernie’s Guitar in Redding. The always stellar Oaksong Music Society concert series continues at Bernie’s on Jan. 30 with singer/songwriter Chuck Brodsky and Feb. 14 with Tracy Grammer. Tickets are $15 for these shows.
Hosking has has released two albums (in 2005 and 2007) and performed at music festivals, including the Strawberry Music Festival. I saw her perform twice at Strawberry and the crowd, a very discerning one, really loved her. They tend to know the real thing and they ate up her soulful mountain tunes.
Her stellar songwriting was rewarded at the Sisters (Oregon) Folk Festival in September, where Hosking won the prestigious Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest. Shortly after that, she left for Austin, Texas, where she’s been recording her third album with Rich Brotherton, guitarist and producer for Robert Earl Keen.
Awhile back I wrote that if Rita Hosking comes back to town you don’t want to miss it. Especially if you’re into folk/bluegrass.
There you go, you’ve been warned.
