As she did at her recent Thanksgiving show at The Freight, Lewis effortlessly conveys a sense of bluegrass lineage and zeitgeist, which is served well by her collaborative spirit. She called in Rachel to begin her own set; brought members of Front Country onstage to sing “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” along with her long-time Right Hand band member Tom Rozum; added her voice to the Vocolot-led sing-alongs; and became an audient for one-time bandmate and longtime collaborator Kathy Kallick’s set. Kallick likewise brought up the T Sisters to fill out one of her dependably strong and smart songs (“In Texas,” from her latest CD, a highlight here); and members of Front Country for her rendition of Ralph Stanley’s “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.”
As the evening progressed, it felt more like a show by a 12-member band or a musical family reunion, than a revue of multiple acts. In addition to knowing The T Sisters since they were children, Linda Hirschhorn has led singing around the world, and she quickly had all of the featured talent back up onstage, along with fellow Vocolot member Elizabeth Stuart, to add their voices to a Hanukkah traditional and her chill-inducing “Circle Chant”:
Circle for the planet,
Circle for each soul.
For the children of our children,
Keep the circle whole.
It was another high point in a show long on beautiful moments.
Walker had already featured prominently, and remarkably, in Kallick, Lewis and The T Sister’s sets by the time her band Front Country took the stage for their official Revue turn, but she was just getting warmed up. While technically a string band, Front Country’s version of the John Jacob Niles folk hymn “I Wonder As I Wander” rocked; and Walker infused Kallick’s “Kissing Comes Easy” with a soulful vocal that was as much torch as twang. Walker’s own song, “Family Band,” brought their set, and the show — a celebration of the ties that bind, be they community, familial and/or musical — full circle.
I wanna play every night and day
Pickin’ like the dickens the whole damn way
Shinin’ our love out from every stage
I wanna play every night and day
Despite their multiple duties as organizers, support and stars of the show, The T Sisters appeared indefatigable throughout the evening, which demonstrated how interconnected they are within the Bay Area music community. Aided and abetted by Walker’s powerful vocal, they proffered a stunning version of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal.” Closing with a finale that had everyone back onstage for Hank Williams’ “I Saw The Light,” it was abundantly clear that Lewis has chosen wisely in bequeathing the Revue to The T’s more than capable hands, hearts and voices.
