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All Music Guide:
To some extent, the recordings and live shows of Kristina Olsen are the result of her childhood in the musically fertile San Francisco of the 1960s, where she was exposed to blues, psychedelic rock, folk, and a variety of other styles. She is as comfortable with a self-penned acoustic ballad as she is with a gritty, classic blues tune by Robert Johnson. Olsen plays guitar and piano, but also plays 13 other instruments, most of which can be heard on her various recordings, which feature well-known traditional songs and blues as well as her own compositions.
Olsen grew up in the heart of Haight-Ashbury in the '60s, and she's based herself in Venice, CA since the late '80s. Her first big break might well have been winning the New Folk contest at the Kerrville [Texas] Folk Festival in 1985, where she met fellow folk-blues singer Michelle Shocked. Olsen can be heard playing hammer dulcimer on Shocked's debut for PolyGram, Short Sharp Shocked. Olsen continued to build her reputation as a live performer in coffeehouses and at folk festivals around the U.S. and Canada until she landed a deal with Philo Records in the early '90s. Her self-titled debut was released in 1992, and her other releases for Philo/Rounder Records include Love, Kristina (1993), Hurry on Home (1995), and Live from Around the World (1997). All are stunning displays of her skill as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Olsen writes topical songs like "Gay Friends," "Prop. 187," and "TV Free America" on her latest album, but earlier releases like Love, Kristina show more of her jazzy, bluesy side.
Wikipedia:
Kristina Olsen (born May 26, 1957, San Francisco, California) is a American contemporary folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for her sometimes humorous, heartfelt and sometimes ribald songs. Many of her recordings appear on Rounder Records. On her recent albums, she collaborates with the Australian cellist Peter Grayling and mandolinist Alan Hughes.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Haight-Asbury during the 1960's, Kristina's approach to music and life was formed by that environment of vital cultural expression, social activism and diverse musical influences.
In 1985 Olsen won the New Folk songwriting contest at the prestigious Kerrville (Texas) Folk Festival with her song for battered women, 'I'm Keeping This Life of Mine'
Many acclaimed artists as Eric Bibb, Fairport Convention, Maddy Prior, Mary Coughlan and Mollie O’Brien have covered and recorded songs by Olsen.
Olsen has also worked as a session musician on numerous artist’s albums including playing the hammered dulcimer on Michelle Shocked’s album 'Short Sharp Shocked' and touring as Mary Coughlan’s guitarist in 2005.
Olsen has performed as a multi-instrumentalist in plays for the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles’ Music Center.
Olsen is a frequent contributor to Acoustic Guitar magazine, writing articles on guitar and performance technique.
Kristina has been part of a songwriters' group for over two decades and has taught songwriting, slide guitar and dance for musicians at adult music camps from Alaska to NYC to the UK to Australia for over a dozen years.