Fiddles and Harmonies

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I'm a sucker for harmonies. That comes from growing up with albums by the Louvin Brothers and the Wilburn Brothers in the house. And, as those two classic acts proved, nobody does harmony as well as family. Last week it was the two brothers in the Cactus Blossoms. This week my 31st concert of the year took me to heaven via the fiddles and harmonies of the Quebe Sisters. Three sisters from Dallas -- Sophia, Grace, and Hulda -- all play fiddles in the finest Western swing traditions while delivering their songs with vocal harmonies that are like the Andrews Sisters or the Boswell Sisters. There aren't a whole heck of a lot of sister sibling harmony acts in country music, and that sets the Quebe Sisters apart. So does their outstanding fiddle work. Each sister is a world-class fiddler, but put the three of them together and it's magic. They did two sets of about 50 minutes each (keeping in mind that it was a Tuesday night and people probably had to get home!), combining instrumentals and those terrific harmonies on country classics such as Connie Smith's "Once a Day" and "If I Talk to Him," Faron Young's "Leaving and Saying Goodbye," and Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." They closed out the first set with the old pop standard "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie," showing their versatility in taking any genre of music and making it Quebe Sisters material. I cannot overemphasize the greatness of these three talented young ladies. In addition to all of that, they even filmed a video "hello" for my brother, who was supposed to go to the show with me but had to back out at the last minute because of a bad back. Talent and gracious generosity. That's the Quebe Sisters. Don't pass them up when they come near you. Quebe Sisters Central Arts Center Lebanon, Kentucky July 26, 2016