The Quebe Sisters
Grace, Sophia and Hulda – the Quebe (pronounced kway-bee) Sisters grew up in North Texas, and after a spell of classical violin they switched to fiddle, and the rest, as they say, is history. Their newest record, The Quebe Sisters is their fourth since 2003, and it is a true delight.
Starting with “Always Seem to Get Things Wrong”, their mix of harmonies (think a modern-era Andrews Sisters) matched with the western swing gait of their fiddles is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant musical landscape. Not too many people still play western swing (at least outside of Texas, where, as you know, “Bob Wills is Still the King”!), but even fewer do it with such aplomb and vocal grace. There are times on this CD where the three voices and fiddles sound as one, truly remarkable.
The sisters share songwriting duties as well as performing some choice covers, such as Kenny Baker’s (one of the Bluegrass Boys with Bill Monroe) “Bluegrass in the Backwoods” and mercy can those women fiddle! Ending the album with “Twilight on the Trail”, a cowboy song from a 1941 Hopalong Cassidy movie, the ten cuts are over far too soon, leaving a listener with a fond sonic memory, and a desire to pick up the rest of the sisters collected works. Truly sublime, and the Quebe Sisters are to be commended for their exquisite taste, spirited musical sense, and their fondness for one of America’s greatest musical gifts, western swing. As Bob Wills used to say…“ah ha!”
