Kristina Olsen w/ special guests Hugh McDonald & Heidi McDermott

"Her sensual, athletic voice knows no boundaries, nor does the subject matter of her stories" says Nicki De from Victory.

Kristina Olsen is one of the most entertaining and compelling performers on the
international folk circuit. A superb multi-instrumentalist (acoustic guitar, steelbody
slide guitar, saxophone, concertina and piano) as well as an award-winning
songwriter with a big bluesy voice, Kristina has audiences around the world
coming back for more. Her mix of powerful songs ranging from sassy bottleneck
blues to lilting ballads to swing jazz to raunch and roll (as well as her hilarious
storytelling) makes for a diverse and satisfying musical experience, on stage and
on disc.

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. She now calls Venice
Beach, Los Angeles home but rarely sees it from touring ten months a year.
Her 11th recording ‘Quiet Blue’ hit the blues world in 2008. It is her first cd of all
original blues. In 2006 she released her first DVD of live performances and
interviews, filmed by award wining documentary filmmaker Cathy Henkel of
Australia. 2004 saw the release of Olsen’s tenth recording, ‘In Your Darkened
Room’ which received rave reviews in Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald among
others. 2002 saw the release of ‘All Over Down Under’, a live recording from the
Australian trio tour with Peter Grayling and George Butrumlis. In 1999 ‘The
Truth of a Woman’ was released and was one of the top CDs surveyed in folk
airplay. In 1998 ‘Duet’ was released in Australia, a CD of duets between Olsen
and Australian cellist Peter Grayling. In the previous six years Olsen released four
critically acclaimed CDs on the Philo/Rounder label.

Such respected 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’ on PolyGram 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 won the Kerrville Song writing award her song
for battered women, ‘I’m Keeping This Life of Mine’

In 2002 alone, Olsen toured in Australia, Scotland (for the Celtic Connections
Festival), England, Bangladesh (for a benefit concert), New Zealand, Canada and
the USA. 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. Olsen is
a frequent contributor to Acoustic Guitar magazine, writing articles on guitar and
performance technique.