THE OREGONIAN

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"Sound Check"
Notes from the Northwest Music Scene
Friday, June 11, 2004
SCOTT D. LEWIS
A lot of Misty River's fans are communists.

Now, that's not a comment on those across the country who enjoy the local quartet's heady blend of Americana, Celtic and folk music marked by rich harmonies, but rather an acknowledgment that the band is big in China.
Misty River, which celebrates the release of its latest CD, "Willow," Saturday night at the Hollywood Theatre, was selected to represent the United States at the Shanghai International Music Festival last month. "It was an incredible opportunity," says guitarist Carol Harley. Thousands of rapt crowd members heard them play, millions more watched the performance via television, and a distribution deal is in the works.

Not bad for a band that, according to Harley, "started by accident."

As the story goes, Harley and her daughter, Laura Quigley, were celebrating Quigley's 21st birthday at a local Irish pub. As they were leaving, a friend asked them to sing an a cappella version of "Over the Rainbow." The manager overheard them and urged them to come to the pub's open mike night. "I said, 'What's an open mike?' " Harley recalls with a laugh. The mother and daughter recruited Harley's former guitar student Dana Abel and enlisted one of the pub's servers, Chris Kokesh. The four women worked out a few tunes and hit the stage expecting little more than a night of fun and a good story.

"We did the open mike," says Harley, "and the manager said, 'I want to hire your band.' I said, 'You don't understand, we're not a band,' and he looked at me and said, 'No, you don't understand, you are a band.' "

He is still right after seven years, three records, numerous songwriting awards and extensive touring.

Harley says that while she may have expected to spend her retirement traveling across the country in an RV, she did not exactly envision doing it with her daughter and as part of a band.

"This way, the girls do all the driving and all the work and I just lay around. I know how lucky I am," she says. "Sometimes it's hard for me to squelch those mothering instincts, but I have to try to just keep my mouth shut and just be a colleague."

By the sounds of things on "Willow," Misty River is working more closely and smoothly than ever. From the tender and moving take on Kate Wolf's "Green Eyes," through the handful of original tunes, through the sweet silliness of Guy Clarke's "Homegrown Tomatoes" and even the ethereal and haunting version of "When I Go," a song written by folk music compatriot the late Dave Carter, the 14 tracks find Misty River working in top form. From its seamless sound, the sharing of the spotlight and the pitch-perfect harmonies, it is clear that Misty River's impressive flow comes from individual talents streaming together with purpose and grace.