In her 20 years as one of folk music's most respected singer-songwriters, Kate Wolf left us with a wonderful collection of songs before her death in 1986. Few folk artists in the late 1970s and early '80s had an ability to write better songs. One of many artists who were influenced by Kate's music was California-based singer-songwriter Sherry Austin.

On her CD Love Still Remains, Sherry gives us an enjoyable collection of Kate's songs and does an excellent job paying tribute to Kate and her music. Her arraignments of Kate's songs don't stray much from the original versions, and that is by no means a bad thing. The arrangements are nice and simple. Sherry's voice is a little deeper than Kate's and reminds me of Eliza Gilkyson at times.

Given that Kate had written over 200 songs, Sherry did a nice job of picking some of her best songs to include, rather than simply picking her best-known ones.

The CD starts off with "Red Tail Hawk" and "Telluride," which were songs Kate didn't write but were always favorites that she performed and were always associated with her. "Brother Warrior" pays tribute to Kate's Native American experiences. "Eyes of a Painter" and "Desert Wind" both have a wonderful bluegrass flavor. Sherry's only original song on the CD, "Winter Comes on Slow," sounds very much like it could have been written by Kate. "Green Eyes" and "Give Yourself to Love" are thoughtful love songs written by Kate after her marriage in 1982. "November Moon" and "Tonight You Loved the Memories Out of Me" feature Kate's lyrics over Sherry's melody.

Sherry Austin is one of many artists who have recorded Kate's songs and paid tribute to her music in various ways since her death in 1986. Love Still Remains is a very enjoyable and thoughtful tribute. I've been a fan of Kate's music for many years and enjoyed this CD very much.

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