THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060026
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 62 lines
KATHY MATTEA has another vehicular hit.
In 1988 she rode ``18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses'' to the top of the charts. This year, she's behind the wheel of a ``455 Rocket.''
The first song was voted Single of the Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. The latter went a step further, honoring the truckin' piece as Song of the Year.
The ``Rocket'' - about her new old Olds - just hit the road but, so far, it's speeding along.
It's a rowdy piece, and some people are asking - is it Kathy?
``It is a far cry, but it's the next progression. As an artist, you grow over the years,'' she said. ``It feels natural to me.''
So natural that the first take is the one you hear on the radio.
``We did several more, but there was something completely free about the first take. We were playing away and having fun,'' Mattea said during a phone interview from Colorado.
She was involved in a charity ski tournament there, benefiting a research lab in Nashville.
Mattea is often involved in something to do with fund-raising for good causes. Nashville CARES, an AIDS charity, is a favorite.
Mattea's favorite thing at the moment is working with symphony orchestras. She will perform with Virginia Symphony, at Chrysler Hall, Friday and Saturday.
``I started working with symphony orchestras about 18 months ago - began in Atlanta. I had so much fun, I decided to do a bunch of `em,'' Mattea said. ``Our band fronts the symphonic background. We choose things with that orchestra in mind.''
Mattea enthusiasts can probably pick out a couple of the appropriate pieces.
`` `Summer of My Dreams' is like a musical painting about a perfect summer day,'' she said. `` `Where Have You Been?' is lovely.''
The car song?
``That would be like oil and water,'' Mattea said, ``so we'll do that on our own.
``We'll rehearse the afternoon before the concert. They're great musicians and usually get the songs on one run through,'' she said. ``We open each others' worlds.
``People don't expect a country singer to sound like I do,'' Mattea said. Probably true. Her versatile, lovely voice would have been right at home as a big band vocalist.
``Playing with symphony orchestras is a chance to stretch out a little bit,'' she said. ``It's so much fun - it's like playing with the ultimate band, the one you can't afford to take out on the road.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
Kathy Mattea
WANT TO GO?
Who: Kathy Mattea - Blue Jeans & Beer Concert with Virginia Symphony
When: 8 p.m. friday and Saturday
Where: Chysler Hall
Tickets: $9 to $38. Military discount available.
Call: 623-2310