Reviews

Seattle:
“…her Whitmanic embrace of the American panorama, mixing vernacular and highbrow culture, and everything in between.”
—Paul de Barros, Seattle Times

“…Seattle’s top singer-songwriter.”
—Gavin Borchert, Seattle Weekly

Minneapolis:
“Linda Waterfall, an extraordinary folk musician from Washington state, plays bristling, driving guitar and rolling, enveloping piano. …If all that weren’t enough, Ms. Waterfall is a moving, terrific singer, blessed with star-of-the-choir pipes.”
—Tom Surowicz, Twin Cities Reader

Boston:
“Waterfall nearly stole the show with her infectiously joyful anthem “Love Out of Nowhere,” and a hilarious satire of a redneck whose sexist posturing suddenly dissolves into new age psycho-speak.”
—Scott Alarik, Boston Globe

“Her musicianship is astonishing, and her lyrical sense is at the cutting edge. I can’t see any serious fan of songwriting remaining ignorant of her work.”
—Bob Franke, New England Folk Almanac

Philadelphia:
“Waterfall’s music is a tasty confection, made of classical, jazz and folk, with a twinge of blues and several mystery ingredients. Her lyrics visit the heart of the human condition.”
—Jonny Meister, WXPN

London:
“Totally refreshing and invigorating. The music’s soaked in classical influences….draws together rock, pop, jazz and folk elements into a label-defying synthesis. Linda’s instrumental prowess elicits the use of superlatives….”
—Tony May, Folk Root

Folk Alliance:
“I’ve offered to write a column for the newsletter highlighting various women instrumentalists. I hope you listen to these artists, play them on your folk radio programs and book them at your clubs and festivals. I really hope that somewhere along the line, a few more women will be inspired to delve deeply into the beauty and mystery of folk instruments. (…) I have to start with a guitarist, since fingerpicking guitar is my first love. And I have to start with Linda because she is simply one of the finest fingerpicking guitar players alive on planet Earth today. (…) I particularly like Run It like A Business (which literally brought the audience screaming to their feet when she premiered it at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop in 1986) Linda’s playing is truly some of the most unique and imaginative I have ever encountered. It doesn’t sound like any kind of traditional folk, but it doesn’t really sound like pop or Jazz, either. I once asked her where she got her inspiration for her unusual chords and voicings and progressions, and she said, “Oh, Debussy, I guess” (she is a very accomplished pianist as well). (…) Every note that comes out of this woman’s guitar is heart-wrenchingly pure and beautiful yet filled with a vibrancy that seems to come from somewhere deep in the universe.”
—Becky Bernson, Folk Alliance Newsletter