Knots and Crosses

Country of origin:

U.S.

Type of music generally:

Contemporary folk, folk/rock

Status:

The group has disbanded. Most recent release, There Was A Time (compilation, 1999)

See also:

The Ectophiles' Guide entry for Carol Noonan's band and solo work

Comparisons:

Carol Noonan's band and solo work

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

I remember hearing about Ben Wittman and Duke Levine that "they have played with many other bands in the region, including Knots and Crosses". I thought they were both excellent musicians, and I wanted to hear some more of their material. I vaguely remembered having listened to or played Knots and Crosses and liked it sometime in the past, so the next time I was at the radio station I work at I looked in the folk section, and there was a CD by them. I played it, listened fully this time, and loved it, especially with the ethereal vocal grooves.
     I tried to make it to every Knots and Crosses show I knew about for the next few years. Although they had Duke and Ben for a rhythm section on their albums, they mostly gigged as an acoustic trio. Carol Noonan, Rick Harris, and Allan Williams. They all wrote songs, sometimes together, and Carol and Rick traded off being lead vocalists. During the early '90s, they were doing pretty well here in the northeast. They got commercial radio play, reviews in the papers, and lots of prominent shows. I finally got them for a show at the radio station in early 1994.
     Later that year, I heard they had broken up. Partly I was relieved that I managed to get them on our live music series just in time, and get a really nice tape out of it too, but I also mourned. There goes one of my favorite bands, I thought. They said all three of them were planning to continue in music separately, but that's not the same...
     ...or is it. Carol Noonan's first "solo" album (more personnel on it than either Knots and Crosses album, but it's under her name :), Absolution, was everything I liked about Knots and Crosses, but better! And it even had some of my old favorites from Knots and Crosses, songs which Carol had written for the band. (06/98, cos@wbrs.org)

Recommended first album:

There Was A Time is the only one currently available

Recordings:

• Creatures of Habit (1991)
• Curve of the Earth (1993)
• There Was A Time (compilation, 1999)

There Was A Time

Release info:

1999—Signature Sounds

Availability:

See Signature Sounds site

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Alan Williams
Carol Noonan
Rick Harris

Comments:

A compilation from the first two albums, with two tracks recorded especially for this compilation.

A fine retrospective. (6/02, neal)