Out of the mountains of northern New Mexico comes a fiery blues duo with a dynamic edge. WILDSANG combines the power of Delta and Piedmont blues with the strong vocals, guitar and songwriting of Hillary Kay. The rich blues harp of Kate Freeman burns through this foundation and together they create a sound steeped in tradition and the voice of the people.

Hillary Kay's roots are buried deep in the black musical tradition. Joe "King" Oliver is her great uncle and classical composer Ulysses Kay is her father. Hillary grew up on the hip of her Civil Rights Activist mother Barbara Kay, who marched side by side with Dr. King, was arrested as a Freedom Rider and imprisoned in Mississippi's Parchman Penitentiary in the fight against segregation. It was the freedom songs that fueled the spirits of the Freedom Riders through their trials in the jails, and this same spirit lives on in Hillary's voice and music.

Having performed nationally for twenty-five years, Hillary has opened for such greats as Ani Difranco, Taj Mahal, Judy Mowatt and she has performed with top ten recording artist Sophie B. Hawkins and blues great Corey Harris. Hillary was an original member of the Shapeshifters recording and touring band with Ubaka Hill and she performed on the first two CD's SHAPESHIFTER and SPIRAL DANCE. Hillary was a guest artist on Lucie Blue Tremblay's 1998 live concert CD I'M READY.

Hillary drew from her years working in the clubs of New York's East and West Village, to release an acoustic CD entitled EMBRACE THE MORNING, available online at www.WILDSANG.com. She also worked playing guitar and bass in various reggae bands in Brooklyn, New York. Then, inspired by the music of Son House, Howlin' Wolf, Charlie Patton, Big Momma Thornton and Robert Johnson, Hillary acquired a resonator guitar and embarked on a trip into the deep blues. She is still on what has become a life journey.


Kate Freeman fell in love with the blues the moment she heard Lightnin' Hopkins in 1964. Next, she picked up a $2.00 Hohner Blues Harp and never put it down. Shortly thereafter, the richness and spirit of the music from the Mississippi Delta and North Carolina's Piedmont Plateau got under Kate's skin and there began a lifetime love affair with the blues.

A San Francisco native, Kate was surrounded by the musical greats of the Sixties. At any given time you could be jammin' or hangin' with The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin & Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, or Moby Grape. You never knew who would be around the corner and music and magic were definitely alive and well.

At twenty, Kate started her political work for the healing of the environment. She owned a natural foods store and restaurant and later, an organic farm. Indigenous peoples rights have always been a major focus, as Kate is SAMI, from the Hussan Tribe (the indigenous people of the artic circle in Europe). Kate has tried to incorporate her truth and passion for making a difference into her music. Kate has worked as a blues musician and promoter for the last thirty-five years and she has shared the stage with Wooden Hands, Katheryn Warner and Sandy Aiello, Ubaka Hill and Corey Harris. Mississippi John Hurt's producer "Fang", aka "Dr. Frog" raved, "Kate is one of the finest harp players I've ever heard".

WILDSANG's first CD is called BLUES (2001) and SKY DIRT SPEAK  OUT TRUTH is the duo's 2003 release. Both CD's are available online at www.wildsang.com.

If you love the blues, you'll love WILDSANG.