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There's something sweet, maybe magical, perhaps even mystical about the way sisters harmonize. Take disappear fear, for instance. Sisters Sonia Rutstein and Cindy Frank have dazzled with their close-harmony vocals since they came out of Baltimore in the late '80s. "When we were very little we'd both fit in the bathtub," said San Antonio-based Frank. "We'd sing James Taylor songs. Sonia taught me how to sing harmony. She'd say, 'Get off my note.' So I had to find another note to sing." OK, OK, sometimes it's something other than sweetness, magic and mysticism that leads to harmony. In the mid-'90s, Frank left the tour road, opting to move to San Antonio to raise a family. Rutstein worked solo and then put together another version of disappear fear, Sonia & disappear fear. But the sisters still collaborate several times a year, when schedules permit. They'll do just that on Saturday when Frank joins Rutstein (guitar, vocals), Laura Cerulli (percussion, vocals) and Angela Edge (bass, trumpet) for an evening-ending Main Stage set at the Kerrville Folk Festival. "Originally, Cindy came from Detroit back to Baltimore to join my band and then it broke up," Rutstein said. "But we continued on doing much of the same music." The duo released some well-regarded independent records and then signed with the Philo/Rounder label, which reissued some of the indie albums plus "Disappear Fear" and "Seed in the Sahara." "In 1996, Cindy decided to become a full-time mother," Rutstein said. "Actually, motherhood chose her. I stayed on the road with a band for almost four years until I decided to get back to my roots and play solo with just my guitar." Rutstein released the CD "Almost Chocolate" before re-forming her own disappear records. The latest releases include "No Bomb is Smart" and "DF05: Live," which features some tracks recorded last year at the Kerrville Folk Festival with Frank in the fold. In the works is a score for a documentary about migrant workers who have AIDS. "I wouldn't say the music is beyond genres but it is a collection of genres," Rutstein said. "It's guitar-based and includes Americana, straight-ahead blues, driving rock 'n' roll, a little Latin, a little reggae. I heard someone describe the music as genre-hurdling and I like that." "I say it's folk music," Frank said, "because it's music for people. But quite secretly, it's rock 'n' roll." Rutstein writes the disappear fear songs. "I'm not disciplined, but I am dedicated," she said. "I've been writing for a long time. I cherish the moments of solitude to pore over a guitar or piano and write. A couple of weeks ago we were all sharing one motel room and I locked myself in the bathroom and pretended to be alone. If I pick up my guitar before I check my e-mail I like my day better." "I wait for her to write something," Frank said, laughing. "The dynamic of our relationship is such that, even if I said no to a song, she would insist I sing it and I'd acquiesce. The songs I like are our hits — if you can have hits in folk music." These days, Frank sings with her son, Dylan, who is a singer and songwriter, and joins Sonia & disappear fear when her schedule permits. "I miss the people," she said. "I miss seeing the people from all the clubs and seeing all the fans. I toured with my first child until he was 10 months old and then he went on a hunger strike." "It was difficult in a lot of ways when Cindy decided to stop touring," Rutstein said. "I had been singing with Cindy for 30 years. The natural DNA of our voices works together. My brother just doesn't sing like that. She also handled the logistics. I got to be creative, hunkered over a guitar or piano. It took years for me to crawl into the business from a dark corner." The sisters are looking forward to Kerrville. "I think it's one of the greatest music festivals in the world," Rutstein said. "Kerrville says you don't need a computer. It's all about hugging the guitar or hugging a new friend. I take Kerrville back to the rest of the world and it's also a great networking experience. "It's just a beautiful community. I wish it could go on all year long. It's a place where people get the essence of the music." "Kerrville is different from a lot of places in this country," Frank added. "Kerrville is a place where individuality, self-expression, compassion for other people and one's commitment and drive to heal the world is embraced, empowered and supported. It makes it fun and not so lonely." In her songs, Rutstein runs the gamut from having fun to getting serious about peace, love and understanding. She also puts those words into action. Fans can download songs from www.disappearfear.com for 99 cents. Nineteen cents from each download benefits the United Nations World Food Programme, which provides meals to hungry children in school. "Calling the band disappear fear is the world I want to live in," Rutstein said. "My premise is when you disappear fear between people what you have left is love. That's the banner and mantra I've always sung under. I'm not a lawyer or a politician. I'm singing from the heart. I believe in the power of music. And, if the well is empty it gets refilled at Kerrville." |