Soul — the South has more than it’s fair share of it. Notes of blues rise up like flames of torment while country music and lyrics embody expression of a troubled past coupled with a strong will to survive. Mist from the Gulf’s crashing waves drifts over legends like Hank Williams, W.C. Handy and Arthur Alexander, quenching the thirst for immortality with embers that never die.

To honor the state’s great songwriters, a group of artists have come together and brought their own talents to form an eclectic tribute to the past — a tribute that will come alive during an 8 p.m., March 21 performance at the University of South Alabama Baldwin County.

“The Quilt,” an album by singer and songwriter Kathryn Scheldt, produced by guitarist Rick Hirsch of H2O studio on Dog River with cover art by Fairhope’s Nall, is accompanied by a book co-authored by University of South Alabama Writer in Residence Frye Gaillard.

Blues, country and rock fuse together for a sound worthy of the legends it honors, evidenced by the album’s international airplay and acclaim from Alabama to Belgium. It includes nine original songs by Scheldt, plus a Scheldt-Hirsch collaboration on the Hank Williams classic, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”

Hirsch, former guitarist for Greg Allman and a founding member of the southern rock band, Wet Willie, worked with Scheldt, as did many others.

Other album contributors include: guitarists Julz Parker of Australia, Tom Reipl of Germany and Mike Severs of Nashville; background vocalists Claire Joseph and Skye of France and Gaelle Mievis of Belgium; as well as Gulf Coast stalwarts, Tom Morley, Pete Wehner, Jo Morris, Rick Chancey and Nashville legend George Hamilton IV.

The book features essays celebrating the songs of such Alabama legends as Hank Williams, W.C. Handy and Arthur Alexander, as well as song lyrics by Scheldt and Gaillard, with introductory essays written by Scheldt, according to a news release.

Scheldt explained the purpose behind the multi-genre tribute piece that brought so many artists together.

“The music on ‘The Quilt’ is a real patchwork,” she began. “The album – and the book that goes with it, which is also entitled ‘The Quilt’ – is intended as a tribute to the full range of Alabama songwriting. There is some blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll and hints of jazz and sometimes all of those things together. The songs tell stories or set out to capture honest feelings and emotions, and some of them are just good ole songs, quirky little bits of humor or irony that shed their own light on the things people go through. Taken together, the pieces of this musical quilt represent my personal spin on the poetry of Alabama music.”

She said material for this project poured from many facets of the state’s history.

“My favorite song on the album is the title cut; it’s a song I wrote with Frye Gaillard and Ricky Hirsch and it pays tribute to the strength and perseverance of women, making art out of everyday life,” she revealed. “It was inspired by the famous quilters of Gees Bend, whose quilts became a symbol of independence and freedom back in the ‘60s during all of the turbulence of the civil rights era. The whole album is like that, drawing inspiration from people and their stories, where they live and what they are living through and how it’s all connected.”

Gaillard divulged that Scheldt and other musicians will offer music lovers something unique and wonderful with this album and the upcoming performance.

“Kathryn is a really fine Americana singer-songwriter; until her most recent CD, ‘The Quilt,’ she has recorded mostly in Nashville in what I would call a kind of folk-country groove,” he explained. “Her songs have always had strong lyrics and her melodies, I think, are reliably beautiful and suited to her rich contralto voice.”

He said that while this album is a departure from her previous work, it stays true to Scheldt’s ability and to the talents of contributing musicians.

“’The Quilt,’ in a way, is new territory,” he divulged. “There's a little more blues in this CD and maybe a little more rock 'n' roll, as well. I can't wait for people to hear her live in Fairhope. Kathryn is an artist who hasn't always gotten her due in her own hometown, but last year she had a top 10 hit on the national Indie charts and has gotten airplay and rave reviews from Australia to the United Kingdom. Her all-star band at this upcoming concert will feature a lot of the people who played on ‘The Quilt’ -- Rick Hirsch on guitar, fiddler extraordinaire Tom Morley, drummer Pete Wehner and bassist Jo Morris. It's gonna be a great show.”

Scheldt agreed that the upcoming performance will show audience members the passion behind the project that’s consumed so many artists.

“The audience can expect a great show; I look forward to singing these songs and a few others that have become favorites over the years,” she offered. “And I’ve got this killer band – Ricky Hirsch, Tom Morley, Pete Wehner, Jo Morris and Lisa Zanghi. These are great musicians in their own right, and most of them played on the record, so we’re looking forward to getting back together. I can’t wait to play again in my hometown.”

Gaillard will emcee the program as Scheldt and the band perform. Tickets for the 8 p.m., March 21 CD release are $20 general admission and $15 for students. They are available in advance at Page and Palette in Fairhope, Bay Sound in Daphne, Satori Coffeehouse and Mobile Records in Mobile. The performance will be held at the Performance Center on the University of South Alabama’s Fairhope campus.