Good news for people with the blues, Keb’ Mo’ is coming. After a three-year absence, three-time Grammy winning bluesman Keb’ Mo’ is poised to release a brand new album and has embarked on a major US tour. The new album, BLUESAmericana, is slated for release on April 22 on the Kind of Blue Music label. Recorded in Nashville, the album features nine original songs and a cover of “That’s Alright.” BLUESAmericana, which prominently explores love and marriage, came about after a rough patch in the singer’s personal life. Keb’, who has been called the “modern ambassador for the blues” by NPR, says that, “I only make albums when I’m inspired to, and these 10 songs come from a very honest place.”
Blending blues and jazz into a tasty, soulful mix, Keb’ has been keeping the torch of American blues burning since 1980, when he recorded his first album Rainmaker. But it wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that Keb’ found great success and Grammy awards for best contemporary blues albums in 1997 and 1999. He was later featured in director Martin Scorsese’s multi-part documentary The Blues, thus cementing his place in the pantheon of great American bluesmen.
In the tradition of great bluesmen, Keb’ has an unusual stage name, which he got when drummer Quentin Dennard playfully shortened his name, Kevin Moore. Besides music, Keb’ also keeps himself busy acting, appearing on both stage and screen. In 1998 he played legendary bluesman Robert Johnson in Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl? and most recently appeared in the John Sayles film Honneydripper. In addition to music and acting, Keb’ is also a passionate anti-nuclear power advocate.
Below you can hear Keb’s playful ode to change, “The Old Me Better,” which is the first single released off BLUESAmericana. The song, which features the Los Angles Dixieland band the California Feetwarmers, has a great New Orleans-vibe that’s sure to chase away your winter blues. Still feeling blue? Take heart, the venerable bluesman’s latest tour will feature four Colorado dates:
2/26 – Durango, CO @ Ft. Lewis Concert Hall
2/27 – Beaver Creek, CO @ Vilar PAC
2/28 – Aspen, CO @ Wheeler Opera House
3/01 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
Jason Wendleton just can’t stop rockin. Growing up on a steady diet of network sitcoms and classic rock radio, he’s filled to the brim with pointless trivia. Besides music, his interests include running from bears, cooking, and the oeuvre of Patrick Swayze. In his spare time he avoids writing about Axl Rose over at his Axl Rose-themed blog Defending Axl Rose.
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