Tonight at 8 p.m., blues aficionado Kevin Moore – known widely by his stage name Keb’ Mo’ – will play the Calvin Theatre. He is touring in support of his new album “The Reflection” released this past August. The band Sunny War will perform alongside the singer.
“The Reflection,” which has reportedly been in the works for two years, is Moore’s first album since 2009’s “Live and ‘Mo,” and first full-length studio album since 2006’s acclaimed “Suitcase.” “The Reflection” sees Moore mixing his tried and true modern Delta blues stylings with an amalgamation of other genres through collaboration with several diversely accomplished musicians, including country-rocker Vince Gill, smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair and jazz-funk legend Marcus Miller. As a result, shades of jazz, R&B and soul compliment Moore’s virtuoso bluesman abilities.
From a young age, Moore – currently aged 59 – showed a great appreciation for blues and gospel music. In turn, he became a talented guitar player by the time he was a teenager. After playing in various blues and calypso backing bands, his first big break came when Papa John Creach – the violinist for Jefferson Airplane – asked Moore to be part of his backing band Zulu on several of Preach’s solo albums. As a result, Moore played on four of Preach’s albums throughout the 1970s.
Around the same time, Moore was also a frequent staff writer for A&M records, which eventually led to his solo debut “Rainmaker,” which was released under his real name Kevin Moore in 1980. Following this, Moore enjoyed a lengthy stint in the blues group Whodunit, and established himself in the world of blues music. Moore quickly earned the respect of industry heavyweights like Albert Collins and Big Joe Turner for his blues guitar skills.
After a 14-year gap between studio albums, Moore finally released “Keb’ Mo,’” the first album to feature his then new stage name, a tradition he has kept to this day. The rest, as they say, is history. Since 1994, Moore has released seven studio albums, all widely acclaimed in the blues music community and beyond.
He’s also released two official live albums, one being “Sessions at West 54th: Recorded Live in New York,” which featured a guest appearance from legendary blues pianist Dr. John. Additionally, Moore released a children’s album in 2001 titled, “Big Wide Grin,” which featured gentle, stripped-down renditions of cover songs like “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell.
While retaining influence from a myriad of popular American music genres, Moore’s primary musical inspiration is the Delta blues, especially that of Robert Johnson. Three of Moore’s albums feature recorded versions of Johnson’s songs, and while his more recent work has not seen many covers, he still frequently plays them live.
After four decades of steadfast dedication to producing and playing quality blues guitar music, Moore has earned his recognition as one of the living legends of modern blues. Over the years, he has garnered dozens of music awards. These include four WC Handy Blues Awards, and three Grammy awards for best contemporary blues album (1997’s “Just Like You,” 1999’s “Slow Down” and 2005’s “Keep It Simple”) in addition to four other Grammy nominations in 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007.
Many artists have also asked Moore to guest star on their albums over the years, expanding his already prolific career output. On top of laying down lead guitar for blues legends such as Little Milton, Buddy Guy and Solomon Burke, Moore has also played for country artists such as Willie Nelson and the Dixie Chicks, vocal pop artists like Natalie Cole and Amy Grant, as well as numerous other notable artists such as Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Marcus Miller.
For fans of the blues, or anyone who enjoys virtuoso guitar playing, Keb’ Mo’ will be an amazing concert experience. The show begins at around 8 p.m., and tickets are $25, $35 and $45. For more information, visit iheg.com/calvin_theater_main.asp.
Dave Coffey can be reached at [email protected].
