Gothic Theatre

Keb’ Mo’

Born Kevin Moore and raised in Compton, California, his parents-from Louisiana and Texas-exposed him to a diverse range of music that included spirituals from the Baptist church, contemporary R&B, the blues and the rock of the ‘60’s.

At the age of 12, Herm Wyatt his uncle gave him guitar lessons, one of the first steps in a long musical journey that included trumpet and French horn. His first band was a calypso steel band in which he played every instrument he could get his hands on. At the age of 17 he moved on to rhythm & blues.

After several years playing around Los Angeles, he got his first break. Fate cam knocking at 21 while he was rehearsing with his band. Papa John Creach, the violinist for Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna, walked past when he heard the band playing. “He wandered in, liked what he heard, and hired us on the spot-true story. I played on three albums, and on the first one we had Big Joe Turner as a guest artist and Harmonica Fats. These were some of the first blues guys I got exposed to, face to face. He recorded and toured with Creach for three years.

After his work with Creach, he started working as a musician and arranger for demo sessions for Almo-Irving Music that led to a two-year tenure as a staff writer. Then in 1980 he was signed to Chocolate City, a subsidiary of Casablanca Records. He recorded his debut album, Rainmaker as Kevin Moore, which included the songs “Anybody Seen My Girl” that he later re-recorded for his 1994 Keb’ Mo’ debut and title track that was also re-recorded and released on 1998’s Slow Down.

The next phase in his life turned out to be a defining moment in his musical development. In 1983 he joined the Whodunit Band formed by the late saxophonist Monk Higgins and led by Charles Dennis currently with B.B. King. Playing regularly at Marla’s Memory Lane, a legendary jazz & blues club, the band was joined onstage by a rotating cast of big name bluesmen. “Everybody came down there and sat in: Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Witherspoon, Pee Wee Crayton, Albert Collins, Billy Preston, it was smokin’! My exposure to Monk Higgins and Charles Dennis was probably the most important element in developing my understanding of the blues.”

A few years later he was busy playing, writing songs and running a friends demo studio when he was asked to perform Delta blues music in a play called “Rabbit Foot”. At the time there was a guy in L.A. that was doing this- Chic Streetman- and he was busy. So I was offered the part. I’d started listening to some blues records again just before this: Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy. Big Bill just blew my mind, a really good songwriter with an amazing voice, amazing guitar technique.

Later he portrayed seminal bluesman Robert Johnson in “Can’t You Hear The Wind Howl”, a docu-drama based on Johnson’s short, but storied life. The haunting blues Johnson created was still on Keb’ Mo’s mind in 1993 when he was signed to Okeh, a label revived by Sony’s Michael Caplan, that was originally founded in 1916 and is credited with releasing the first blues record-Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues”—in 1920.

In 1994 Keb’ Mo’ released his self-titled debut, which earned critical acclaim and included stunning interpretations of Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen” and “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” alongside a number of his original songs.

For the record, Quentin Dennard and Billy Mitchell are responsible for giving Kevin Moore the nickname Keb’ Mo’. “I’d go to see the Billy Mitchell Jazz Band on Monday nights and I’d bring my guitar to sit in, and start playing blues. Quentin would look over at me from behind the drums and Billy from the piano and they’d holler Keb’ Mo’ (slang for Kevin Moore)! It’s like if I was playing jazz I could be Kevin Moore, but if I was gonna play blues, I had to be Keb’ Mo’.”

Two years later he earned his first Grammy in the Best Contemporary Blues record category for “Just Like You”-A mix of traditional and contemporary blues. His second Grammy followed two years after that for “Slow Down”. It’s great to win a Grammy, but winning is nothing compared to the fun of getting there. It reminds you of all the sacrifices you made and all of the apartments you got kicked out of. “

He continued to expand his folk-blues foundation with contemporary rhythms and evocative songwriting on the 2000 release The Door. A year later he shifted gears for Big Wide Grin a collection of family themed songs like the O’Jays “Love Train” and Bill Wither’s Grandma’s Hands”. This special project was released on the Sony Wonder label and focused on material that spike to parents as well as their children. Another special project was released in 2003 on Sony Legacy for Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: Keb’ Mo’. A 16-song collection of personally chosen songs harvested from his catalogue plus one newly recorded track, “Peace of Mind”.

2003 was a busy year for Keb’ Mo’ as he participated in several events to celebrate the United States Congress proclaimed “Year of the Blues”. He was selected to narrate and host the 13 segment Public Radio International (PRI) series “The Blues ”—a comprehensive chronicle of the blues. Keb’ Mo’ guides the listener on a journey that breathes life into blues history and culture with new and archival interviews from prominent artist, historians, record producers and historic and modern day blues recordings. “The Blues” was acknowledged as the most widely broadcast radio special in the history of PRI.

He also participated in the “Salute to The Blues” concert, which is scheduled for theatrical release in 2004. “Martin Scorcese put together an incredible documentary about the blues that culminated with an all-star show at Radio City Music Hall. Steve Jordan-who was the musical director for the concert-called me and asked me if I wanted to play a song or two. I know Steve pretty well-so I told him that I really wanted to be in the house band, and luckily he found room for me. ” Featuring performances by B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Ruth Brown, and Bonnie Raitt to name but a few, the concert was a living history lesson of the blues. “What a humbling and educational experience. I could never describe the feelings that I had sharing the stage with so many legends. Every time I turned around there was another amazing musician coming up on stage.”