Keb' Mo'

For over twenty years, Kevin Moore (aka Keb’ Mo’), has been keeping the spirit of delta blues alive, recalling the essence of early recordings by the likes of Charlie Patton and Muddy Waters. Yet Keb’ Mo’s blues does not simply rehash old Mississippi standards; it is a post-modern re-evaluation of these roots, reflecting and incorporating contemporary funk, soul and rock into his style. He hasn’t won three Grammys for no reason.
Performing at the annual Rawa Blues festival in 2013, Mo’ and his fellow journeyman travelled across America’s musical history with an eclectic hour- long set to an uproarious reception. The opening songs ‘Government Cheese’ and ‘More Than One Way Home’ presented a laid back blues-funk to which heads nodded as Mo’ riffed. ‘Muddy Water’ from his 1998 album of the same name was a highlight, paying tribute to Muddy Waters and the importance of the Mississippi river to the blues tradition.
The sound of Chicago Blues ran through most of the set as the audience gazed in awe as Mo’ ran up and down the fret board laying down his smooth melodies. In blues guitar, there are few artists who can match Keb’ Mo’s talent and authenticity to be found in his effortless playing. ‘The Door,’ a slow grooving blues, gave the band a chance to show off their vocal skills, as well as the talents of Irek Dudek on harmonica, during which Keb and Irek shared phrases, challenging each other to find tastier licks in response. Following this, Mo’ picked up his slide and resonator and performed the stripped-back ‘Am I wrong?’ and ‘She Just Wants to Dance’ which was simply classic delta blues, returning the audience to romanticised thoughts of those early troubadours travelling up and down the Mississippi, simply playing their guitar to whoever would turn out to listen. Keb’ Mo’ manages to avoid clichés and offers timeless blues that is effortlessly cool.