KEB' MO'SINGIN' THE BLUES
For the most part, Keb' Mo' is the materialization of the harm caused to blues when confronted with a mainstream approach. Too often Kevin Moore (his real name) sounds like a middle of the road bluesman aiming at the middle class white people with something closer to Michael Bolton, minus the "goat-like" vocals that is, than Robert Johnson. That said, when Kevin turns down the cheesy arrangements and regroups on his blues fundamentals, he's quite good. This compilation thus centers on the bluesiest, rootsiest part of his repertoire and with, 23 songs it's a feast for whoever appreciates acoustic and relaxed blues. Sure, it's not the devil's music anymore but a good example of how good Kevin Moore is when he decides to sing the blues rather than produce a pop ersatz of it.
My KEB' MO' Top Three
1 - Keb' Mo' (1994)
2 - Suitcase (2006)
3 - Just Like You (1996)
RIYL:
Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Kelly Joe Phelps
1 comment:
This is better than I expected. I had avoided Keb Mo because I knew he came to the blues after Jazz and Rock. I has repeatedly been said that he isn't a genuine bluesman, and I expected smooth contemporary songs.
But most of what you have chosen is as good as any other acoustic music coming out of the South these days.
I'll do some more exploring but I trust that you chose the best the man can do. Good job.
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