Kevin Roosevelt Moore was born on 3 October 1951 in South Los Angeles, California and had an early appreciation for music, becoming a well-established guitarist by early adolescence. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he played as backup for various bands, as well as started to record music with violinist Papa John Creach through an R&B group. It was Creach who hired him to play on four of his albums giving Keb’ Mo’ his first gold album.
In 1980 he made his first release with “Rainmaker” with the help of Chocolate City Records, and then was further immersed into blues music by becoming a part of the band, Whodunit. Keb’ Mo’ followed up with “Rainmaker” with a self-titled album in 1994 on Okeh Records. In 1996 he released “Just Like You” which earned him his first Grammy Award. He then became involved in the German rocker Peter Maffay’s music collective project called Begegnungen (Encounter). In 1998 Keb’ Mo’ released his next album entitled “Slow Down” followed shortly in 2000 by “The Door.” He even released a children’s album in 2000 entitled “Big Wide Grin” which featured many of the childhood songs that Mo’ grew up with, followed by a television appearance on the popular children’s television show, “Sesame Street.” The next album he released, “Keep It Simple” in 2004 earned him another Grammy Award, followed by “Suitecase” in 2006. He went on to release his first live album in 2009.
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.
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