More and Moore Music!

Don’t forget music-lovers, I have a host of product out there: including 2 full albums as digital downloads, “The Long Walk Home” and “The Songwriter Diaries” COMPLETELY FREE! Plus, available to buy from Shop:Kev,  My DCFC tribute CD “Fan Fayre for the Commons People”, and my latest CD, the 18 track “Blue Odyssey”.

Click on the picture links to explore, listen, download and buy!

Kev Moore

Blue Odyssey Featured on Friday in the DET

You can read the whole article by following THIS LINK to the Derby Telegraph Website

Kev Moore

Blue Odyssey: Release date set for October 31st!

My new album, Blue Odyssey, goes on sale at the end of this month – but you can pre-order it NOW by visiting MIKISMART,  and get yourself a FREE download of my song “The Turre Stomp” into the bargain!

Weighing in at 18 tracks spanning over 75 minutes and presented in a quality full colour 6 panel digipak, I’m really proud of it. To order from our online shop it costs just 10 euros + 3 euros p&p.

The songs take you on the same journey I made through the music heartland of America earlier this year, geographically and chronologically, the lyrics describing my experiences and the people I met along the way, with guest contributions from musicians from Arkansas, Ohio, Georgia, and London – not to mention legendary King Biscuit time presenter “Sunshine” Sonny Payne.

Order yourselves a copy now!

Kev Moore

Blue Odyssey Sampler

Guitar not to scale........

As the recording of “Blue Odyssey” continues apace, I thought it was about time I gave everyone a ‘sneak peek’ at what I have been up to, so I’ve put together a small sampler, giving a taste of seven of the songs that will eventually appear on the album. They are in no particular order, and in some cases aren’t perhaps the definitive mix, but I think they give an idea of the cross-section of influences I’ve drawn on for the project.  The tracks are as follows:

1 Parrot Beach Cafe – a song about a real venue that Miki and I visited in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Two of the musicians who regularly play there are featured on the track, Gil Franklin on slide guitar and Patrick ‘Jawbone’ Kenyon on blues harp.

2 Pass the Biscuits – a song about the legendary King Biscuit Time and its presenter ‘Sunshine’ Sonny Payne. broadcasting out of Helena, Arkansas, Sonny also appears on the full version of this track, and the drums are by Stef Cybichowksi.

3 Never get to Nashville – this song tells the story of our eventual journey to America, in Nashville style, of course! the full version will feature Shelley House of Atlanta on fiddle, and as a Delta airlines hostess!

4 A Mississippi Prayer – simply inspired by our time in the delta, absorbing the rich musical heritage, we couldn’t fail to be touched by it.

5 What a Night it Was – a strange tale….influenced by the night we got back to our hotel in Austin, Texas, to find that the whole area had been cordoned off by the Police, and the forensic teams were out in force.

6 A Cellarful of Dreams – This was a side of Nashville I hadn’t expected – an alternative scene, very vibrant and encapsulated by the Tuesday nights at The Basement. Great music, great memories. The song in full runs through several different styles, mirroring the diversity of the acts on stage.

7 Buttermilk Boogie – A bit of fun, inspired by my love of the Waffle House chain! I hope to submit the finished version to the company, so it may feature on the jukeboxes in each of their restaurants.

So, click on the player below to get a little taste of my forthcoming album!

Kev Moore

Blue Odyssey update

The Author relaxing at the bar of the soon-to-be-immortalized "Parrot beach cafe"!

Well, the new solo CD project is well underway, with ‘sketches’ taking shape of around 5 songs so far, including ‘Never get to Nashville’, ‘A Cellarful of Dreams’, ‘The Mississippi Prayer’, ‘Buttermilk Boogie’, ‘The Ghost of Bessie Smith’ and ‘Parrot Beach Cafe’.

Gil Franklin (foreground) with the Port Arthur Band

Jawbone

With regard to Parrot Beach cafe, I’m delighted to announce that Jawbone and Gil Franklin will be contributing their own special brand of Arkansas blues to the track!  Having witnessed their playing first hand, on blues harp and guitar respectively, at the cafe in the title of the track,  I’m over the moon to have the chance for them to sprinkle a little ‘magic dust’ on my album, giving it an authentic local flavour!

Kev Moore

Parrot Beach Cafe – My new local!

The Parrot welcomes you.....

Miki and I searched the  newspapers and the internet looking for somewhere serving up good music on Saturday and discovered a place North of the river and West of Little Rock called The Parrot Beach Cafe.  It advertised a Hope for Haiti benefit concert, raising money for Doctors without Borders, with a number of bands  performing, starting at 3 pm.

Parking at the Parrot Beach cafe is creative....

When we finally found the place, it didn’t look like much was going on, and although it was 3 o’clock, it didn’t look like anyone would be playing anytime soon.  But we were assured music would start around 4, and we left, promising to return later. I’m glad we did.  

The five and a half hours following our return at 5pm were filled with great, honest and expertly delivered music from a variety of local performers, including “MC by default” Jawbone, who, as his name might suggest, plays a mean blues harp, and is possessed of a gravel rasp voice that delivers the songs in some style. His first set was with his wife Jolene accompanying him on guitar. Next on stage was The Swamp Donkey. He attacked his old National with a slide and a mean sense of humour delivering a great songs, abetted towards the end of his set by Jawbone.  These guys were keeping it real. 

Jawbone and Swamp makin' it happen

A mention must also got to Vanessa and the staff at Parrot Beach. She had cooked up a great bowl of chilli and was giving out chilli dogs for all, not to mention hot popcorn.  Not the biggest drinkers, we were installed at the bar alternating between endless cups of coffee and iced glasses of bud light. I guess we were the only non-locals there, but by the end of the night, we felt like we belonged, their hospitality was fantastic.  A band featuring guitarist Gil Franklin took to the stage next, initially  sporting the most beatifully aged Gibson 335 I’ve ever seen, but when he put his Strat through a Peavey Classic combo, he had a tone to die for.   He sang a mean blues too, and I was pleased when he later got up with the Port Arthur Band – the house band at Parrot beach, for their set which followed. A special mention must also go to the drummer, who, dressed in a Led Zep ’71 tour shirt, played the kit in a distinctive and highly watchable style, totally into the gig, and right on the money.

Port Arthur Band, with (far left) Gil Franklin

The closing act was Big Red and the Soul Benders, as defined by their Big, red-haired singer. Their bass player kept the theme going , dressed head to toe in a bright red zoot suit, complete with red hat.  He also played a graphite grey Fender precision lyte bass, which gave me pangs of regret for the identical one I’d had stolen many years before! Big Red herself was possessed of consummate professionalism, and more importantly, a helluva voice. Backed by a solid band, and once again Jawbone on blues harp, she was a fine closer for the show. At least, I think she closed the show, but we were flagging and left before the end, but it was no reflection on the performance.  My guess is they jammed on into the night.  We were so pleased to have happened upon this great venue full of warm, music-loving, generous people, who in the process of having a damn good time raised a very worthy sum for their cause.

Big Red and the Soul Benders giving it large

The House band appear there every Thursday. If you ever have the good fortune to be in Little Rock, get yourself across the Arkansas river, head North on MacArthur, and prepare to be entertained.

Links you might enjoy:  Parrot Beach Cafe

                                                  Port Arthur Band

                                                  Big Red

                                                  Jawbone & Jolene

Parrot Beach Cafe - House Rules

Kev Moore

All that Jazz – The After Thought in Little Rock, Arkansas

Before the show at The After Thought

Despite a long drive from Texarkana, Miki and I were ready to venture into the town of Little Rock on Monday night in search of music. We found it at The After Thought, a modern, yet inviting bar on the outskirts, serving great value draft beer and boasting a house quartet well-versed in modern jazz.

I’d decided to wear my New Orleans Saints shirt that night, so you can imagine my delight when we discovered that the backdrop to the stage was a giant mural depicting Bourbon Street in our favourite city!  Now, Modern Jazz is not normally my music of choice, but I nevertheless welcomed the chance to hear it played live, and well – and with the band hosting a handful of impromptu appearances from other local musicians, it was a treat.  A local music professor got up and gave a great rendition of Ramsey Lewis’ classic The In Crowd.

Kev giving it large.....

Resisting my “busman’s holiday” trait no longer, I opted to sing Someone to watch over me, a classic performed by artists as diverse as Tony Bennet, Ella Fitzgerald and Elton John, and accompanied expertly by their pianist I delivered it as best I could!

The audience seemed to receive it well, and I sat down to enjoy some virtuoso (to my untrained jazz ears, at least!)  solo trombone from another musical member of the audience. All in all, it was a nice, easy intro to the Little Rock music scene, and set us up nicely for the coming week.

Lettin' it slide.....

                                                                   Kev Moore

Taking the Biscuit – On the air with a living legend

Monday morning, Memphis in our mirror, we headed south on the legendary Highway 61.  I suggested to Miki that we take a detour across the mighty Mississippi and into Arkansas to visit Helena.  A stop on the outskirts at the visitor centre and a very welcome free coffee, provided me with an opportunity to confirm this town as the location of “King Biscuit Time”, the legendary radio show started in 1941 by Sonny Boy Williamson and a massive influence on the likes of BB King and Ike Turner.  The lady in the visitor centre pointed out the studio’s location. She told us the blues exhibition where the station broadcast from was closed to the public on Mondays, but she called ahead and told them we were coming. And so it was that I met the legendary  DJ “Sunshine” Sonny  Payne  who has been broadcasting the show for 60 years.  A sprightly 85, this man really is a living legend and has brushed shoulders with the giants.  On first name terms with the likes of Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, etc, he is an affable, cordial host, and I was honoured to be invited to take part in the latest broadcast of the show. It is always broadcast at 12.15, the time originally chosen to match that of the lunch break of the African-American workers in the Delta. Miki even got a mention, introduced as the French artist who doesn’t speak!!

Chewin' the fat with Sunshine Sonny Payne

I talked a little about Christie, and how the B-Side of our multi-million seller was called “Down the Mississippi Line”, and how I was thrilled to be going down the Mississippi for real, and I was invited to sign a guitar for the display and also the large flight case display, where I put my name next to Robert Plant’s.

Sonny very kindly signed one of his posters for me, which will be on permanent display at “Kev and Miki towers” when we get home!

King Biscuit time occupies a unique place in Blues history and culture. If it wasn’t for Sonny Boy Williamson’s success in getting the local grocery distributor to  finance the show in exchange for endorsements and naming rights, a whole generation of musicians may not have had access to what was to become their inspiration. Situated in Helena, it also was perfectly placed as a stopping off point for blues musicians on their way from the Delta region to the Chicago blues nightclubs and was also convenient to Memphis, Tennessee and its lively blues culture. Several blues musicians came to Helena and made it their home, such as Little Walter Jacobs and Jimmy Rogers.  The King Biscuit Flour Hour, the one hour syndicated rock and roll radio program, was derived from King Biscuit Time. Levon Helm drummer for The Band, has credited King Biscuit Time,  for inspiring his musical career.

To have been a small part of this wonderful, historic show was a huge honour for me. As Sonny says, every day at 12.15 without fail for the last 60 years,  “Pass the biscuits, ‘cos it’s King Biscuit Time!”

Kev Moore