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Keb' Mo': LIVE - That Hot Pink Blues Album

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Kind of Blue Music
Released: 2016.04.15
Time:
 39:45 / 38:34
Category: Blues
Producer(s): Casey Wasner
Rating:
Media type: 2xCD
Web address: www.kebmo.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2016
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


Disc 1:

[1] Tell Everybody I Know (Kevin Moore) - 3:02
[2] Somebody Hurt You (Kevin Moore / John Lewis Parker) - 5:32
[3] Henry (Kevin Moore / John Lewis Parker) - 5:30
[4] Life Is Beautiful (Colin Linden / Kevin Moore) - 4:32
[5] She Just Wants to Dance (Georgina Graper / Kevin Moore) - 4:48
[6] [The Worst Is Yet to Come (Heather Donavon / Kevin Moore / Pete Sallis) - 5:09
[7] Government Cheese (Kevin Moore) - 4:39
[8] The Door (Kevin Moore) - 5:56


Disc 2:

[1] Come on Back (Kevin Moore) - 5:15
[2] France (Kevin Moore) - 3:21
[3] More Than One Way Home (Kevin Moore / John Lewis Parker) - 4:53
[4] A Better Man (Kevin Moore / Anders Osborne) - 4:03
[5] The Old Me Better (Kevin Moore / John Lewis Parker) - 3:02
[6] Rita (Kevin Moore) - 5:22
[7] Dangerous Mood (Kevin Moore / Candy Parton) - 8:32
[8] City Boy (Kevin Moore) - 5:03

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Keb' Mo' - Guitars, Vocals

Michael Hicks - Keyboards, Photography, Vocals
Stan Sargeant - Bass, Vocals
Casey Wasner - Drums, Engineer, Producer, Vocals

Robbie Brooks-Moore - Executive Producer, Photography
Aaron Hedden - Mixing
Richard Dodd - Mastering
Chuck Arlund - Photography
Jo Cox - Photography
Andrea Lucero - Photography
Erik Petersen - Photography
Anthony Scarlati - Photography
Glenn Sweitzer - Art Direction, Design

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2016 CD Kind Of Blue Music - 728028414745
2016 LP Kind Of Blue Music - KOBL41475



This beautifully packaged (all, indeed, in pink) two disc set was recorded at a range of North American venues during Keb’s tour to promote his BLUESAmericana album and features tracks from that album together with some of his best known songs from across his career.  Keb wrote everything here, with some co-writers here and there and the band is Keb on vocals, guitars and harp, Michael B Hicks on keyboards, Stan Sargeant on bass and Casey Wasner on drums; everyone adds backing vocals and Casey also produced and engineered the record. Keb switches effortlessly between acoustic, slide and electric guitars and the whole disc is relaxed, pleasant listening. Acoustic opener “Tell Everybody I Know” provides possibly the closest comparison with Keb’s early inspiration, Taj Mahal and “Somebody Hurt You” finds Keb on electric on a blues with call and response vocals from the band. Keb picks up his resonator for the old favourite “Henry” which looks back to a world long gone and maintains the gentle mood for “Life Is Beautiful” on which Michael’s string effect keys support Keb’s vocal on a song that is achingly beautiful. If that one is too sweet for your taste the uptempo “She Just Wants To Dance” is bound to please with Keb’s slide set against some bouncy bass and is followed by two tunes that show off his sense of humour, the rocking “The Worst Is Yet To Come” and “Government Cheese” before closing with the title track of one of his earlier albums “The Door”.

Disc 2 follows a similar pattern.  “Come On Back” again features strings courtesy of the keyboard and “France” is always a fun tune to hear with its loping rhythm and amusing lyrics which are well received by the audience.  The lyrical “More Than One Way Home” has an uplifting chorus and room for a short bass feature before we get two songs which share similar titles: “A Better Man” is a lively tune with some Caribbean lilt and some brief audience participation whereas “The Old Me Better” is an acoustic tune with Keb on kazoo and some more comical lyrics in which Keb finds that his new lady may not have improved things: “I liked the old me better, I was a lot more fun, I liked the old me better, I didn’t take crap from anyone”.  The groove of “Rita” sounds  a little like vintage Steely Dan (especially in Keb’s tricky solo) before an extended reading of what is undoubtedly Keb’s best known (and most covered) tunes, “Dangerous Mood” allows Keb space for his electric guitar work, the audience following every lyrical twist of this engaging tale of seduction.  “City Boy” closes the album in reflective mood as Keb’s gentle lyrics are brilliantly supported by Michael’s piano.

Long-time fans will lap up this album and anyone whose collection is short on Keb material can buy this one without hesitation as it takes the best of his work and presents it very sympathetically.

John Mitchell - October 1, 2016
Blues Blast Magazine



Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and contemporary blues artist, Keb’ Mo’, is set to release Keb’ Mo’ LIVE – That Hot Pink Blues Album on April 15. Released on Kind of Blue Music/RED Distribution, the album is now available for pre-sale through iTunes, Amazon and KebMo.com with “Life Is Beautiful” being offered as an immediate download.

In his newest release, Keb’ Mo’ LIVE – That Hot Pink Blues Album, Keb’ Mo’ delivers some of his best material in the most authentic form, through live recordings. Recorded throughout the past year while on tour, and produced by Keb’s band mate and Grammy nominated producer, Casey Wasner, the double-disc album features 16 live recorded songs from Keb’ Mo’s extensive catalog. Captured in nine different cities, Keb’ is backed by keyboardist Michael B. Hicks, bassist Stan Sargeant (Leonard Cohen, Barry Manilow, Al Jarreau) and drummer Casey Wasner.

Working closely in the studio to choose just the right tracks, Keb’, Wasner and sound engineer/mixer, Aaron Hedden, forged a very special bond. Together, they lovingly chose a collection of songs that pays homage to an illustrious 21-year career in the music business, and it gleans stellar live cuts from many albums in Keb’s catalog. Several of the tracks are off his most recent album, BLUESAmericana, which garnered Keb’ Mo’ a 2015 Blues Music Award from the Blues Foundation for Best Contemporary Blues Album, three 2015 Grammy award nominations including Best Americana Album, and multiple other achievements.

Keb’ Mo’s combination of masterful, anecdotal writing skills, distinctive guitar versatility and rich, resonant, blues-soaked vocals are a testament to his respect in the music industry. Every song tells a story, and every story reminds listeners of why Keb’ Mo’ is one of the most multi-talented and engaging musical raconteurs on today’s roots rock and blues scene.

A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to Playing For Change, an organization that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music by building music schools worldwide. Playing For Change has already supported the development of twelve schools, including in Mali, Thailand, Nepal, Brazil, South Africa and more. Keb’ has been involved with the organization since its inception. He has been featured in many related videos and events to help attend to the children’s human and artistic necessities and unite them through inspiration rather than devastation. Keb’ was featured on the Playing For Change album: Playing for Change 3: Songs Around the World, which was released in 2014 and features over 180 musicians from 31 countries, including Keith Richards, Sara Bareilles, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Taj Mahal and many others.

Copyright 2008 - 2015 Blues Magazine



That Hot Pink Blues Album is a snapshot of Keb’ Mo’s 2015 tour, featuring performances of 16 songs from stops in nine different cities over the course of two discs. The stages range from Sturgis, South Dakota, all the way to Kent, Ohio. The structure is devoid of clutter—the only thing backing him is his typically terrific touring trio that features Michael B. Hicks on keys, Casey Wasner on drums, and Stan Sargeant on bass. And the crowds, predictably, fill in the space between the notes where silence might sit on any studio recording.

Why? Because you’d be a twit to argue there’s any good reason whatsoever that any Keb’ Mo’ album shouldn’t be a live album.

What makes the man born Kevin Roosevelt Moore such an essential voice in contemporary blues is that his blend of blues is so concise. Only one of these tracks stretches beyond the eight-minute mark (which is a feat, considering how this is a live blues record, remember) and at least three songs here don’t even reach three and a half minutes. He knows what he likes and he likes what he knows. And he’s damn good at it.

Damn good.

Just spin this version of “Somebody Hurt You” to hear why. Shuffling with a mid-tempo blues backbone, Hicks’s organ adds all the accompaniment Moore needs in order to gamely stretch out for a few minutes with his Clapton-esque taste that provides flavors of torture and grace, all within his six-string. As the crowd mildly erupts while the guitarist fades his soloing down, you almost begin to wonder if the audio just doesn’t give the performance as a whole proper justice—visuals might be mandatory. The track is laid-back in the most powerful ways.

The same traditional formula can be found on “France” and “Rita”. Both are charming yet essential to the Keb’ Mo’ equation. One minute, he’s pleasing his woman by finding “two cheap tickets to France on the Internet” before endearingly reciting “parlez vous francais” to a whistling crowd, while the next, he’s declaring, “You know what I would do if she would take me back/I’d go running back.” It’s a combination of humility and amiability that isn’t seen as much as it should be in 2016 blues.

Moore’s secret weapon, however, continues to be his versatility. The blues might be his vice of choice, but let there be no doubt that the 64-year-old still knows how to groove. “Government Cheese”, taken from a Wheeling, West Virginia concert, is straight Steely Dan, complete with synthesizing keyboards and a warm guitar tone that helps fill out the performance with weight. Sure, the crowd might acknowledge Hicks’s trippy soling, but the true hero of the track is Sargeant with his slap-happy bass. The turn from forlorn to funk shouldn’t be nearly as easy as these guys make it sound.

Ditto for “Come on Back”, which feels like it might sound best through an FM radio at about 1:30 in the morning on a muggy summer night as part of some ‘80s flashback mix that caters to R&B. The performance is subtle in nature, the verses quietly accessible, but once it opens up for some vintage Keb’ Mo’ soloing, there’s no doubt about who you’re hearing. Echoing out with backing vocals and Range-without-Hornsby guitar noodling atmospherics, it adds up to something smoother than the top of a brand new pool table.

Eccentricity continues to be omnipresent on songs like “Life Is Beautiful”, which is led by an acoustic guitar and continues to be made for an adult contemporary audience, and “The Old Me Better”, which leans toward the South and is cute as hell, especially when the kazoo kicks in. “She Just Wants To Dance” also allows some killer slide action to creep in underneath a honky-tonk piano before the crowd participation takes over and damn it if you don’t want to book a trip to West Hampton, New York, right away.

Most all of it takes a backseat to the collection’s centerpiece: an eight-and-a-half minute version of “Dangerous Mood” that only grows in intensity as the countless woo-hoos from the crowd consistently fade into the background, their presence essential to the feel of the production. “You can even call me stupid / That’s right I did what I had to do,” Keb’ intones during the second verse, and man, welcome to the Blues. The thing eventually blossoms into a white-hot jam that wouldn’t be out of place at any Crossroads Festival ever, and it more than serves its purpose as a reminder that this guy is still one of the best players in all of the genre, mainstream or not.

Truth is, Kevin Moore has always been one of the best players in all of the genre, mainstream or not, dating all the way back to when he first started working with Papa John Creach in the 1970s. Perhaps That Hot Pink Blues Album‘s biggest accomplishment, though, is the mere reality that it plays like more of a victory lap than it does a cash grab, or some wayward collection of live material whose sole purpose is to help maintain an artist’s reputation. Dude doesn’t need any help; he’s always been—and always will be—one of the unsung heroes of the gray area that marries blues and funk. If anything, this set should remind the young cats that they best not rest because Keb’ Mo’ has still got it. In person or in the studio, his is a standard for which all young bucks ought to strive.

Hot pink? Hot damn.

Rating: 7/10

Colin McGuire - 13 April 2016
© 1999-2016 PopMatters.com



Pink isn't a color usually associated with blues but That Hot Pink Blues Album doesn't have a sound usually associated with Keb' Mo'. Sure, there are elements of the acoustic slide guitar that has been his signature since his 1994 debut, but the live album emphasizes his softer, soulful side, sometimes pairing the bluesman with sympathetic strings. In this respect, That Hot Pink Blues Album feels like a cousin to the mellow 2011 set The Reflection, but these 16 songs were cut on the 2015 supporting tour for 2014's BLUESAmericana, a record that was designed to touch on as many different American roots sounds as possible. Compared to that, That Hot Pink Blues Album is a little more streamlined, containing a dual focus on mellow grooves and sensitive reflections. He's attempted this in the studio, but his interpretations breathe and sigh on-stage, which is what makes That Hot Pink Blues Album warm and enveloping in a way few other Keb' Mo' records are.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - All Music Guide
 

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