Kicking off Tubestock weekend, blues musician and two-time Grammy award winner Keb' Mo' will perform songs off of his latest album, "Keep It Simple" with his band in Spaulding Auditorium at 7 p.m. tonight.
Slang for Kevin Moore, Mo', whose sound combines deep-roots Delta blues and deep-felt funk, has been lauded for years as a modern blues musician, winning two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album -- one in 1997 for his second album, "Just Like You," and one in 1999 for "Slow Down."
In addition to his two Grammy wins, Mo' received eight W.C. Handy Awards honoring excellence in blues music.
His latest work, "Keep It Simple" marks Keb' Mo' solo-production debut and is his fifth release from Okeh Records, a sub label of Sony.
"I had a clear vision about what I wanted this album to sound and feel like before I started," Mo' said.
The 12 songs on the album, all either written or co-written by Mo', address various aspects of the human condition.
Mo' alternates his style of guitar playing, changing between fingerpicking and slide guitar.
Ironically enough, Mo' does not consider himself a blues musician.
"Kevin'll be the first to tell you he's not a bluesman," his manager John Boncimino said. "What he's done is he's spanned the gap, like Bonnie Raitt, like Robert Cray -- artists who are probably most comfortable and at home with the blues but are taking it a step further."
Still, Mo' says he was inspired by classical blues artists including Robert Johnson -- whom he portrayed on film in the docu-drama "Can't You Hear The Wind Howl"-- and Big Bill Broonzy.
As a child, Mo' was exposed to Baptist church music, contemporary R&B and the blues and rock of the 1960's, thanks to his parents' Louisiana and Texas upbringings.
Mo' further developed his pop tendencies during a stint as a guitarist in Monk Higgins' jazz funk group.
These eclectic sources have given rise to Mo's unique, funky pop style.
Tiffany Lee-Youngren, of the San Diego Union-Tribune, described his style as "a hybrid of folk, soul and countrified picking, which he authenticates with a down-home, old-timey look and sound, alternating easily between electric and acoustic slide guitar."
Mo' has received more than just critical acclaim. His albums have appeared on the Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart since the chart's conception in September 1995.
His self-titled debut album peaked on the chart for 72 weeks, topping of at No. 4. His debut and his sophomore effort, "Just Like You," remained on the charts together for 28 weeks straight.
Mo' performed on major U.S. tours with Celine Dion in the spring of 1997 and Bonnie Raitt in the spring of 1998. He collaborated with Raitt and Jackson Browne on the title track on his album, "Just Like You," and performed a special project for Sony Legacy records , "Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: Keb' Mo'" released in 2003.
Mo' recently played in the "Salute to The Blues" concert, organized by Martin Scorcese in Radio City Music Hall. Other artists featured in the concert included music legends B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Ruth Brown and Bonnie Raitt.
The experience was "humbling and educational," Mo' said. "I could never describe the feelings that I had sharing the stage with so many legends. Every time I turned around there was another amazing musician coming up on stage." To reviewers, Mo' is a darling. His infectious but comforting sound has elicited rave reviews.
"Blues Revue" magazine describes him as "A natural entertainer ... with clean melody lines and unforgettable hooks [who] caresses and warms you like broken-in flannel [with] lyrics that strike universal truths."
In light of the critics' reviews and his numerous honors and awards, Mo's performance looks to be a cultural highlight of the term.
