Artist: Kelly Joe Phelps Genre(s):
Rock
Discography:
Tunesmith Retrofit Year: 2006
Tracks: 12
Portland, OR-based acoustic/slide guitar participant and singer/songwriter Kelly Joe Phelps carved forbidden a growth niche for his euphony end-to-end the 1990s. Phelps was raised in Washington and well-read commonwealth and tribe songs, as well as drums and forte-piano, from his beginner. At first, he concentrated on free nothingness and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane earlier finding his true vocation as a blues instrumentalist in the late '80s, when he began listening to acoustic blues edgar Lee Masters wish Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams. He began singing as well and released his critically praised debut,
Lead Me On, in 1995. Six original songs showcase Phelps' ability in the blues accent, but he too tackles, and does justice to, traditional numbers racket pool like "Motherless Children" and "Fare Thee Well." Phelps, as dextrous and creative an acoustic playground slide guitarist as you'll hear anyplace in the U.S., likewise made appearances on Greg Brown's album
Further In, Tony Furtado's
Roll My Blues Away, and Townes Van Zandt's
The Highway Kind. In recent years, he's opened shows for B.B. King, Leo Kottke, Keb' Mo', Robben Ford, and Little Feat. He released his second gear album,
Roll Away the Stone, in 1997, and followed it up with 1999's
Radiate Eyed Mister Zen.
Sky Like a Broken Clock, which appeared in 2001, exuded a sultrier tendency from Phelps; it's fellow traveller musical composing, the
Beggar's Oil EP, was a critic's fave in 2002. Phelps was on fire; however, changes loomed ahead. He switched up his role from solo play to bandleader when it came to recording a fifth studio movement in previous 2002. Phelps wanted a hit orchestrated sound, so he collected guitar player Bill Frisell and bassist Keith Lowe as well as Zubot & Dawson's Steve Dawson, Jesse Zubot, and Andrew Downing (bass) for the recording of
Slingshot Professionals; the album appeared in March 2003 and quick earned critical herald among indie critics. In 2005, Phelps released a live album,
Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind, which was followed a year later by the studio apartment track record album
Tunesmith Retrofit, released on Rounder Records.
