Kelly Joe Phelps Biography
Portland, OR-based acoustic/slide guitar player and singer/songwriter Kelly Joe Phelps carved out a growing niche for his music throughout the 1990s. Phelps was raised in Washington and learned country and folk songs, as well as drums and piano, from his father. At first, he concentrated on free jazz and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane before finding his true calling as a blues musician in the late '80s, when he began listening to acoustic blues masters like 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 idiom, but he also tackles, and does justice to, traditional numbers like "Motherless Children" and "Fare Thee Well." Phelps, as deft and creative an acoustic slide guitarist as you'll hear anywhere in the U.S., also 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 album, Roll Away the Stone, in 1997, and followed it up with 1999's Shine Eyed Mister Zen. Sky Like a Broken Clock, which appeared in 2001, exuded a sultrier disposition from Phelps; it's companion piece, 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 act to bandleader when it came to recording a fifth studio effort in late 2002. Phelps wanted a dramatic orchestrated sound, so he collected guitarist 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 quickly earned critical acclaim among indie critics. In 2005, Phelps released a live album, Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind, which was followed a year later by the studio album Tunesmith Retrofit, released on Rounder Records. ~ Richard Skelly, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Dark new day Biography: Dark New Day formed in early 2005 and was quickly billed as a supergroup for the active rock set, since its membership came from various name-brand acts. Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals) had been a...
Thou art lord Biography: Thou Art Lord is the experimental industrial/deathcore/black metal side project helmed by Rotting Christ vocalist/guitarist Sakis Tolis and Necromantia bassist the Magus. Formed in 1992 to explore...
Elbow Biography: Injecting a wider range of emotions into their music than most of their guitar-based peers in England, Elbow referred to themselves as "prog without the solos" without winking. The members of the...
Restless heart Biography: Playing a pop-friendly brand of country-rock indebted to the Eagles, Restless Heart was one of the most popular country bands of the late '80s and early '90s, scoring numerous hits on the country...
Scooter Biography: German techno group Scooter was formed in 1994 by H.P. Baxxter, Rick Jordan and Ferris Bueller, who together with producer Jens Thele previously joined forces as the remix team the Loop. During the...
Jaya the cat Biography: Hardcore/ska enthusiast Jaya the Cat hails from Boston, MA, and consists of members Geoff Lagadec (vocals), Dave Smith (guitar), and Ben Murphy (bass). Shortly after forming, the group relocated to...
Superjoint ritual Biography: The early 21st century saw Pantera singer Phil Anselmo launch several side projects, including Necrophagia, Viking Crown, Christ Inversion, Southern Isolation, and Superjoint Ritual. The latter group...
Nicolette Biography: From rare-groove to rave to trip-hop and soul, Nicolette was one of the most eccentric dance vocalists of the 1990s, working with everyone from the one-shot rave act L.A. Style to electro futurists...