Vance Kelly (born January 24, 1954, Chicago) is a soul-blues singer and guitarist, who has performed regularly at various music venues in the Chicago area, chief among them the 1815, Checkerboard Lounge, Rosa's Lounge, Kingston Mines, Buddy Guy's Legends, and B.L.U.E.S.
Kelly formed the Backstreet Blues Band soon after he ended his tenure with A.C. Reed, and signed a recording contract with Vienna, Austria-based Wolf Records International in 1992. Members of Kelly's newly formed band included John Primer, providing assistance on the guitar; David Honeyboy on the harmonica; Eddie Shaw on the saxophone; Erskine Johnson on the keyboard; and Johnny Reed playing bass.
In 1994, Kelly and his band would enjoy one of the most important breakthroughs of Kelly's musical career: The debut album, Call Me, earned worldwide critical acclaim and introduced Vance Kelly to audiences beyond the Chicago area. The album went on to win the Best Album of 1994 (New Recording) as well as the prestigious Living Blues Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1995.
The following year, Kelly released Joyriding in the Subway, which featured assistance on lyrics and vocals by Vivian Kelly, Vance Kelly's daughter. As with Kelly's debut outing, Joyriding in the Subway also included the guitar work of John Primer, bass playing of Johnny Reed, and keyboard music of Erskine Johnson. Critics largely praised the album and noted its "stylistic breadth," citing such obvious and varying influences on the songs as A.C. Reed, Tyrone Davis, and Little Milton.
Like Primer, he combines an inquiring eye for a song with a moderately conservative taste in sound, producing music that lives by the principles of classic Chicago bar blues yet is not enslaved by the past.
Kelly has worked steadily since these two hit releases of the 1990s, producing a string of well-received albums that showcase his signature mix of blues, soul, and funk styles. He continues to record with the Backstreet Blues Band, most recently releasing the album Bluebird on October 2008. He has also played at numerous blues gatherings, including the annual Chicago Blues Festival, and garners rave reviews from his frequent performances at music venues in and around the city. Between 1999 and 2002, Kelly took part in three separate European concert tours.
While Kelly remains relatively unknown outside of the Chicago blues community, his fan base is loyal and has expanded considerably over the years. His daughter, Vivian Vance Kelly, is a blues musician in her own right who released her debut album, Hit Me Up, on October 10, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment