Stony Plain Records artist: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne - Inspired By The Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Inspired By The Blues, by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and it swings. Opening with solid blues opener, I Know I'd Be Playing The Blues, Wayne on piano, organ and lead vocal leads the way backed by Russell Jackson on bass, Joey DiMarco on drums, and Yuji Ihara on guitars. Billy Branch adds some real nice licks on harmonica to spice up this fine opener. Opening it up on Start Rockin' Dave Babcock on sax and Bob Tildesley on trumpet pump up the action and Wayne's piano playing really rolls, balanced nicely against Yuji's guitar. Laying way back on I Like That Woman, Wayne sets a great pace on piano and his vocals are excellent. Jump track, Jimmy and Johnny has great feel with a trumpet solo by Tildesley and really nice piano work by Wayne. Very cool. Lake Country Boogie, led by the warm sax work of Babcock gives Wayne a wide open road to ply his trade. Wayne isn't shy and shows he really is the blues boss and Babcock stays toe to toe with him making this a terrific instrumental. an Old Brick Wall is another great boogie but with rich warm guitar chords and super soloing by Duke Robillard, great organ work by Wayne and power sax by Babcock. One of my favorite tracks, That Raggedy Shack, on the release features a nice paired lead vocal over a solid boogie beat. Babcock hits the sax solo square and the band is tight. Wrapping the release is a traditional take on Georgia On My Mind with solid vocals over electric piano by Wayne, Mati Vaarmann on Hammond, Mait Paldra on bass, Raul Ukareda on guitar, Jevgeni Lamba on guitar and Jaak Ahelik on drums. Veery solid closer for a solid release. 

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Award-Winning Keyboardist Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne Is "Inspired by the Blues" on New CD Coming September 28 from Stony Plain Records

Award-Winning Keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Is Inspired by the Blues on New CD Coming September 28 from Stony Plain Records

Special Guests Include Harp Master Billy Branch, Guitar Legend Duke Robillard and Long-Time B.B. King Bass Player Russell Jackson

EDMONTON, AB – Acclaimed award-winning keyboardist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne will release his new CD, Inspired by the Blues, September 28 on Stony Plain Records. The new disc was recorded at Dan/Lyn Studio in Edmonton, Alberta, and produced by the “Blues Boss,” himself. Inspired by the Blues features 11 original songs, plus a live bonus track of Kenny performing “Georgia on My Mind” that was recorded in Mexico.

Watch an exciting behind-the-scenes video about the making of Inspired by the Blues here:

https://youtu.be/IV4flyr-99E

Stream the first single, “Start Rockin,’” off the new album here:

https://soundcloud.com/stony-plain-records/kenny-blues-boss-wayne-start-rockin/s-3yRrT

The Boogie Woogie Hall of Famer’s new release includes special guests Billy Branch on harmonica, guitarist Duke Robillard and B.B. King's long-time bass player, Russell Jackson, who’s also a member of the new B.B. King Blues Band. The zoot-suited “Blues Boss” tours Russia (where he just finished an extensive tour), South America, and Europe, in addition to playing various North American clubs and festivals. Living Blues magazine named him the “Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)” for 2015. “There's no boogie-woogie-blues piano man out there today who pounds the 88s with his conviction,” wrote the Chicago Sun-Times.

“I have always said that each time I record a new album this one is my best, and each time I’ve been right; however, I should’ve said that each time it gets better,” Wayne says. “This recording is truly better and with the help of my ace band members and guest artists, it surpasses my previous recordings. I wanted to pay tribute to two of my favorite musical legends that have both passed on: Ray Charles and Fats Domino. I also wanted to bring back that classic style of blues that has been missed for years. I’d like to especially thank Chicago legend Billy Branch and the East Coast legend Duke Robillard for their contributions to this recording. A big thanks to B.B. King’s bass alumni Russell Jackson and to the rest of my well-respected musicians on board: Joey DiMarco, Yuji Ihara, Dave Babcock, Bob Tildesley and Lynne Chwyl.”

Inspired by the Blues is Kenny’s fourth album for Stony Plain Records. His 2011 first album for the label, An Old Rock On a Roll, garnered him a nomination for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Award from the Blues Foundation, as well as being awarded two 2012 Living Blues magazine awards, one for “Best New Contemporary Blues Recording of 2011” and one for Wayne as “Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard).”

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is a veteran blues and boogie piano player and also a three-time Juno Award nominee (Canada’s Grammy), including a win for his Let It Loose CD. His main influences are Fats Domino, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry’s long-time piano player Johnnie Johnson, as well as Amos Milburn, Bill Doggett and Johnny Otis, king of the West Coast blues sound of the ‘50s.

He was raised in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Orleans, but has been a long-time resident of British Columbia. A touring musician from his teens onward, Wayne settled in Vancouver some 30 years ago, and is now based in Kelowna, BC, but is rarely home — thanks to extended tours in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. His bass-heavy boogie piano work, as well as his original songs, makes for powerful live performances, enhanced by the flashy splendor of his boldly colored, French custom-tailored stage suits.