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  • "SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS WITH KEB' MO'" BRINGS SOULFUL CELEBRATION TO WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
  • Dec. 23, 2004
  • Blues Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist Hails from Southern California


    THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23 AT 8:00 PM

    From country blues and contemporary sounds to soulful versions of the classics, Keb' Mo' brings his signature sound home for the holidays on Thursday, December 23, at 8 p.m. at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association presents Spirit of the Holidays with Keb' Mo' as part of its holiday-themed programming series "Deck the Hall." Showcasing his acoustic nature, Keb' Mo' keeps it simple; the rich tones mingling with his warm voice evoke the comfort, unity, and celebrations of the season.
    The two-time Grammy winning artist performs a mixture of his original works along with songs that reflect and salute the holiday spirit. Supported by his four-piece band featuring Jeff Paris on keyboards and mandolin, Clayton Gibb on guitars and banjo, Reggis McBride on bass, and Les Falconer on drums, Keb' Mo' celebrates the holidays in his hometown for a one-night-only performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

    This concert is the eighth of nine diverse holiday programs presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in its "Deck the Hall" series, highlighting all types of seasonal celebrations. The series concludes on December 31 with a New Year's Eve celebration featuring Pink Martini.

    Whether writing with Bobby McFerrin, Melissa Manchester, or Leon Ware, or crafting his compositions on his own, KEB' MO' expresses human emotion with the integrity that made him a triple winner in 1999's W.C. Handy Blues Awards. The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist recently released Peace...Back by Popular Demand. His seven previous albums have made Keb' Mo' one of the most popular writer/performers on the contemporary blues scene. But with this new collection, he takes a new creative turn: He interprets nine classic songs of social conscience from the '60s and '70s, and adds one stirring new composition of his own. Born Kevin Moore, he grew up in Compton, South Central Los Angeles. At age 12, he began playing a guitar he'd received from his Uncle Herman. As a teenager, he also played trumpet and French horn. In his first band, a calypso outfit, he also played upright bass and steel drums. After various gigs and collaborations, the singer-guitarist concentrated on songwriting and released his first solo album, Rainmaker, on Chocolate City in 1980 before discovering the blues at the L.A. nightspot Marla's Memory Lane. Apprenticing with The Whodunit Band was an epiphany for Moore. Enthralled by the grit and bite of the country blues, he concentrated on solo acoustic work. He went down to Mississippi to hang out with veteran Delta bluesman Eugene Powell, developed his own style as a blues guitarist, and became Keb' Mo', a street-talk version of his own name - the moniker signaled his allegiance to the music that helped form his own. Fittingly, it was the newly revived Okeh label, with its fine lineage of artists (Mississippi John Hurt, Duke Ellington, Screamin' Jay Hawkins) that released 1994's Keb' Mo', an album that prompted immediate critical praise. Just two years later came Just Like You, Grammy Award-winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In 1998, Slow Down, his second Grammy-winner, confirmed his arrival as a fresh voice inspired by a classic idiom.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2004 AT 8 PM

    Walt Disney Concert Hall

    111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

    THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS WITH KEB' MO'

    KEB' MO', guitar and vocals

    JEFF PARIS, keyboards, mandolin

    CLAYTON GIBB, guitars, banjo

    REGGIE MCBRIDE, bass

    LES FALCONER, drums

    Tickets ($25 - $75) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($15), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Sabrina Skacan, 213.972.3408; photos: 213.972.3034