Keb' Mo' Defines the Blues as Honesty Music, ep. 350
About this episode
Keb' Mo' discusses his definition of the blues and shares insights from his personal journey in music.
We are so honored to welcome Keb' Mo' (aka Kevin Moore) on the show for our 350th episode! After many decades of incredible music, his new solo acoustic album, The Breakdown, was written and recorded at his home studio near Nashville following open-heart surgery and personal life changes. He's also recently released his second collaborative album with the legendary Taj Mahal. We were blown away Keb' Mo's definition of the blues: "honesty music." There's a lot of debate nowadays whether the blues is something that includes a formal set of requirements; is it a genre? Is it a type of sound that's trapped in a particular historical era. Kevin didn't even give the time of day to any of those gatekeeper explanations. He said if the music has that honesty, has the moan and the sense of speaking to Black experience for a Black audience who understand what it's like to struggle that's what the blues is. There's a spectrum of humility to ego in music. There are artists for whom music and the active performing is a vehicle for their own notoriety. During their interview, I was struck by how far on the opposite end of the spectrum Keb' Mo' falls. Kevin went from being a kid growing up in…
People in this episode
Guests: Keb' Mo', Kevin Moore
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Taj Mahal
Places: Nashville, Compton
More episodes of Basic Folk
- Rachel McCartney's Return to Music, Being a Horse Girl, & Accidentally Snubbing David Gray, ep. 351
- Hrishikesh Hirway: From Monikers to Podcasts to Music Under His Own Name, ep. 349
- MayaFest: Oliver Wood, Ana Egge, John Craigie, Kristin Andreassen, & Caitlin Canty on Maya de Vitry's New Album, ep. 348
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Basic Folk podcast page.