The blues is a music deeply rooted in our country’s past. The songs drifted over cotton fields, when workers would retreat from the 100 degree heat at the end of the day. They would gather in the evenings and hum the blues, just for a distraction and a stress reliever. They needed a break from the hardships of life. Blues made people happy, at least for a time.
“It was a way of survival, the music that I do,” said Kenny Neal. “That’s why I want to pass it on to the next generation and leave something behind for them.”
Growing up under the guidance of a blues-playing father, Neal has been immersed in the genre for as long as he can remember. But his father wasn’t any old blues musician — he was a blues musician and a close friend of Buddy Guy, who played the guitar with Neal’s father. Guy would often head to Baton Rouge, LA. for a visit, and he was quick to take note of Neal’s guitar chops. When he turned 19, the prominent blues player invited Neal out to Chicago. He joined Guy’s band as a bass player in 1976.
Inspired by Guy, Neal put pen to paper a handful of years later and began writing his own music, kicking off his long and exciting career. And Guy was just the beginning. Over the years Neal has performed with numerous big names, since they were all still working when he was young. “All of the great artists I played with, from Muddy Waters to John Lee Hooker,” he said. “I got a chance to know them personally. That’s why I feel so dedicated to keep that legacy going.”
Blues is a broad genre, defined by a number of different styles that vary, often based on location. Living between Lafayette and New Orleans, Neal describes his music as swamp-blues, which is a mixture of Cajun, zydeco, New Orleans jazz and ragtime.
He’s also played some funk and rhythm and blues, but at the core of it all is that Mississippi-style music. “That’s the roots of American music is blues,” Neal said. “Carrying that legacy and that tradition on and keep the blues alive, I’ve dedicated myself to that.”
While he’s never completely set blues aside, Neal did add something a little different to his resume in 1991: Broadway actor. At the recommendation of Taj Mahal, he scored the lead in “Mule Bone,” a play written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston in 1930. He took to his role with ease, scoring a Theater World Award for Most Outstanding New Talent On and Off Broadway.
But blues was never far from his mind. Although he was taking to the stage eight times a week for “Mule Bone,” Neal also played three shows a week with an eight-piece band. It sounds stressful, but as someone who traveled to 280 gigs a year before joining the theater, the play wasn’t too difficult. “The Broadway show was a piece of cake for me. They drilled me so much that by the time I got to the stage I was ready,” Neal said. “To be on Broadway in the same place every night was nothing, it was like a vacation for me.”
Acting was fun, but it wasn’t a passion like music, and after “Mule Bone” Neal decided it was time to get back to performing the blues. Over the years he’s recorded 16 CDs, 90 percent of which contain his original music.
Though he’s played with a number of musicians during his career, when his siblings join him on stage, the performance is unlike anything else. “You couldn’t get a better chemistry going than when you have your family play with you,” Neal said. “It becomes magic after a while.”
The eldest of 10, Neal’s siblings were too young to perform with him when he started out, but after a while he returned home and taught the younger ones everything he knew. They’ve since grown into talented musicians.
Neal and his family band will be performing at the Blue Wing Saloon on Monday, September 5 for the last night of the annual Blue Wing Blues Festival. It’s not his first visit to the Upper Lake locale, and it won’t be his last. “It is so peaceful there,” Neal said. “I come from a small town so I know what it means to have people coming to their town to perform.”
Monday’s performance will be a break for Neal, who has been dealing with the disastrous flooding down in Louisiana. His home suffered water damage, and he also knows a number of people who lost their homes, including his sister and daughter. While they’re all doing okay, it has been tough. He’s looking forward to the Labor Day weekend.
Duo Chicken and Dumpling will go on before Neal. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 plus tax and can be purchased by calling 275-2244 ext. 0. The Blue Wing Saloon is located at 9520 Main St. in Upper Lake. Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
