The Kelly Richey Band hits the road again -- this time we're headed away from the snow and to the warm sunny beaches of Florida!!!

Friday, May 17 - Bradfordville Blues - 9:00 pm
Bradfordville Blues, 7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL
Venue: (850) 906-0766

Saturday, May 18 - Captain Jax - 8:00 pm
Captain Jax, 658 N 2nd St, Fort Pierce, FL
Venue: 772-242-1713

Sunday, May 19 - Downtown Blues - 6:00 pm
Downtown Blues, 714 St. Johns Ave., Palatka, FL
Venue: (386) 325-5454

Wednesday, May 22 - Watercolor Inn & Resort - 6:00 pm
Watercolor Inn & Resort, 34 Golden Rod Cir, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Venue: 850-747-0903

Thursday, May 23 - Cafe Largo - 8:00 pm
Cafe Largo, 99530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL
Venue: (305) 451-4885

Friday, May 24 - Bamboo Room - 9:00 pm
Bamboo Room, 25 South J Street, Lake Worth, FL
Venue: (561) 585-2583

Saturday, May 25 - Ace's Lounge - 9:00 pm
Ace's Lounge, 4343 Palma Sola Boulevard, Bradenton, FL
Venue: (941) 795-3886

Sunday, May 26 - Blue Crab Festival - 6:00 pm
Blue Crab Festival, 326 St. Johns Ave, Palatka, FL
Venue: 386-325-4406

The Plain Dealer - Cleveland, OH
By Chuck Yarborough

Growing up with dyslexia and ADHD in an era before anyone heard of the words "learning disability" or attention deficit disorder, Kelly Richey seemed set up for failure, right?

Wrong. The blues guitar slinger returns to the Winchester Saturday with her power trio band, featuring Jyn Yates on drums and Freekbass on, well, bass. She's been tagged a "female Stevie Ray Vaughan" for her fiery guitar solos, and compared to another passionate musician – Janis Joplin – on vocals.

Fact of the matter is, though, that the ax wasn't Richey's first choice. Now 50, Richey grew up playing piano but decided she wanted to try drums. That experiment didn't take long. After just a couple of months of banging away in her room, her father offered to buy her any instrument – emphasis on "any" – if she'd give up the skins.

Hel-LO electric guitar.

"It was powerful, and I loved it," said Richey, who was 15 when she got the ax. "It really changed my life in a short period of time. First, I had a guitar, and then the gods made love and turned me on to Led Zeppelin.

"I didn't think about it being hard and sexist at the time," said Richey, who acknowledged that she's come up against a few walls over her gender. "I was in for a lot of lessons. I had learning disabilities – I'm terribly dyslexic – but having a guitar was my ticket outside of the box."

For Richey, who began her career as a guitarist with the band Stealing Horses in 1986, the light-bulb moment came courtesy of recent Rock Hall inductee Albert King, at one of his gigs in Nashville, where she was living at the time.

"I was just young enough and stupid enough to ask if I could sit in," Richey said in a call to her home in Cincinnati. "He set me up onstage and kept me up there.

"It was like, 'Holy crap!' I started diving into all this old blues and I realized after touring with that band that it was a passion of mine to be a guitar slinger," she said.

And not just any guitar slinger. She realized that the sound she heard in her head could only come from leading her own band.

"I played with other people, but I was an only child, one who doesn't work or play so well with the other kids," she said, jokingly. "It was obvious to me that I need to put my own band together to fulfill my dreams as an artist."

Then there's her decision to put out her own albums rather than go through a major label. Her newest – "Sweet Spirit" – is out now, but the Winchester gig will serve as sort of a CD-release party.

"With Stealing Horses, I saw a really bad record deal," she said, "so I started doing my own records. I've done 'Sweet Spirit,' which is my 14th record. I didn't need a 14th CD as much as I needed the right CD.

"So I put some time into what I was going to do and who I was going to do it with," Richey said. "I was listening to R.L. Burnside, Jack White, the Black Keys, and I wrote this record with just a set of drum loops and my guitar."

The music came from three milk crates full of cassette tapes, and the lyrics from eight boxes of poems she'd written over the years. In all, "Sweet Spirit" was culled from more than 74 hours' worth of raw material, she said.

Doesn't sound like it'd be a match for a band that features a heavy-footed, driving drummer like Yates and a renowned funk bassist like Freekbass, but it truly works.

"When I look across that stage and I see Freekbass, well, he's a force of nature," said Richey. "Jyn, she's powerful. She's got a foot on her and she's got a smile from ear to ear."

And now, so does her boss.



Photo by Sonya Ziegler

Oh, The Places We've Gone! Since our last newsletter the KRB has traveled the length of Montana on a two-lane road, five miles of which was unpaved. The poor van took a beating and we were all worn out from slamming on the brakes every 10 minutes to avoid hitting all the wildlife that was crossing the road late at night. Finally, we crossed the border into Alberta, Canada and played to a packed house in Calgary at the Blues Can. Then we spent a week in Edmonton taking Blues on Whyte by storm, and ended our tour in Saskatoon to yet another full house of excited, rowdy blues fans. Three weeks and over 5,000 miles later, we are home safe and sound! This tour was intense— the weather was NOT cooperative, and we got off to a rocky start by being stranded in Bismarck, North Dakota in a blizzard. The whole town shut down—even Starbucks **gasp** was closed. Our show had to be rescheduled, and we had no choice but to roll with it. After our rescheduled show in Bismarck on April 18th, we headed out of town to our next destination, Calgary. We crossed the border and made it to Calgary, and spent the last leg of our tour there… plenty of time to go to the gym, sight see, and shop. We had a final show in Saskatoon, then we turned the van south for our entry into the good ole’ USA. Home never looked so good! We would like to thank all those who helped us along the way-- we REALLY appreciate the kindness!! See you down the road!


Kelly Richey


Freekbass


Jyn Yates

Photos by Darlene Ziegler

Experience The Kelly Richey Band LIVE!!!

Friday, May 10 - Midway Tavern - 9:00 pm
810 West 4th Street, Mishawaka, IN
Venue: 574-255-0458
http://www.themidwaytavern.com/

Saturday, May 11 - Winchester Music Hall - 9:00 pm
12112 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, OH
Venue: (216) 226-5681
http://www.thewinchester.net

Get your tickets now and reserve your seats today!!!

New interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer -- it was a tremendous honor to be asked to do this interview!!!

ROCK HALL INDUCTIONS
Albert King: A blues guitar great who left a monumental imprint on rock 'n' roll (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013)



Here's all you need to know about Albert King: When he played with Stevie Ray Vaughan on the television series "In Session," Vaughan spent most of his time watching King. The guitar great will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Thursday in a ceremony in Los Angeles.

"Stevie could play circles around anybody. He just could, that's who he was. But he knew that what Albert had in one note could take him down, just 'Pow!' " said Cincinnati blues guitarist Kelly Richey. Richey, who's been called the "female Stevie Ray Vaughan," got the chance to sit in with King at a Nashville gig just a few years before his death in 1992.

"It was '88. I was living in Nashville and playing with this band, Stealing Horses. I was bartending at a place called the Cuckoo Club where Albert was playing a show. I was just young enough and just dumb enough to ask if I could sit in."

At the time, Richey was just a kid, prodigiously talented and hellbent on being a hotshot guitarist, but ultimately still an unknown.

"He said, 'You bring your guitar and you can sit in.' He played two sold-out shows that night. I showed up at intermission with my guitar and amp and said 'Mr. King, I'm here.' He had a sheriff's badge on his guitar strap and a pistol in his lap. He says 'Let me see what you got in there.' It was an old '65 Strat. Apparently that was a plus.

"He stood up and looked down at me and said, 'Don't you make me 'shamed.' That was my first big reality check. Here was this huge man, massive, bigger than my father: 'Don't you make me 'shamed.'

"He kept me up there all night and gave me a lead on every song."

As a recording artist, King -- known as the "The Velvet Bulldozer" and one of the unrelated "Three Kings of Blues Guitar" along with Freddie King and fellow Indianola, Miss., native B.B. King -- started on Parrot Records in the early 1950s. He finally broke through with "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong" in 1961.

But it's Albert King's Stax Records years, starting in 1966 with the single "Crosscut Saw" and continuing through the albums "Born Under a Bad Sign" and "Live Wire/Blues Power," that cemented his legacy -- both for their mastery and for the influence that they would have on his contemporaries, including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, and later on Stevie Ray Vaughan.

"The word attitude doesn't really serve a great enough purpose. Albert King embodied the blues," Richey said. "Every note he played sang. He was one with his guitar and his vocal instrument. As a guitarist and vocalist, he was in command."

In fact, such was King's command that he got Vaughan to sing, she said.

"Albert made Stevie Ray get in front of a mike," Richey said. "Without him, that might not have happened."

King pushed her and others to focus on the vocals, not just being a hotshot guitarist, she said.

"Stevie Ray and Jimi, you never would have known them if they'd just been singers. But you wouldn't know them as well if they'd just been guitarists, either."

Richey said King didn't see it as a choice.

"To him, it's just what you're supposed to do. Guitar's part of the equation. But singing is, too. You have to learn to sing to make your guitar sing as well. And oh, good Lord, could he sing. He could sing with mouth open or fingers flying."

As influential as King was, his playing style itself is nearly inimitable. Left-handed and well north of 6 feet tall, he played a right-handed Flying V flipped over, but not restrung.

"You can't sit down and play a Flying V," Richey said. "You've got to stand up. They weigh a ton.

"He was left-handed like Hendrix but he didn't restring like Jimi. So the way in which he played was different -- the bends were different, there's less real estate, the way he made chords was different," she said. "So much of what he did was strange, backwards, and not old-school backwards, but literally upside-down and backwards."

While the runs, fills and chording may be difficult to replicate, Richey sees King's legacy, passing from generation to generation of blues guitarists, as something less tangible, but far more important, than any technical aspect will ever be.

"Every note Stevie Ray played, he poured everything into it. That came from Albert. And that's the kind of player I am.

"The blues may not be complicated, but it isn't easy. Lifting boulders isn't complicated, it's hard work. The blues is the same way."

Perhaps it's with a respect for that work in mind that King warned Richey not to trifle with the blues.

"Albert said to me, 'If you pick up a guitar, it's a like a pistol," Richey remembered. " 'You best mean to use it.' "

Since our last newsletter, the Kelly Richey Band has traveled to play shows in the town of Ames, IA, Fargo, North Dakota and Altona, in the province of Manitoba, Canada. After three truly amazing shows our smart phones began exploding with weather alerts --- a massive winter storm was headed straight towards Bismarck/Mandan, ND, which just happened to be the destination of our next show! Not good. I spoke with the promoter of our show in Manitoba and asked if we could cancel our hotel rooms so we could leave directly after our show and drive through the night to beat the storm and avoid getting stranded before they began closing down the interstate. The promoter was so kind, and after our show everyone helped to get us on our way as quickly as possible. We REALLY appreciated all of the help. The band was on fire but, unfortunately, no level of heat was going to beat the storm we were facing…

Jyn drove as Freekbass helped to navigate through the blizzard. We arrived in Bismarck just as the storm was pounding the city hard, just one hour before they closed Starbucks and three hours before they shut down the entire town and Interstate 94 from North Dakota to Montana. So, we have been stranded ever since. The only thing open to eat is Pizza Hut, and since Starbucks was closed we have been forced to live on hotel coffee-- but at least we were safe. As it turned out, Bismarck ended up breaking an all-time record for snow falling in one day with total of 18.5 inches. Just our luck!

It was obvious that our show would be canceled, however we were able to re-schedule our Sunday show in Mandan, North Dakota to this Thursday night, April 18th at 8pm. It's hard to believe that I turned on my air conditioner in Cincinnati for the first time this year just the day before we left for this tour. Oh The Places We Go... We've decided that we need our own reality TV show. Surely every Starbucks, Super 8 motels, and all of our Blues venues would benefit from such programing.

Here are a few video clips from the storm:





Check out out Storm Chaser Tour Dates and please help spread the word!!!

NOTE: Our show originally scheduled for this past Sunday in Bismarck / Mandan at O.N.E. has beem rescheduled for this Thursday at 8pm!!!

Thursday, April 18 - O.N.E. - 8:00 pm
210 West Main Avenue, Mandan, ND
Venue: (701) 391-0799
http://www.steamerpromotions.com/

Fri & Sat, April 19 & 20 - Blues Can - 9:00 pm
1429 9 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Venue: (403) 262-2666
http://www.thebluescan.com

Monday - Saturday, April 22 - 27 - Blues on Whyte - 9:00 pm
10329 82 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Venue: (780) 439-3981
http://www.bluesonwhyte.ca

Sunday, April 28 - Vangelis Tavern - 5:00 pm
801 Broadway Ave, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Venue: 306-652-5173
https://www.facebook.com/VangelisTavernSaskatoon





Photo by Merle Peters Photography

Kelly Richey
Sweet Spirit
Sweet Lucy Records KRB 1141
http://chickenwilson2.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html

Kelly Richey’s latest release has been described as “Sweet Spirit packs a potent knock-out punch that leaves Richey standing her ground as a serious, balls-to-the-wall, unapologetic rocker.” In a world that tends to like comparing apples to oranges she is described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out.” While I can understand what they are trying to say I would prefer to point out that while Kelly has had numerous influences, she has melded it all into her own unique style. Anything less would be more of an insult to her and the band and, quite frankly, not make a lot of sense. Sweet Spirit does pack quite a punch. The pendulum has swung both ways. Kelly Richey has nothing to prove. She has demonstrated that she can play traditional blues with passion, power and finesse; now she has shown the world that she can hold her own against any guitar player out there. While Sweet Spirit is for the most part hard-driving there are those moments of tenderness. Any way you slice it, Kelly Richey is a first-rate guitarist and a bonafide blues woman. While this one may be a little heavy for some listener’s taste, it shows another side of an incredible artist and drives home the point that Kelly can hold her own and then some. While I personally like my blues a little more on the traditional side I understand her style and have to admit that when it comes to powerhouse blues/rock, this band can blow the socks off most of the bands playing this style without losing sight of the blues. I’ve heard bands that play with a vengeance but somehow the blues gets lost in the shuffle. Kelly Richey and her band walk that fine line, reminiscent in many respects of Stevie Ray Vaughan or Jimi Hendrix. – Bill Wilson

YouTube: http://youtu.be/KX3KJEcRGrc
FB: https://www.facebook.com/kellyricheyguitarist?fref=ts
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sweet-spirit/id608426681

Wednesday, April 10 - Legends - 7:00 pm
-- RESCHEDULING DUE TO WEATHER --

Thursday, April 11 - The M Shop at Iowa State - 8:00 pm
1530 Memorial Union, Ames, IA
Venue: (515) 294-8349
http://www.sub.iastate.edu/en/the_maintenance_shop/

Friday, April 12 - Doublewood Inn - 8:30 pm
3333 13th Avenue South, Fargo, ND
Venue: (701) 235-3333
http://www.doublewoodinn.com/

Saturday, April 13 - A Night Out With The Blues - 8:00 pm
Altona Curling Rink - Millennium Exhibition Centre,
227 10th Ave NW, Altona, MB, Canada
Venue: 204-324-6656

Sunday, April 14 - O.N.E. - 7:00 pm
210 West Main Avenue, Mandan, ND
Venue: (701) 391-0799
http://www.steamerpromotions.com/

Fri & Sat, April 19 & 20 - Blues Can - 9:00 pm
1429 9 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Venue: (403) 262-2666
http://www.thebluescan.com

Monday - Saturday, April 22 - 27 - Blues on Whyte - 9:00 pm
10329 82 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Venue: (780) 439-3981
http://www.bluesonwhyte.ca

Sunday, April 28 - Vangelis Tavern - 5:00 pm
801 Broadway Ave, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Venue: 306-652-5173
https://www.facebook.com/VangelisTavernSaskatoon







Photos by: Michael Mandarino

Monday, 1 April 2013
Kelly Richey - Sweet Spirit
Review By Rich Rock

Kelly Richey’s power trio belts out an essentially bluesrock excellence in the Hendrix tradition [especially second I Went Down Easy with great guitar], this album entirely self-penned, and Richey’s vocal is a gruff warble neatly centred in the mix. Her guitar work is held in a mature restraint, mainly driving classic rock riffs and then occasionally, but not gratuitously, let loose to ride some feedback. It’s a tight ship. The opening four tracks sail the rocked waves, then fifth Everybody Needs a Change is a funkier slow ripple with nicely harmonised vocal. This is followed by a fiery Fast Drivin’ Mama, guitar-bow cutting back into a stormy sea of licks and foregrounding for the second time really Richey’s fine playing. Penultimate Dyin’ is a heavily echoed ballad gem, Richey putting more sweet sass than sandpaper into the vocal, a little reminiscent of Genya Ravan, and too short at just under three minutes. The album closes on a signature rock stomp Workin’ Hard Woman, neat guitar picks and the vocal working across its punchy range. Ten tracks of precisely controlled and skilful performance – this is very good indeed.

Experience Kelly Richey LIVE 2013!
New CD Release!

Wednesday, April 3 - Zoo Bar - 6:00 pm
136 North 14th Street, Lincoln, NE
Venue: (402) 435-8754
http://zoobar.com/

Thursday, April 4 - 21st Saloon - 5:30 pm
4727 S. 96th St., Omaha, NE
Venue: (402) 339-7170
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-21st-Saloon/122992084422370

Friday, April 5 - Harmony Bar - 9:00 pm
2201 Atwood, Madison, WI
Venue: (608) 249-4333
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harmony-Bar-Grill/120658371283476

Saturday, April 6 - Buddy Guy's Legends - 9:00 pm
700 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL
Venue: (312) 427-1190
http://www.buddyguy.com/


It has been said -- Kelly Richey is considered one of the greatest female guitarists in the world.

An Interview with Kelly Richey, her playing standing among the best rockin' blues guitarist known today

Posted by Michalis Limnios BLUES @ GREECE on March 30, 2013 at 10:55pm

Kelly Richey: Sweet Spirit.....Miles From Earth:


Photo by Sonya Ziegler

When was your first desire to become involved in the blues and rock music?

Shortly after I got my first guitar at age 15 I began to discover blues/rock music like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Cream. I loved it right away; though I didn’t realize it was blues-based rock at the time-- I suppose I was too young still. I just thought of it as great and powerful music. It was later on in my music career that I began to understand that the music I loved most was all blues-based.

What do you learn about yourself from the blues rock and what does the BLUES ROCK mean to you?

I find that “blues” rock is packed full of emotion and it allows me to emote in ways that other genres do not. This powerful form of musical expression inspires me to perform to my fullest potential, and also invites me to take pen to paper and write down my deep-seated feelings for future songs ideas or poems.


Photo by Sonya Ziegler

What experiences in your life make you a GOOD MUSICIAN and SONGWRITER?

As a player and performer, I think repetition makes the well I pull from very deep; but honestly, personally evaluating each show, every tour, and every record I make pushes me to grow. I also feel that playing professionally opens one up for critique from peers. Feedback is good and should never be ignored. As a songwriter I think it’s important to find my voice and constantly develop my writing style, especially being willing to be vulnerable. Great writing is honest writing. The more honest we are the more we have to share that people can identify with.

How do you describe Kelly Richey's sound and progress, what characterize your music philosophy?

My sound is a product of my performance style: raw, intense, soulful and passionate. I also take great pride in my guitar tone! If I tried to deliver music with this level of intensity and did not do so through deep, rich, textured tones, I might sound abrasive. I think the way in which each note is delivered is just as important as the note selection itself. I also feel that being “one” with the guitar, the song, the band, and the audience is critical… it allows people to feel safe to experience this level of power (and I use the word “power” specifically because my approach to guitar playing is muscular, ruthless and absolutely no-holds-barred!) I aim to deliver my heart and soul, and my blood, sweat and tears with each and every performance. I want people to see something they’ve never seen before and I want them to hear something they’ve never heard before, even if it’s when I play a song classic such as “Hey Joe”.


Photo by Sonya Zielger

From whom have you have learned the most secrets about the music? What is the best ever gave you?

My first guitar teacher, Eddie Beckley was an amazing teacher. He was a perfect fit in every sense. He would not stand for me to get away with anything. He put the bar just a little bit higher than I could reach-– always! Jimi Hendrix was a huge influence for me. His feedback drew me in, and the easy way in which he played was fascinating. He truly was one with the guitar. Jimmy Page represented power, tone and tremendous grooves-- and coupled with John Bonham and John Paul Jones, extended jams were so exciting. Stevie Ray Vaughan was also one with his guitar. I found him to be an extension of Hendrix, but he also brought “blues” clearly in to the picture for me. Finally, my favorite guitar player of all time is Roy Buchanan. Roy had it all in the tips of his fingers. He was a tortured soul and it was clear that the only peace he found inside was played through his music.

Which was the best moment of your career and which was the worst?

Best moment was when I got to play with Albert King. I had no idea how special that was until later in life. At the time I was young and it was another experience that was exciting; it was also an experience that made me take blues music way more seriously. I never really listened to blues and didn’t even realize all my favorite bands were blues influenced until playing with Albert. Then it all crystalized. My worst experience, so to speak, is touring. Touring is brutal-- travel is hard, and living in a van for days on end only to arrive at an empty hotel room is difficult and draining. But having said that, being on stage is definitely worth the hard work and sacrifice! I took time off in 2010… I loved being off the road but I really missed performing.

Which is the most interesting period in your life and why?

The most interesting period was when I took time off in 2010 and got to know myself as a person, not as a “Kelly the guitar player”, which was the only identity I had ever really had. I did a lot of soul searching during this time; I got sober and lost 50 unwanted pounds, to boot. I think life brings us the lessons we need. I needed that time for me.


Photo by Sonya Ziegler

Photo by Sonya Ziegler

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians thinking of pursuing a career in the craft?

Follow your heart and constantly educate your mind and skill set! Practice, play with others, learn, and listen to great players. Seek advice from people you have respect for and don’t worry about criticism - it’s part of life! Get from it what you can and let it go. You must always be learning and growing in this business - it’s a tough life and you really have to be driven to survive if you’re going to be successful.

Are there any memories from Lonnie Mack and Albert King which you’d like to share with us?

Albert was real, he was bigger than life and he was NOT messing around. He had a pistol in his lap (seriously) when I entered his dressing room to see if I could sit in. I played a few things for him, he checked me out and then agreed to have me sit in. He really put me to the test on stage in front of everybody. It was then and there that my journey in blues began, and I got real serious with myself musically after that show! Lonnie Mack saw me play at a benefit in Louisville, Kentucky and got me up on stage with him later that night. Lonnie has been a mentor to me ever since. I love Lonnie. He’s shared stories with me, and he’s pushed me hard; most importantly, he challenged me to work harder at my vocals early on. So, I did work hard-- I listened to the artists he suggested and I pushed myself to get stronger. I absolutely love Lonnie’s guitar playing, but he and Albert both influenced me more vocally than with their guitar work. They were masterful at delivering a song vocally; they were one with their guitar and vocals. Suffice to say that I experienced major learnings from both artists, on stage and off.

What's been their experience from Johnny Winter, Little Feat, George Thorogood, and James Brown?

I have never met Johnny Winter, though I was honored to open for him twice. His health had been up and down and I didn’t want to bother him, so I just played and enjoyed watching him perform. Little Feet was an amazing collection of players performing an amazing collection of songs. Oh, how I wish Lowell George could have been there! The George Thorogood show was a great crowd of rowdy fans… lots of fun. James Brown was simply an honor! I was in a band on Arista Records and we played a show on Daytona Beach for an MTV special in 1986. Stealin’ Horses was the first band that I ever toured with, and opening for James Brown was amazing!

What’s the best jam you ever played in? What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had?

Albert King and Lonnie would be hard to top, but honestly, my current band now presents the best jams I’ve ever participated in! I’m so excited to be on this journey with Freekbass and Jyn Yates-- they are both such powerful, proficient players and we fit together so well musically. We really have a blast on stage together and the crowd, in return, reacts to us with such great energy!

Some music styles can be fads but the blues is always with us. Why do think that is? Give one wish for the BLUES

The blues allow an artist to emote, to be real, and to express his or her soul fully. This genre will always be alive as long as there are artists who feel and express deeply. The blues allows us to feel without complexity. The blues is an outlet for our pain and misfortunes in life. It’s all about the emotion.

How do you describe your contact to people when you are on stage? Happiness is…

I read the audience, I feel the audience, I play to the audience and I play off of the audience. The pure emotion of blues makes it very interactive. “Happiness is” when I look out on the audience and I see on someone’s face that they are feeling what I’m playing. There’s nothing better than that!


Photo by Mark Kolash

When we talk about blues, we usually refer to memories and moments of the past. Apart from the old cats of blues, do you believe in the existence of real blues nowadays?

As long as we have the ability to feel (as artists) blues will exist. Blues is just so foundational; it’s the earliest voice of American music and it gave birth to rock and roll. It’s a simple template that can come alive in so many different ways. Real blues remains steadfast to this day because it’s music that is based on primal feeling and emotion that we all connect with.

Do you believe that there is “misuse”, that there is a trend to misappropriate the name of blues?

No, not really. My thought is, if you can feel it and it makes you move, there’s probably some blues in there somewhere. East Coast blues, Delta blues, Jump blues, Chicago blues, electric blues and blues-rock…. it’s all blues! Some musicians (and listeners) may prefer blues that is more traditional, and some may prefer more Rockin’ blues. Like the colors of a rainbow, it’s all good!

Which incident of your life you‘d like to be captured and illustrated in a painting?

Hmm… no incident in particular, just a painting of me reaching for the hardest and richest note-- with the most passion and emotion I can possibly attempt to feel. That would sum it all up!

From the music point of view what are the differences and similarities between the BLUES & ROCK?

In general, rock tends to be played a bit louder, with a bit more force. Rock is often heavier and tends to incorporate the back beat that blues is known for with a straight ahead 4/4 feel.


Photo by Sonya Ziegler

Which memory from recording time with your band and Bernie Worrell, makes you smile?

The fact that Berrnie said “yes” makes me smile! My bass player Freekbass made the connection possible, as Bernie played on Freek’s last record. Bernie cut his track for the song on my record Sweet Spirit in New Jersey, so I’ve yet to meet him in person. I hope to play with him on stage one day. Now that would REALLY make me smile!

What is the “feeling” you miss most nowadays from Janis and Hendrix era?

That era was all about the music; not so much the music business. The music was pure. There was magic in the air for so many reasons. Rock n’ Roll was the voice of so many struggles, yet it was also the voice for new discoveries. I often wish I could have been there to experience the magic in person, but I know that I feel it in my soul especially when I play. I am driven to “pay it forward” and give back to my audience what Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and that whole era of music gave to me, so that magic never dies.

What from your memories and things (books, records etc.) you would put in a "capsule on time"?

Three things: first, my copy of Roy Buchanan’s vinyl record, “You’re Not Alone.” I will treasure that album till the day I die. Secondly, the Jimi Hendrix fuzzy black light poster I discovered in the basement of the house we moved into when I was eight years old. At the time I had no idea who Jimi Hendrix was, but I thought the poster was cool. It said “See you in the next world – don’t be late.” And lastly, my old 1965 Fender Strat. I got the guitar in 1981 and it had never been played--- it didn’t have a scratch on it. I’ve played it relentlessly for over 30 years now, so it’s heavily road worn and battle scarred and I’ve had it regretted more times than I can remember, but it plays like no other. It is a VERY special guitar.

The Official Kelly Richey Website


Photo by Miclael Wilson

Kelly Richey’s career spans over 30 years. Her pile-driving guitar style and sinewy vocals show influences from artists like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lee Hooker, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Since forming her own band in the early 90’s, Richey had recorded fourteen albums of her no-nonsense blues/rock, and Sweet Spirit (Sweet Lucy Records) may be her best yet.

Richey’s latest offering features ten songs, the longest clocking in at nearly four minutes, a relatively short running time for recordings these days, but when the songs and performances are this good, you find yourself disappointed when you get to the end of the disc. Richey wrote all the songs and is backed by a dynamic rhythm section (Freekbass – bass, Robby Cosenza- drums). Keyboards are added on various tracks by Bernie Worrell, Robert Lee Carroll, and J. Tom Hnatow, and producer Duane Lundy and Dave Farris add percussion.

Though the songs are brief by today’s standards, they pack a punch. Highlights include “I Went Down Easy,” a blues/rock boogie, the scorching rockers “Leave It All Behind” “One Way Ticket,” and “Fast Drivin’ Mama,” the introspective “Everybody Needs A Change,” and “Dyin’,” a haunting, atmospheric track about making the final journey. The anthemic “Hard Workin’ Woman” closes the disc in rousing style.

Sweet Spirit, though relatively brief at 31 minutes, is a well-spent half hour for blues/rock fans. This incredibly tight set captures Kelly Richey at her best, with her powerful vocals, crisp, concise guitar work, and a powerhouse band in support. If you’re disappointed because it’s over, just start it over again….it’s just as good the second time around.

Friday, March 29 - Brackin's Blues Bar - 9:00 pm
112 East Broadway Avenue, Maryville, TN
Venue: (865) 983-9800
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brackins-Blues-Club/166129356758273

Wednesday, April 3 - Zoo Bar - 6:00 pm
136 North 14th Street, Lincoln, NE
Venue: (402) 435-8754
http://zoobar.com/

Thursday, April 4 - 21st Saloon - 5:30 pm
4727 S. 96th St., Omaha, NE
Venue: (402) 339-7170
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-21st-Saloon/122992084422370

Friday, April 5 - Harmony Bar - 9:00 pm
2201 Atwood, Madison, WI
Venue: (608) 249-4333
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harmony-Bar-Grill/120658371283476

Saturday, April 6 - Buddy Guy's Legends - 9:00 pm
700 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL
Venue: (312) 427-1190
http://www.buddyguy.com/




Photos by Roger D. Feldhans

The Daily Times
Maryville, TN
By Steve Wildsmith (stevew@thedailytimes.com)

When blues woman Kelly Richey came off the road in 2010, she wasn’t sure she’d get back on.

The native of Lexington, Ky., who once practiced up to 12 hours a day as a teen and got so good she was invited on stage to play alongside blues legends Lonnie Mack and Albert King, was used up. She’s cranked out record after record, turned over the odometers of more than a couple of vans and played so many shows that the clubs and the cities were starting to blur, she told The Daily Times this week.

“I’d been burned out for a while, and I think it was showing in my performances, and definitely in my life,” she said. “I couldn’t get on top of my game, and I just wasn’t happy. I’ve always taught guitar lessons, but I’ve always felt like I had something more to do with my life than just play the guitar. That’s when I started getting some certifications in life coaching.”


Photo by Michael Wilson

Wanting to take her skills as a teacher and use them to help others do more than just learn to play an instrument, Richey had to first find help for herself, she added.

“I quit drinking, I dropped a lot of weight, and I got totally healthy,” she said. “I wanted to find out if I have what it takes to step out there and just be Kelly. I wanted to get comfortable in my own skin, and I have.

“I’ve become a certified dream coach and a purpose coach, and I work with clients now. I had mistaken my talent for my purpose, but your purpose is what you do with your talent.”

When she returned to the stage in 2011, she released a live album, a best-of album and an acoustic record, eventually working her way back up to a full-blown blues-rock album. That’s when she uncovered the inspiration for her most recent record, “Sweet Spirit” – quite literally.

“I was writing material, but I kept running into walls trying to write that masterpiece,” she said. ‘Then, when I was doing some housecleaning, I pulled out three old milk crates of cassette tapes of songs and parts of songs that I’d done going back to the mid-1980s. My partner asked to hear them, so I transferred two of those crates – about 74 hours of material – to digital and let her hear them.

“She identified the ones that were very riff-driven and said, ‘These would make a great song.’ That caught me off guard, because I didn’t have to write a masterpiece after all. I had all of these ideas to work with, I just had to finish them and put lyrics to them.”

She already had the right producer — Duane Lundy, a guy who once took guitar lessons from Richey and first learned to work a four-track recorder from her back in the 1990s, but who had gone on to record albums for such acts as My Morning Jacket and Ben Sollee. They met again and talked, and she liked what she heard.

“He said, ‘Kelly, I really want to see you get the right record,’” she said. “I’ve done 13; I didn’t need a 14th one. I needed one that really captured my live performance.”

Such a feat isn’t an easy one, given her prodigious abilities. Her music is thick and rich and raw, like a bowl of steaming gumbo seasoned with cayenne. It’s smoke and whiskey and dark, sweaty blues clubs on a hot summer night. It’s the sound of a woman who’s been playing guitar for more than three decades and on the road for the last two, and to paint a portrait of what she sounds like live, she and Lundy realized she needed the right band members.

Enter Chris “Freekbass” Sherman, a funk bass player who got his nickname from the master of funk bassists — Bootsy Collins of Parliament/Funkadelic. Ranking up there with bass players like Victor Wooten, he happened to drop Richey an email and ask if she wanted to collaborate.

“At first, it was like, ‘Holy crap! How cool would that be if it’s a good fit?’ But it was a big question mark, because I didn’t know what it was going to be like,” Richey said. “So I told him I’d just written this stuff and had no bass parts for it and invited him to take a listen. He did and said, ‘I really dig this.’ I said, ‘Want to do a record?’ He said, ‘Let’s go.’”

A solo artist in his own right, he offered to back Richey as a member of the Kelly Richey Band, an honor for which she’s incredibly grateful. All that remained was finding a drummer, but Jyn Yates quickly landed the job.

“We had auditioned all these drummers, but most of them were so geeked out on Freekbass that it sounded like a funk concert,” she said with a laugh. “But Jyn walked in, and she didn’t know who he was, nor did she care. She just wanted to play the drums, and when she hit them for the first time, we sounded like a band from the first beat.

“It’s just been this organic process that’s happened in spite of me! Before, I tried so hard. The live CDs have captured my soul the best, but in the studio, I would think too much. Duane made me move so fast I didn’t know what was hitting me. He told me to put down short, concise songs that we could stretch out as long as we wanted on stage.”

The record was cut in four days, and as such, “Sweet Spirit” contains a raw, joyful sound that’s spiritual in nature. There’s a reason for that, Richey said.

“All of these songs that were just sitting there, trapped on cassette in a box in a basement in a corner,” she said with a laugh. “We set them free.”

Kelly Richey - ’I Try to Leave Blood on the Floor at Every Show’
By Crash March 17, 2013

To hear this interview: Listen Now


Photo by: Tim Breitkreutz


Kelly Richey Concert Review [Show Review and Photos]
By Crash March 24, 2013

To see mpre photos and video footage from show: Click Here

It’s no secret that I love rock and I love the blues. So when I had the chance to see the Kelly Richey Band late Saturday night after leaving the Jonny Lang concert (March 23) I jumped at the chance.

Sometimes I forget that so many of these extremely talented musicians aren’t household names. The talent and passion they display every night is incomparable. I’ve had the conversation with dozens and dozens of blues musicians: it’s all about the music. They travel hours and hours in a van to play a small club in the heartland and put on a show whether there is ten people in the audience or ten thousand.

Luckily for us in Sioux Falls, Kelly Richey has taken a liking to us. It’s the third time we’ve been fortunate enough to have her play for us and Saturday night, she brought her revamped rhythm section to town and WOW are they amazing!


Photo by: Richard Szameit

Richey’s new bass player is a man known simply as ‘Freekbass’. A Cincinnati musician who has a big following in that area of the country and is as funky as it gets. I told him after the show that I had no idea that Bootsy Collins had a white twin brother. Incredibly talented musician! And the new drummer is a young lady from Kentucky, Jyn Yates. She played with power, passion, and a huge smile on her face for the capacity crowd at Old Skoolz (921 E. 8th St)

The set included several songs from her new, fantastic CD called Sweet Spirit but plenty of back catalog songs from the 50-year old Richey’s career. The band had the crowd on their feet dancing, clapping and bowing at the incredible performers we were fortunate enough to see. And again with 99% of the blues musicians that I’ve met, they are incredibly nice, humble people.

Seeing the band in person, you can really see and hear the influence that Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix have had on her as she told me when we talked a couple of weeks ago. You can hear the interview here.

Even if you would have only been there for the final two songs of the evening, covers of Jimi Hendrix’ Hey Joe and Cream’s Crossroads, it would have been worth more than the price of admission.

Do yourself a favor, follow Kelly on her Website and on Facebook to see when she’s playing in your area and go to a show, buy her CD’s and DVD’s and book of poetry. Support the music so we can continue to have these amazing musicians come back to see us again.

KELLY RICHEY
SWEET SPIRIT
SWEET LUCY RECORDS KRB 1141

FEELIN UNDER–I WENT DOWN EASY–LEAVIN IT ALL BEHIND–SOMETHING’S GOING ON–EVERYBODY NEEDS A CHANGE–FAST DRIVIN MAMA–ONE WAY TICKET–RISIN SUN–DYIN–HARD WORKIN WOMAN



For Kelly Richey’s latest album, producer Duane Lundy wanted to get the feel of her live performances down in a studio setting. With “Sweet Spirit,” she has achieved perhaps her hardest-hitting album to date. This set contains ten original tracks that allow Kelly’s snarling, Led Zep-influenced guitar leads and her husky, gravelly alto to take the center stage. The songs are concisely arranged for a power trip, and, on most tracks, Kelly is joined by Freekbass on bass, and Robby Cosenza on drums.

As Kelly sings these powerful blues-rock anthems of love, pain, and redemption, one can sense that her voice is a cool cross between contemporary blueswoman Rory Block and Heart’s Ann Wilson. The leadoff “Feelin Under” hits like a jackhammer, while “I Went Down Easy” has a Delta-fied, hellhound-on-my-tail feel. ”Something’s Going On” is a blast of blues-rock that hints for a cleansing and a new beginning as Kelly goes “down to the river to wash my fears away.” ”Everybody Needs A Change” is a trippy, slow jam that features Bernie Worrell on keys, and is a somber look at finding peace and forgiveness in a seemingly-lost society.

We had two favorites, too, and both of ‘em rock with a steady roll. ”Fast Drivin Mama” has that rapid-fire, crosstown-traffic vibe, while the set closes with “Hard Working Woman,” full of stinging leads and keys from Robert Lee Carroll, over Kelly’s proclamation that she is what she is, a no-frills “workin’ hard woman, tryin’ to make a fool outta you.”

As one listens to “Sweet Spirit,” one can grasp what Kelly and Lundy were trying to achieve–a woman who sings of overcoming past demons and emerging intact, while making no excuses. And, “Sweet Spirit” captures her at her most raw and powerful best! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.