Kenny Neal - Straight From The Heart

Swamp blues master returns home with Straight From The Heart

Although you can hear on Straight From The Heart that Kenny Neal has been on the road a lot, his new album is a return home in every way. Alongside his Baton Rouge buddies, a number of special guests also joined the studio, showing Neal's standing in the scene, including acclaimed blues sensation Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, who co-wrote "Mount Up On The Wings Of The King." Ingram acted and played guitar with pop great Tito Jackson on "Two Timing" and Rockin' Dopsie Junior & The Zydeco Twisters on two songs. Also on "Two Timing" you can hear Neal's highly talented daughter Syreeta bring the song to a close with her singing.

Born in New Orleans in 1957 and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Kenny Neal began playing music at a very young age, learning the basics from his father, blues singer and harmonica player, Raful Neal, Jr. Family friends like Lazy Lester, Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo also contributed to Kenny Neal's early musical education. In fact, it was Harpo who gave the crying three-year-old a harmonica to pacify him. Neal stopped crying that day, and eventually learned to play the instrument. Along the way, he also mastered the bass, trumpet, piano and guitar. At 13, he joined his father's band and began paying his musical dues. Four years later, he was recruited to tour extensively as Buddy Guy's bass player.

Following Guy's advice to concentrate on his guitar playing, Neal relocated to Toronto, and along with his brothers Raful, Noel, Larry and Ronnie formed the Neal Brothers Band, honing his chops backing up visiting blues stars.

Signing with Alligator Records in 1988, Neal began releasing a series of consistently lauded albums featuring his laid-back, Baton Rouge blues, with a modern spin on the Louisiana sound he grew up with. Throughout this period, he distinguished himself as one of the brightest prospects of the contemporary blues scene, receiving critical acclaim in the process.

Acoustic Sounds and Blue Heaven Studios proudly welcomed Neal to Salina, Kansas as a performer for the 11th Blues Masters at the Crossroads, Oct.. 17, 2008, and for the 21st edition concert Oct. 27, 2018.

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