Kelly Joe Phelps will bring his acoustic country blues to the Barge Canal Coffee Company on Lebanon Street on Friday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m.
Though Phelps has lived all his life in the state of Washington, he plays country blues as if he were born and bred on the Mississippi Delta. With a husky baritone voice, his lap-slide guitar technique is capable of ‘chilling the spine,’ according to Musician magazine.
In 1994 Phelps released his first album, Lead Me On, which was embraced by fans and critics alike and earned rave reviews in publications as diverse as Billboard, Blues Wire, and People.
Roll Away the Stone, his 1997 album, is rooted in tradition yet thoroughly contemporary, featuring six original songs and five traditional tunes. ‘When the Roll is Called up Yonder,’ ‘See That My Grave is Kept Clean,’ ‘Cypress Grove,’ ‘That’s Alright,’ and ‘Doxology’ with Phelps’ smoky voice and intricate, subtle guitar work.
According to Dirty Linen, the magazine of folk and world music, ‘Phelps is not anybody’s ‘blind Mississippi’ wannabe; he’s a true original.’
Tickets are $6.00 for the general public and $3.00 for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø students and are available at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s student activities office in the Student Union. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s office of student activities at 315-228-7320.
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