Kelly Joe Phelps (Born 05/10/1959)

At the age of 17, Kelly Joe began playing with local jazz musicians. He listened and absorbed the sounds of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis, which helps to explain the underpinning emotion and creativity in his guitar arrangements.

"Jazz was the first musical style presented to me that was so involved in creativity and also expressing emotions in a very direct sense," Phelps noted.
Sometime in 1989, Kelly Joe was turned on to country blues and listened to Robert Pete Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Joe Calicott, among others. His jazz background was left behind when he discovered the power of Delta Blues and he has recorded a number of albums since he moved to playing this type of music. Phelps' songs now evoke by turn the pathology of a Skip James and theology of a Blind Willie Johnson - it's hard to believe that these men are not also among the models for his brooding guitar playing.

In 1994, Kelly Joe released his first album "Lead Me On" on the small Portland, Oregon-based Burnside Records. The record emphasised the intensity of Kelly Joe's playing and displayed an authenticity on both the standards and the originals. "Roll Away the Stone" picks up where the first release left off -- his guitar work adds subtle virtuosity to the material, reminiscent in a lot of ways to the British finger stylists and his voice has a smoky and contemporary edge. Rooted in tradition yet thoroughly contemporary, Roll Away the Stone features six original songs and five traditional tunes - his version of the standard 'See That My Grave Is Kept Clean' is already a favourite of the Primer. Gospel pervades the new material and if anything the album intensifies the feel of the debut release. Subsequent releases ("Shine Eyed Mister Zen", "Sky Like A Broken Clock", "Slingshot Professionals") have maintained the high standard.

This music is far from the good time ambiance of Eric Bibb or the archivalism of people like Corey Harris but it is very easy to get caught up in its intensity and musicianship. Kelly Joe might be said to play country blues for those who profess not to enjoy that particular idiom - he's that good.