Musical Celebration for Raful, Jackie
and Ronnie
The Famous Theatre
150 Mayflower St, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
(Downtown Baton Rouge) admission: $20.00
Friday, April 27, 2012 – 9:00 Pm (225) 242-2220
The Neal Family will be performing all of
JACKIE NEAL’s music by Tyree Neal Band
with special guests, Jackie’s son Bro Bro, Charlene
and Darlene Neal, Syreeta Neal, Champagne,
Terri and many more guests.
RAFUL NEAL and RONNIE
NEAL's music
will be performed by KeNNy Neal and his brothers
larry, lil Ray, Noel, Darnell, Fredrick, Graylon
and son Kenny Jr.
Come Celebrate With the Neal Family!
Heritage Festival
BIG HIT
In Baton Rouge
!
- View
Photos from the Event
Don't Miss the Upcoming
Sacramento Festival
Get the
Details HERE
KENNY INDUCTED INTO THE LOUISIANA MUSIC HALL OF FAME!
After being a part of the induction of his father, legendary bluesman
Raful Neal, Kenny Neal was surprised with his own induction into The
Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
In ceremonies at the "LMHOF Blues Bash 2011" held at RaXX Club
in Erwinville, LA just miles from his family roots, Kenny joined the
LMHOF on the evening of September 25, 2011 along with his dad Raful Neal
and blues stars Henry Gray and the late, great Slim Harpo.
LMHOF Executive Director Mike Shepherd said that "while he had the
whole Neal family on hand, Kenny needed to be honored as well as Raful." He
further explained that, in keeping with LMHOF procedures, "I made
sure that the legend and patriarch, Raful, was inducted prior to Kenny,
just to keep things in perspective." He added that "It is a
great pleasure for me to add my friend, and one of the best blues talents
in the world, Kenny Neal to the LMHOF, especially with virtually the
entire Neal family on hand."
The show featured performances by many, many Neal family members, Henry
Gray, Kenny Acosta, James Johnson and more. It was truly a spectacular
evening of blues in West Baton Rouge Parish, home of so many of Louisiana's
blues legends.
More on The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame, Raful Neal and Kenny Neal and
all of the members of The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame can be found at
the web site of the Official Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame at www.LMHOF.org.
LMHOF
Blues Bash 2011
The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame "preserving
Louisiana's greatest renewable natural resource."
View New Pork Times Article
Kenny Neal Inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame
Modern swamp blues master Kenny Neal has been inducted into
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In ceremonies in Erwinville, LA, just
miles from his family roots, Kenny was surprised by his own induction after
being part of the induction of his father, legendary bluesman Raful Neal.
Kenny comes from a family that is replete with accomplished musicians. LMHOF
Executive Director Mike Shepherd said that "while he had the whole Neal
family on hand, Kenny needed to be honored as well as Raful." Read more
JUS' BLUES NAMES
HOOKED ON YOUR LOVE COMTEMPORARY/
TRADITIONAL
BLUES SONG
OF THE YEAR
KENNY
NEAL ALBUM
WINS BLUES AWARD
Hooked On Your Love, the most recent release from swamp blues master
Kenny Neal, was named the winner of the 2011 Critics' Poll Living Blues
Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.
FOR KENNY NEAL
There are two weeks left to vote for your favorite Blues Music Award nominees. The voting ends at 07:59:59 (CST) Tuesday, March 1, 2011.
Vote at http://www.blues.org/bluesmusicawards/vote.php.
Less than 20% have voted to date. I know that you are all going to vote before the deadline.
**You have to be a member to vote and if you're not, either of the links above will walk you through on how to become a member and then how to vote. Very simple process, please pass this on to all your Blues Friends. View Video
Kenny's New Release
HOOKED ON YOUR LOVE
Now Available!
The release of Hooked On Your Love from swamp blues master Neal follows the triumph of his 2008 comeback album, Let Life Flow, which raked in three prestigious "Album Of The Year" awards, two "Song Of the Year awards for the title track, and two "Artist Of The Year" honors for Kenny himself.
It was clear that Kenny touched something deep in the blues community with his soulful guitar playing and uplifting song writing, and his hot streak continues with a batch of new songs.
The new album, a tasty musical gumbo of swamp-boogie, jazz, R&B, and straight-ahead blues, casts that potent Neal spell of deep grooves and deep feelings.
Promotional photos are available HERE.
Publicity: Debra Regur pigpress@blindpigrecords.com 415-550-6484
Radio: Peter Robinson radio@blindpigrecords.com 773-772-0043
For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com.
Watch
"NEAL'S PLACE"
TV Show
Neal's Place consists of local and international artists
from across the country. Kenny sits down and chats with his guests and
they also get a chance to perform unplugged. This
is something that's going to be real positive for gospel and blues. So
please tune in. The show is broadcast from Palo Alto, California and can
be watched online but remember that this is shown on California time.
Midwest 2 hours ahead, Eastcoast 3 hours ahead. You can see Neal's Place
first hand for yourself with the tip of your finger.
The deadline is August 31st. Be sure to cast your vote before it is too late! Kenny is on a roll this year having won numerous awards including the prestigious Blues Music Award. Keep the momentum going right now by clicking on this link http://www.thebluesblast.com
photo courtesy Rebecca LeMesnager
Kenny with Blues in the Schools Kids
Photo Courtesy Dorothy Hill
This is the portrait of Kenny Neal on the
main stage backdrop at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, presented to him the same time he received his M.O.B.B.A.Y. Award.
Kenny Neal Honored with the
2009 Monterey Bay Blues Festival Artist of the Year (M.O.B.B.A.Y.) Award
In 1993 the first Monterey Bay Blues
Festival artist-of-the-year (M.O.B.B.A.Y.) award was bestowed on Etta
James, an award that today, artists proudly add to their credits and many
covet.
Visit the MOBBAY site.
photo courtesy Dorothy Hill
photo courtesy Mako Funasaka
Copyright 2009 Gary W. Miller-
Bluessource.com
(C) 2009, Dorothy L. Hill
BluesSOurce.com
Kenny Receives 2009 Blues Music
Award for Song of the Year "Let Life Flow"
COOK CONVENTION CENTER
MEMPHIS, TN.
Two awards had personal significance for me. Kenny
Neal was honored for Song of the Year, “Let Life Flow.” Neal
has been a rock for his family during an exceptionally tragic period while
battling health problems of his own. Lightnin’ Malcolm and Cedric
Burnside won for Best New Artist Debut for “2 Man Wrecking Crew.”
I first met Lightnin’ Malcolm in San Francisco and remember when
he told me he was headed for Mississippi—obviously a very wise move.
When blues fans lament the future of blues they need look no farther than
the next generation that these two groups represent—Raful Neal and
R. L. Burnside!
photo courtesy Charlotte Arrick
at the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, the evening before the 2009 Blues Music Awards
Congratulations to Kenny and the Band!
At their 2009 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame and Awards show, the Bay Area Blues Society named Kenny's LET LIFE FLOW as Blues CD of the Year! The Neal Family Band was named Blues Band of the Year.
Kenny has Won
BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AND
Contemporary Blues
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Blues Critic Awards
2008 READERS POLL
Contemporary Blues Winners!
As voted by Blues Critic readers
Always a difficult choice for the Blues Critic staff, this being the only
category we get to vote on/pick. Great years for the likes of Curtis Salgado,
Elvin Bishop, B.B. King and many others but the comeback kid Kenny Neal
just deserves it. It was time. It's not just that Kenny Neal made a comeback
after a long (undisclosed) illness sidelined him for nearly two years
(Before that bout he had already suffered the loss of his older brother
Raful Neal and then sister Jackie Neal was murdered by a scorned lover),
but that he made a great record ("Let Life Flow") that contained
a poignant, survivor song (title track).
February 2009
BLUESWAX Selects Kenny Neal
for
Album of the Year!
As with the Artist of the
Year Award, the nominating process for BluesWax Album of the Year 2008
began back in December when our readers and contributors began making
nominations. The nominating process created the final ballot of:
Full Tilt - Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
It's Hot In Here - EG Kight
Let Life Flow - Kenny Neal
Maestro - Taj Mahal
Peace, Love & BBQ - Marcia Ball
These were all great nominations and we loved every one of them! In the
final voting, again with record returns, you selected Kenny Neal's Let
Life Flow as BluesWax Album of the Year 2008. The win is the first for
Neal in the BluesWax awards. Here is a reprise of the Let Life Flow review
that ran in BluesWax (BluesWax Rating: 9)
A Magnanimous Return, (06/25/08)
During an eleven-month period beginning in 2004 Kenny Neal lost his father,
Raful Neal Jr.; a brother Ronnie; and his sister Jackie. Shortly thereafter
Kenny fought an 18-month battle with Hepatitis C. This is Kenny's comeback
album and his first recording since 2004.
I last saw Raful Neal Jr. at the 2000 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Onstage with Raful, was his young grandson. The Neals have always been
a musical family and as the oldest son Kenny may now be considered its
patriarch. Musically the influence of his father can be heard throughout
this recording.
The album opens with several tunes written by Kenny. On the title track,
he sings, "Life is so unpredictable, that's the way it is/Gets a
little hard to bear sometimes/Things out of nowhere to blow your mind/One
thing I know for sure/You got to let life flow." On the next track
Neal states, "Every time I turn around the Blues is right there/I
take a deep breath the Blues is in the air/Said the Blues, please leave
me alone/I think you oughta go back to your trouble at home/Blues, Blues,
Blues, leave me alone." Joe Campbell's trumpet and the saxophone
of LeRoy Harper provide great horn arrangements on these two songs ("Let
Life Flow" and Leave Me Alone").
Lucky Peterson's organ and the horns of Alfonso Guillory and Kenny Neal
Jr. make Larry Duane Addison's "You've Got to Hurt Before You Heal"
the perfect vehicle for Neal to express his emotion. Neal's own "Louisiana
Stew" signifies that the healing is over.
Neal pays tribute to his dad by including two songs written by him. "Starlight
Diamond" features Kenny's harmonica. On "Bleeding Heart"
he takes a passionate guitar solo. "Broken Dreams" was co-written
by Neal and Rebecca LeMesnager and on it Neal takes a jazzier guitar solo.
The rhythm section of Darnell Neal (bass) and Bryan Morris (drums) do
a great job throughout.
Neal also covers "Another Man's Cologne," originally recorded
by Little Jimmy King and The Memphis Soul Survivors. Also covered are
Ivory Joe Hunter's "Since I Met You Baby" and Willie Dixon's
"It Don't Make Sense, You Can't Make Peace."
Kenny Neal gives us his fourth original on "Fly Away" as he
sings "to prepare for eternity, we got to pray/Cause one day will
come, we got to fly away." Kenny Neal possesses a rare spirituality
and it is reflected on this magnanimous return.
Richard Ludmerer is a contributing editor at BluesWax
The staff of BluesWax congratulates Kenny Neal for winning the BluesWax
Album of the Year Award! And we thank the thousands of you who participated
in this year's nominating and voting process. You have spoken!
KENNY NEAL GRAMMY NOMINATIONS
Following are Kenny Neal's 2009 Grammy entries:
#1 RECORD OF THE YEAR
477 "Fly Away" Kenny Neal
478 "Let Life Flow" Kenny Neal
#3 SONG OF THE YEAR
189 "Fly Away" Kenny Neal
355 "Let Life Flow" Kenny Neal
#6 BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
109 "Let Life Flow" Kenny Neal
#26 BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL
PERFORMANCE
050 "Fly Away" Kenny Neal
#67 BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
042 Let Life Flow Kenny Neal
VOTE NOW!
And Vote for KENNY NEAL ....the REAL DEAL
photo by Lisa Mallen
I OWE IT ALL TO YOU. . . .
I owe it all to you Phil. If it wasn't for Phil Guy, I wouldn't have the beautiful kids I have today. I wouldn't have the career I have today. I wouldn't have the beautiful wife I have today. I wouldn't have the wonderful fans I have today. My life would have been totally different.
The reason for me saying all of this is because in 1976 I got a message from Buddy Guy, saying to call him ASAP. When I called Buddy, the first words came out of his mouth was Philip told me you're a good bass player, he highly recommened you, so I would like for you to join my band.
And that's when my life changed. I moved to Chicago, not knowing where I was going to stay or what to expect. But when I got there, Phil and his lovely wife, Jenice, took me in with open arms. I lived with them for a little over 2 years. I would offer to pay them, but they would not accept. He was the big brother I never had. He was very proud to show me off to other musicians in Chicago. He was family to The Neal's. When Buddy Guy left my father's band in 1957 to go to Chicago, Phil joined my dad's band and stayed with him till 1969, when he moved to Chicago himself.
Phil was one of the nicest people you'd want to meet. He had a big heart, he never got the recognition he deserved in the music business. But in my books, he was at the top of the list. I will miss him dearly and I'm sure he's up there with all the other great musicians having a wonderful time.
Love You Phil! (I Owe It ALL To You)
Your little Bro,
Kenny Neal
To hear samples from the CD,
CLICK
HERE.
Publicity: Debra Regur
pigpress@blindpigrecords.com
415-550-6484
Radio: Peter Robinson
radio@wholehoginc.com
773-772-0043
For more information visit
www.blindpigrecords.com.
07/12/2008
KENNY NEAL TO APPEAR ON
HOUSE OF BLUES RADIO THIS WEEKEND!
Blind Pig Records recording artist Kenny Neal will be appearing on the House Of Blues Radio Hour this coming weekend, July 12-13. On the nationally syndicated program, which is heard on over 190 stations!
Kenny will join host Elwood
Blues to talk about his life, his new CD and
treat us to a live performance in the House of Blues Radio Hour Studios.
To find out where and when to tune in to the show in your area,
CLICK
HERE.
For the past few years, health problems forced Kenny
away from the studio and touring, and his new Blind Pig album,
Let Life Flow marks Kenny's
return with an inspired set that draws musically from the funky sounds
of his native Louisiana, while striking a deep, emotional resonance in
response to the personal trials he has recently endured. Whether performing
songs of soulful catharsis or hip-shaking celebration, Let
Life Flow pays tribute to his diverse influences,
while injecting a heartfelt sentiment born of the real-life, human struggles
that any listener can relate to.
Vintage Guitar said "Kenny
Neal's new release is full of blues and soul music of the highest standard.
While Neal's always been one of his generation's finest bluesmen, Let
Life Flow helps push him into the upper echelon of the genre. One of 2008's
best so far."
Please Visit Deborah Ramirez's Blog. She is writing about the blues twice a week for The Beat, the South Florida South Sentinel's new blog on culture and music. View her recent blog featuring Kenny here,
Kenny Appears
on Cover of July/June 2008
Blues Revue Magazine!
Kenny's New CD "Let Life Flow" is now Available for purchase here on his website.
It's official everybody. My time away from you has finally ended. I will be back out there playing for ya'll by the start of the new year.