The Guitar Player's Resource
Take a step back into the '20s and '30s, preferably at a crossroads in rural Mississippi, and you'll appreciate the talent and soul that went into the recording of Naked Blues, guitarist/singer K.K. Martin's passionate acoustic ode to Delta-flavored blues. Thirteen tracks, with nothing but a guitar and a voice, Martin brings the summer evening jams on the front porch to life. A healthy helping of weeping slide work helps to color selections such as "Graveyard Blues" and "Killin Me By Degrees", Martin cuts loose on the instrumental "Up Jumps The Devil", and lyrically, it's all here, drop down mamas, cotton fields, levees, good women, cheatin' women, bloodshot eyes and 38 specials. Guitarists will surely grab their acoustics and sit down for a lesson in the blues from Martin, who has this genre down cold. Great work. K.K. Martin was originally profiled in the April-May, 2000 edition of The Undiscovered.
K.K. is a fourth generation guitarist, singer and songwriter with a background that began in Louisiana. He learned blues and country fingerstyle techniques from his grandmother, then performed professionally with his mother and father as a child. K.K. later moved to California, became immersed in the local rock scene, and at age 16 landed a brief stint with the Albert Collins Band. He later formed his own original band, A La Carte, played in the heavy metal band Shark Island in the '80s, and has just recently come full circle to his roots and first love, the blues. K.K. was recently honored at the 9th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards as "Outstanding Blues Artist".
Martin has also recently branched out into concert promotion, organizing concerts and outdoor festivals in order to give more musicians the chance to showcase their talents at high-profile venues.
Doug Deutsch Publicity Services
United States
Web site: www.kkmartin.com