“soul and passion… consistent good vibes” – American Songwriter
It’s a little over 2,000 miles from Compton to Nashville. Drop the needle on Keb’ Mo’s latest album, 2022’s Good To Be, and you can make the trip in under four minutes.
“I’ve lived in Nashville for the last eleven years,” says Keb’, “but Compton has always been my home. Finding a way to connect those two places on this album was a powerful thing for me. It felt like something I needed to do.”
Good To Be is a celebration of roots and resilience, of growth and gratitude, of hope and memory. Here, the songs draw on country, soul, and blues to forge a sound that transcends genre and geography. Then, he weaves together past and present into a heartwarming tapestry spanning more than forty years of sonic evolution. Though Keb’ worked with a wide variety of collaborators on the project, it remains a deeply cohesive work. Additionally, it is anchored by the five-time Grammy winner’s magnetic vocal delivery and relentless optimism.
“I believe that music has the power to heal,” Keb’ explains, “and I wanted this album to make people feel good.”
For Keb’ Mo’, that journey began nearly half a century ago. Then, he landed his first major gig in Papa John Creach’s band at the age of twenty-one. Over the next twenty years, Keb’ would go on to establish himself as a respected guitarist, songwriter, and arranger. Though he recorded a one-off album in 1980 under his birth name, Kevin Moore, it wasn’t until 1994 that he would introduce the world to Keb’ Mo’ with the release of his widely acclaimed self-titled debut. Critics quickly took note of Keb’s modern, genre-bending take on old school sounds.
Recommended for fans of Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Tab Benoit and Ruthie Foster.
