A new album by veteran blues legend Keb’ Mo’, who appeared in shows like Sesame Street and The West Wing, was introduced to the public at an intimate setting in London last week.
Pablo Munoz
Five-time Grammy-winning blues icon Keb’ Mo’ played at London’s Union Chapel on June 10, offering the audience an intimate encounter with a legendary career spanning over half a century. The performance precedes his highly anticipated studio album, The Breakdown, which will be released by Concord Records on August 21.
At the concert, Mo, who appeared in Sesame Street in 2001 to bring the blues’ rhythm to the Muppets and the kids who watched the show, sang many of the hit songs from his new album, including “Fussing and Fighting”, a song that sprang from the way relationships can suddenly go south.
Written in the wake of life-saving open-heart surgery —required after doctors discovered a leaking valve and an aortic aneurysm— and a painful divorce from his wife of 20 years, The Breakdown represents an artistic pivot for the 75-year-old musician.
One of his most revealing works, the new album focuses on the passage of time and the inevitability of change. Nevertheless, amidst the chords, he conveys a message that hope, faith and love are what will guide you forward.
Stripping his sound down to just raw guitar and vocals, Keb’ Mo’ transforms personal vulnerability into universal resilience. This stripped-back approach is enriched by powerful multicultural collaborations with South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir and the American gospel sextet Take 6. Faced with mortality, Keb’ Mo’ channels his newfound perspective into ten stark, honest tracks. Londoners who attended the 10 June performance witnessed a master craftsman celebrating hope, faith, and survival, turning pain and uncertainty into resilience at every turn.
You can check out his new music here.
(Photos: BaxterPr)
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