I can remember early on when a Student would bring in a recording of Kelly

and put me on the spot with the usual, “What do you think of her?”

 

I’d heard the sentiments from some of my male counterparts,

“If she was a guy, she probably wouldn’t get as much attention as she does.”

( Jealousy can be a hard task master. )

 

And there may have been a measure of Truth to that comment.

But where I broke away from most of the others was,

I had a respect for anyone who had a fondness for Jimi Hendrix.

And I usually ended my answer by saying something like,

“But Time will reveal what she can really do.”

 

Before I go any further, if you are one of those who think or used to think like that,

or if you saw her years ago and were impressed, but not enough to become a fan,

you need to go to a concert and see Kelly in action with her new Rhythm Section.

And maybe even try to catch her outside of Cincinnati.

There is a saying, “No Prophet is without Honor, except in his own home town.”

It’s hard to overcome the attitude of familiarity when you’re surrounded by Folk who’ve known you for decades and think they’ve seen it all.

 

I did take notice over the years as she went about the process of paying her dues.

And being a young woman seemed to make her fee a little more costly.

Her offerings became more proficient and my attitude began to change.

 

When I finally got on the Web, I paid her Site a visit

and was very impressed by her progress, her tenacity and her Heart.

 

I think that is when I first realized, Kelly is a Person and Player of depth.

I admired her from afar, but still hadn’t crossed the threshold into one of her shows.

Shame on me.

 

Let’s chase a rabbit and fill in a few blanks.

Early in 2005, I heard rumors of an amazing young Guitarist named Ryan Hickey,

and as rumor mills go, the one that runs in Cincinnati is pretty intertwined.

 

I finally met him at a Benefit for the victims of Katrina,

which the Cincy Blues Society threw in the fall of 2005.

 

Ryan and I did the E-mail thing and after some back and forth messaging,

Ryan ended up the Leader of the 2nd Under 21 host Band.

And wouldn’t you know it, he is one of Kelly’s Students.

 

He has since sat in with “John Redell and the Company He Keeps” numerous times.

It is through Ryan and his Family that I ended up at one of Kelly’s shows.

 

They told me they were going to see her at the East End Café on May 12th, 2006.

I had to play that eve, but since mine was a somewhat earlier gig

and since it was on the same side of town, I said I would stop in for a bit.

 

Somehow they were able to set me up with a seat only a few feet from the stage.

Only a few feet from where the Universe was about to implode.

Only a few feet from where I would see one of the more powerful performances

in the Blues/Rock Guitar slinging genre I have ever had the privilege to witness.

That includes Stevie Ray, Billy Gibbons, Johnny A, and Warren Haynes, to name a few.

Only a few feet from where Kelly would perform her Mastery.

 

I had one of the best views of a Guitarist extraordinaire ever.

Watching slightly behind and to the side,

I was able to see the ripple of muscle tissue in her left forearm

as she poured her Heart out through her fingertips.

Passion, authority, Joy, exuberance come to mind...

I couldn’t leave till she was done, 2 breaks and 2 sets later.

I hope by now you’ve figured out that I am a fan of Kelly’s.

 

I’ve seen her a total of 7 sets at the time of this writing.

And though I’ve listened to her play as many notes as can be squeezed into 7 hours,

I think she may have missed 2. And that’s just my opinion.

She rides the Sonic Wave her Rhythm Section Creates with flair and finesse.

 

And what a Rhythm Section they are!!!

They bring to her what “Double Trouble” brought to Stevie Ray.

And they put on a show that is as entertaining as it is Inspiring.

Enough activity to let you know they are both committed to the performance,

yet subdued enough that they don’t overshadow Kelly’s right to shine.

 

Who is the more Fortunate between them, her or us?

Go to her Site and see when she will be in your area.

Hit the Cash Machine. Be sure to take out enough to cover the door, a night of beverages, a gracious tip and be sure to include some extra to take home a CD or 2.

Then drop me a line and let me know what you think.

 

Peace...

Kelly Richey

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I have been involved with several Musical Projects in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Blues in the Schools (an outreach mechanism of the Cincy Blues Society),

the Cincinnati Jam Factory (Band rehearsal space),

the Flock (Celtic, Folk, Classic Rock from when it was first called Classic, Country, Blues etc etc), MCBlue (Folk, Classic Rock, Blues),

Shepherd’s Pi (very Eclectic mix from Swing to Bluegrass to Jazz to Blues to Jam Band), the Oinks (the BrainChild of Ryan Thelen)

and the Source (the BrainChild of Michael Borack).

 

If you have Time and would like to see more of my Site, Click Here.

and you will be transported to my Home Page,

where you will find several Doorways to my little World

with plenty of options to choose from.

John Redell

“She just may shake your World…”

“There are Moments when your sense of Purpose crystallizes

and you see with fresh eyes a Path before you that beckons

and seemingly calls you by your name.

Such a Moment occurred for me the first time I saw Kelly

perform live at the East End Café in Cincinnati, Ohio.”

John Redell

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Her

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