Melodic, guitar driven hard rock with well written lyrics, strong harmonies, and excellent guitar work.

15 MP3 Songs in this album (55:50) !
Related styles: Rock: Hard Rock, Rock: Modern Rock, Featuring Guitar

People who are interested in Alice In Chains Queens of the Stone Age Stone Temple Pilots should consider this download.


Details:
Kajun Kelley is a veteran of the Washington DC/Baltimore music scene, earning a reputation as a well-respected singer/songwriter and musician, but in particular for being one of the best guitarists around. âI've been playing guitar since I was seven years old. I taught myself, playing along with my older brothers' Zeppelin, Stones, Kiss and Cheap Trick albums. Then I got ahold of the first Van Halen CD, and it was all over!â Kajun (his given name, by the way) started writing his own songs around that same age. He played his first club gig at fifteen, and continued playing in various rock bands as a guitarist, background vocalist, and songwriter. In 1994, he released his first solo CD, Kajun Kelley Project-"Moods," a guitar-based, all instrumental effort. The CD received rave reviews- the LA Music Connection going as far as to compare his guitar playing to greats Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

It was after a Kajun Kelley Project performance promoting âMoodsâ that Kajun was approached by blues great Deanna Bogart. Bogart was putting together a new lineup, and asked if Kajun would be interested in joining her band. âIt was a definite change in musical styles for me, but I welcomed the challenge. Deanna, Eric (Scott, bassist), & Mike (Aubin, drummer) were all great musicians and awesome people, so I jumped at the opportunity.â So he took the job, and from 1995 to 2006, he was a member of the Deanna Bogart Band, touring all over the United States, Europe, and Canada and playing with a host of big name artists. (See List Below) âIt was an incredible experience- seeing the world while doing what you love to do most, and sharing all those experiences with the members of that band. We were- and still are- like family.â

In between touring and recording with the Deanna Bogart Band, Kajun recorded his second CD, "StaleStories FreshEars,â leaving behind the all instrumental approach and showcasing his singer/songwriter side. As one reviewer put it, â Many guitar soloists find it hard to transition from solo guitarist, to fronting a band, but this CD demonstrates that in this respect, Kelley has made the transition with panache.â The CD also shows Kajun returning to his hard rock roots, with his love for guitar driven bands like Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots & Alice in Chains clearly shining through. âStaleStoriesâ is truly a solo effort- Kajun sang and played all of the instruments (except for the drums and percussion, provided by Mike Aubin), as well as writing, recording, mixing, and producing it all himself. âMy plan was to put my own band together and promote the CD by booking shows around Deannaâs touring schedule. That proved to be next to impossible. Musicians canât commit to a band thatâs not working. I would say, âHey, wanna join my band? Iâm going to be on the road for the next month or so with my other band, but when I get back, maybe weâll play a show or something.â It was a tough sell. â

So in April 2006, he made the decision to leave the Deanna Bogart Band and strike out on his own. âDeanna always used to say âif you want to find musicians, book some gigsâ- so thatâs exactly what I did! I booked my first three shows without having any idea who was going to play them with me. I ended up having a different lineup for each of those three nights. Trial by fire!â But soon the nucleus of the Kajun Kelley Band was formed, with Eric Bouchard on bass and vocals, and Rob Minnick on drums. âEven though I obviously love layering guitar parts in the studio, Iâve always preferred playing live with a trio- drums, bass, & one guitar. It gives you a lot more room for improvising.â

And improvising has become what the Kajun Kelley Bandâs live shows are best known for. In addition to playing Kajunâs original music, the band has adapted a âno set list, all requestâ format. The word soon spread that the band could play just about anything you could throw at them, all off the top of their heads. In an interview in the March 2011 issue of DCâs On Tap Magazine, Kevin Laliberte (McGintyâs Public House) summed it up nicely. When asked if he had a favorite band that plays the club, he answered âKajun Kelley. He is an amazing guitarist. You can ask him to play any song and he will play it ten times better than the original.â

âOne of the things I love about the guys I play with is that theyâre pretty fearless- theyâll play things weâve never even thought of playing before, all in front of a live audience.â Kajun tries to explain how they pull this off: âI was thinking about it the other day; when I was young I would practice by turning on the radio and playing along with whatever song happened to come on next. Little did I know Iâd have a chance to apply that when I grew up! I guess itâs the musical equivalent of a photographic memory. If Iâve heard a song before, I can usually hear it in my head- like itâs the radio- and Iâve been playing guitar for so long now that my hands instinctively know where to go.â This approach also helped in building a loyal following. Fans keep coming back frequently because they never know what songs the band will play from night to night. âItâs fun for us too, and I think that the audience senses that. People can tell when a band is just going through the motions, playing the same show every night. Keeping things so loose makes the crowd part of the show.â

As a result of all the âwinging itâ, the bandâs song list keeps expanding. Kajun keeps a âmaster song listâ on his computer, to help him keep track. âThe general rule is: if we fake our way through a song at a gig- and we like it- then we all go home and individually learn the songâ¦..for real. The next show, I try to make sure we play that song while itâs fresh in our minds. We never rehearse,â (the band has never had a formal rehearsal) âso the gigs ARE the rehearsal!â Once a song is played to the bandâs satisfaction, Kajun adds it to the master list. The list of âsongs we actually knowâ is now well over 200 songs long.

But Kajun hasnât lost sight on continuing to write and record his own original material. His new CD, Struggle Within, was just released on October 15th, 2011. Once again, Mike Aubin is behind the drums, with Kajun playing all of the other instruments and handling all the production himself. âIâm really proud of this CD, especially from a songwriting standpoint. I think itâs more cohesive than âStaleStories,â which was more of a collection of individual songs. âStruggle Withinâ is laid out in somewhat of a âconcept albumâ format, with all the songs blending from one into the next. I canât wait for people to hear it.â
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Artists Kajun Has Jammed With On Stage:

Monte Montgomery * Chris Duarte * Jimmy Buffett * Jeff âSkunkâ Baxter * Gibb Droll * Bill Kirchen * Tom Principato * Linwood Taylor * Michael Fath * Everything * Joe Louis Walker * Ron Holloway

Artists The Kajun Kelley Band Has Opened For:
Monte Montgomery * Yngwie Malmsteen * Robin Trower * Pat Travers * Frank Marino * Tony MacAlpine

Artists Kajun Has Opened For As A Member of the Deanna Bogart Band:

B.B King * James Brown * Ray Charles * Buddy Guy * Little Feat * Stevie Nicks * The Neville Brothers * Brian Setzer * Robert Cray * Dr. John * The Radiators * The Subdudes * Clarence âGatemouthâ Brown * Luther Allison * Bo Diddley

Noteworthy Venues & Festivals Kajun Has Played:
⢠House of Blues- Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando
⢠B.B. Kings- New York, Los Angeles
⢠The Cave- Paris, France
⢠The Club 100- London, England
⢠Slims- San Francisco, CA
⢠Café Campus- Montreal, Canada
⢠Buddy Guyâs- Chicago, IL
⢠Silver Dollar- Toronto, Canada
⢠Rams Head Live- Baltimore, MD
⢠Rams Head On Stage- Annapolis, MD
⢠The Birchmere- Alexandria, VA
⢠9:30 Club- Washington, DC
⢠Jimmy Buffettâs Margaritaville- Key West, FL
⢠Whittaker Center- Harrisburg, PA
⢠The Rosebud- Pittsburgh, PA
⢠M&T Bank Stadium- Baltimore, MD
⢠Nationals Stadium- Washington, DC
⢠Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival- Annapolis, MD
⢠Monterey Blues Festival- Monterey CA
⢠K Pig Fat Fry- Sonoma CA
⢠San Francisco July 4th Festival- San Francisco CA
⢠High Sierra Music Festival- Sierra CA
⢠Long Beach Blues Festival- Long Beach CA
⢠Portland Blues Festival- Portland OR
⢠Rehoboth Jazz Festival- Rehoboth Beach DE
⢠Clearwater Jazz Festival- Clearwater FL
⢠Low Country Blues Festival- Charleston SC
⢠City Stages Festival- Birmingham AL
⢠River Bend Festival- Chattanooga TN
⢠Mississippi Blues Festival- Davenport, IA
⢠River Walk Music Festival- Fort Lauderdale FL
⢠Chicago Blues Festival- Chicago IL
⢠Lugano Blues to Bop Festival- Lugano Switzerland
⢠Virginia Wine Festival- Middleburg Va
⢠Vintage VA Wine Festival- Middleburg VA
⢠Annapolis Jazz Festival- Annapolis MD
⢠Wine in The Woods Festival- Columbia MD
⢠Eureka Springs Blues Festival- Eureka Springs, AR
⢠International Festival du Blues, Mont Tremblant- Montreal, Canada
⢠Blues Festival- Toronto, Canada

Complete Recording Discography:

Kajun Kelley
StaleStories FreshEars
Moods
Snowpocalypse (single)

Kajun Also Appears On
These Releases By Other Artists:

Deanna Bogart Band
Timing Is Everything
Live
The Great Unknown
New Address
www.deannabogart.com

Niki Barr
Lush
Other Side of Me
www.nikibarr.com

Gina DeLuca
Angel With Dirty Wings
Blue Eyed Soul
www.ginadeluca.net

Dira
Whoâs Sorry Now
www.myspace.com/diramusic

Jim Ebert
KidsRockIt!
www.kidsrockit.com

Everything
Young Americans (Single)
www.thebandeverything.com

Fidel
Cartoon Life
www.myspace.com/davehill

Peter T. Francis
Rippinâ The Covers Off

Kyle Glass
God Love Me
www.reverbnation.com/kyledavis

Tumer Gundem
Kolyulduk Yola (single)
www.myspace.com/tumer

Lexie Hayden
Feels Like Home
www.lexiehayden.com

Mitch Kernus
Only Love
www.myspace.com/mitchkernusband

Jeryl Orsino
Radio Friendly
From The Desk of Sally
www.jerylmusic.com

Scott Paddock Electric Band
From Within
www.scottpaddock.com

Steve Palmer
Stuck In A U-Haul
www.stevepalmerband.com

Punch Drunk Poets
Another State of Mind
www.punchdrunkpoets.com

Eric Scott
Divine Static
www.ericscottmusic.com