A musician’s art cannot be measured in awards or prizes, but still, when you are the winner of Maple Blues, Real Blues Magazine, and Juno awards, it does reflect something.  That “something” is superb blues and boogie-woogie piano playing, great singing, and memorable song writing.  He has been called a “sterling performer", "One of the true missing links", and "The last of his kind". Crossroads Blues is proud to present the very talented, Kenny ‘Blues Boss” Wayne.

CB: Hi Kenny. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Describe where the blues/boogie-woogie piano style you are known for originates?

KW: First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking time to get to know me.  You know, blues & boogie-woogie piano style came right from the Gospel Churches by the way the songs were played and the piano/organist that played them.  That old saying about the “Devil’s music” is just Gospel music with different lyrics.  One’s talking and praising the Lord and the other is talking and praising the attributes of a woman that he has or lost.  If you remember the “Ray Charles Story”, you’ll remember the trouble that he got into by doing sacred songs with different lyrics while everyone was drinking booze. 

CB: Growing up, what led you towards the piano? When did you start?

KW: We’ve always had a piano in the house so I was accustomed hearing a tune by my mother.  She was raised with a piano and occasionally, she’d play a hymn and when my father wasn’t around, she would show me a little boogie-woogie that she had learned growing up in New Orleans.  I started lessons at 8yrs old from the church choir director, Jules Haywood (now Sir Jules Haywood).  My father was the pastor of the church, so it was convenient to take lessons there.

CB: Who were your earliest influences, and are there current players that have caught your attention?

KW: I used to listen to Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Errol Garner & Gene Harris.  Each one had a different style but it seemed vary familiar to me.  In our house, we didn’t have blues or jazz albums only Gospel albums, so it was at my uncle’s home was where I was able to hear my influences.

CB: You have deep gospel roots that really shine during your live performances. For you, how did the gospel roots connect with the blues and boogie-woogie styles?

KW: Like I mentioned earlier, gospel music is where I started from.  Lots of people think that I’ve been playing the blues all of my life; well, I have, because the style is the same as gospel music according to me.  The things that I do now, I did similar things in church but maybe not as extravagant.  And those old blues piano players that I have listened to, sounds very similar to those old gospel players in a church.

CB: Also during your live shows, you tribute another piano great, "The Father of Rock & Roll", Johnnie Johnson, who sadly passed away just over a year ago. Was he an influence in your earlier days? How did you come to meet him?

KW: To be honest, no.  I never knew of Johnnie Johnson before we met a few years ago.  I met Johnnie the same night that I met Joe Louis Walker & Phil Guy at the Mont Tremblant Blues Festival in Quebec, Canada.  I guess like the many of us, Johnnie was over-shadowed by Chuck Berry with his recognizable name.  Here’s how Johnnie Johnson met: We were performing at the same festival in Quebec and I had 2 shows that day; one up top Mont Tremblant and then later that night in a club.  On the way down from top of mountain as I was descending down in a gondola from my first gig at top and I happen to hear and see a gentleman singing & playing piano with a red jacket, white pants & white panama hat while sitting in front-center of the stage.  I thought I was dreaming because I was wearing exact outfit.  I didn’t get a chance to see the show because of all the interviews I had that day, so later that night at the club when the band took a break, a gentleman came up to me in a jogging outfit with a cap and he said “so you’re the one they’re calling the young Johnnie Johnson” and I replied, “I guess so” and he said that he really enjoyed my show and then he left.  My drummer ran up to me and asked me to get Johnnie Johnson to autograph her CD and I told her that I’ll get it when I see him.  She looked surprised and said “that was Johnnie Johnson whom you were talking with”.  I felt like an idiot and apologized to Johnnie and we became very good friends from then on.  In fact, we were scheduled to do a concert in St. Louis together in June and sadly he passed away in April.  My 2007 CD will be dedicated to the memory of this great man, Johnnie Johnson.

CB: You’ve said that with the passing of so many great blues artists, it’s your mission to continue in their footsteps. How does the future look for blues and boogie-woogie style piano playing? Do you see more young people showing interest in the style?

KW: I’ve been finding out that mostly European piano players who were classically taught are attracted to boogie-woogie.  And the European fans are excited to hear that kind of piano playing.  It’s not just older people listening and attending shows, it includes a lot of young enthusiast too.  So maybe, the young Americans won’t keep this style alive but I and the young Europeans will keep boogie-woogie alive.

CB: For those wanting to explore and study your style, there is the “Blues Piano with Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne” instructional DVD. Tell us a bit about your instructional video.

KW: This DVD is my first and it’s probably more for the intermediate level players.  It will give you some hints on traditional blues, styles of blues (Chicago, St. Louis & New Orleans) and ideas on soloing and accompanying a blues singer.  I’ll be working on another more detailed instructional DVD in the future.

CB: Kenny, as you say, with all the guitars and harmonicas on the blues scene, a boogie-woogie and traditional blues piano bluesman is a rare treat.  With that in mind, I’m sure our readers, keyboardists in particular, would enjoy a bit of piano gear talk. What is your preferred gear set up? Is your live set up the same as you use in the studio?

KW: I prefer to use a 7 or 9 ft Steinway, Baldwin, or Yamaha etc.  I ask for a real piano if I have the opportunity which is not always supplied to me.  One must understand the cost of tuning and delivering a piano so unless it’s a large budget festival, I’m usually supplied a digital keyboard.  And I also request a digital piano when I’m performing an outdoors concert and I’m competing with a loud guitarist or technical problems mic-ing the piano.   I usually use a Roland RD700 or Yamaha “P” series or Motif 8 because they are 88 keys and weighted or semi-weighted.  In the studio, I try to get as authentic as possible so I use an acoustic piano unless there isn’t one in the studio and then I’ll use a Roland or a Yamaha.  The new digital piano sounds are quite convincing.

CB: Kenny, you are truly the “full package”…a talented pianist, entertainer, an accomplished vocalist, songwriter, and arranger. What role has being multi-talented having had on your career and success?

KW: I believe that presenting all that I am will help pave my future.  I love to sing, write, arrange and play the piano.  You know, I’ve helped many musicians to focus on a music concept and sometimes they don’t know what they want which lead the both of us going around in circles.  I decided to get off that merry-go-round and take charge of my career.  Ever since I did that, my career’s been getting better and so far I’ve been very successful.  And that is one of the reasons why I’m called the “Blues Boss” not meaning that I’m the boss of someone but I’m in charge of me.

CB: Speaking of success, congratulations on your 2006 Blues Album of the Year Juno win for your "Let it Loose" CD. You’ve been nominated three times in the past, how has the award win impacted on your career?

KW: Wow! Winning a Juno feels great!  And I truly believed that someday I’d win and if I didn’t, I still would love what I’m doing and the songs that I’ve written.  I’ve never looked at winning this award as a contest.  It is an award of respect from peers and it is more important to be true to oneself.  I started the journey as a bluesman not to seek awards but to carry on a very important tradition that is recognizable worldwide.  A lot of people outside of Canada have never heard of the Juno Award but what they do know is when I perform at a concert, it is reminiscent to that of the pioneers of the blues pianist who have passed on.

CB: Tell us about "Let it Loose". How does it compare and contrast to your previous albums?

KW: I really like “Let it Loose” but I love the “88th and Jump Street” CD because I had my good friends Jeff Healey and the Chicago legends along with the fine talents of Toronto.  I try to include songs by some of the blues pioneers and in that case, Amos Milburn.  This CD is a little mellower than my previous recording but this is the one that won the award, so I’m thankful for that.

CB: Aside from fronting your own band, you have backed up many notable artists, Jimmy Reed, Joe Louis Walker and Jeff Healey to name a few. Of all your collaborations, which one(s) stand out as special for you?

KW: Well, Jimmy Reed stands out the most as that event changed my musical career for 30 years.

Briefly, what happened in 1960, I was 16 and was offered a gig with a band that was backing Jimmy Reed in L.A.  My cousin Henry  got me the job.  I convinced my father to come to the show with my mother (who loved Jimmy Reed’s music).  My father is a Pastor of his church so he wasn’t too thrilled about being at a dance hall but he came.  Half way into the second show, a fight broke out right next to my parents table.  Blood flew everywhere along with fowl language.  My father grabbed my mother and me and we made an exit right out the backdoor.  I did get my $12.00 for the gig a week later (It was suppose to be $20 if I had stayed).  I didn’t play blues until 1992 and that was in Spain!  Now, Joe Louis Walker is a great guitarist and we both lived in San Francisco (I didn’t know him then).  Joe introduced me to the European countries and we toured the US.  I’ll always be thankful to him for that and he also raised my profile to the blues community.  Now, Jeff Healey is amazing period.  We met during EXPO 86 in Vancouver and later met up again and we’ve become good buddies.  He would bring me up on some of his gigs and I would bring him up on some of mine.  He’s been on my CD and he’s playing on my soon to be released CD on a song called “You cured my Blues” and he did a great solo.  You’ll hear it soon!

CB: You are often accompanied by bassist Russell Jackson (formerly of the B.B. King Band). How did you two meet?

KW: Russell Jackson and I met about 10 or more years ago in Vancouver.  I hear about this bass player who was formerly of the B.B. King band and I had to check him out.  Russell Jackson is the man!  He’s probably one of the very few blues bass players that can play electric and acoustic bass and play them both well.  He’s good at being funky but I love his Willie Dixon style bass slapping.  I book Russell on most of my European tours and we work like a team.

CB: Looking back over your career, which festivals appearances are highlights for you?

KW: Man, there are so many great festivals that I’ve been apart of.  Okay, In Canada, I would say Montreal Jazz Festival & Edmonton Blues Festival; In the US, it would be the Chicago Blues Festival and the Poconos Blues Festival; In Europe, it would be the Nice Jazz Festival & Koktebel Jazz Festival in Ukraine.  This does not mean the other fine festivals are excluded.

CB: With all the touring you have done over the years, you must have had some strange or humorous encounters. Can you share a story with our readers?

KW: Recently, I was in Paris performing at a large outdoors concert opening for Buddy Guy.  It was unbelievable that with my trio (Russell Jackson – Bass & Willie “The Touch” Hayes – Drums) would receive two standing ovations and encores and the crowd was demanding a third even while the promoter was explaining to the audience that Buddy Guy is waiting to come on stage.  As we were leaving the venue, people would come to us and say “you guys play music, that up there now is noise”.  Willie the drummer really got a kick out of that because he was a former drummer for Buddy Guy before Buddy fired him.  Willie then went on to join Junior Wells and they got the same reaction with an audience.  It was a double whammy.  It’s all good and done with fun.

CB: What can we expect next from the “Blues Boss”?

KW: I’m afraid that my new CD will be a winner!  I’m not predicting an award but you’ll be rewarded with good songs.  I believe this will be my favourite.  I’ve dedicated this CD to the father of Rock n Roll, Johnnie Johnson and wrote a song in his honour.  It’ll be a mixture of traditional boogie-woogie, great ballads with meaningful lyrics and I threw in some groove songs as well.  It'll get you listening and dancing!

Be sure to check out Kenny’s music and do not miss him when he hits your town. Good times guaranteed! Visit his site here: www.kennybluesboss.com