Few musicians can captivate with just their voice and guitar, but Keb’ Mo’ pulls it off on hisfifth release The Door”. It’s as if DNA from Robert Johnson and James Taylor fused inside thissinger-songwriter, simply known as Kevin Moore when he played guitar with Papa John Creachback in the ‘70s. At 49 years old, Keb’ Mo’ has paid his dues. More importantly, he’s a compellingsinger, a versatile string man, and a fine songwriter. He’s also one of the few best-selling artiststoday whose music genuinely deserves a big audience. His remake of the Elmore James’ classicIt Hurts Me Too.” It’s nearly impossible to make a synthesizer work in a Blues context, but Keb’Mo’ finds a way on this track. On gentle numbers like Anyway” and sophisticated compositionssuch as the jazzy It’s All Coming Back,” Keb’ Mo’ also extends himself well beyond the Blues.
