Kelly Joe Phelps is a highly talented guitarist who emerged from the Burnside Records scene in Portland, Oregon in the early 1990s. Kelly Joe Phelps is a superlative musician, deeply rooted in the blues, but also very eclectic in his styling. The term “contemporary acoustic blues” fits well, although anything he plays sways a bit into the realm of the mysterious. Don’t expect to hear note-for-note covers of old songs. Kelly Joe Phelps approaches the guitar with broad influences. Like his nickname implies, the “Shine Eyed Mr. Zen” is to the blues what Zen is to meditation (the name is derived from the 1999 album title). Phelps is just a bit more mystical and complicated to understand, but with a trance inducing, meditative quality. You could call it intelligent blues roots with a bit of freeform, jazzy Zen.
Suffice it to say that the innovative virtuoso has pushed the boundaries. He started off on the straight and narrow blues path with his early recordings on Burnside, and expanded his approach ever since. Often , but erroneously, criticized for his monotone singing, an aspect that may have prevented greater fame and fortune in the pop oriented world, his singing style is actually conducive to his unique sound and very fitting. He’s not Son House when it comes to the voice but he is an emotive and expressive singer. It all works!
Be clear on one thing. When Kelly Joe Phelps sits down and plays some deep roots blues, he delivers a gut-wrenching, soulful and unique sound all of his own, that is the real, true, but unusual blues.
By Frank Götz
Kelly Joe Phelps technically no longer meets the criteria for inclusion in this website, as we are dedicated to promoting musicians who are currently active and making a contribution to the acoustic blues. The article will remain active anyway. Here is an update by our European correspondent:
KELLY JOE PHELPS – Update (2021)
By 2010, Phelps had established himself as one of the finest players worldwide in the acoustic blues department. He had put out 10 critically acclaimed albums, either solo or collaborative projects, not to mention the guest appearances on other albums. Plus he was averaging more than 200 shows a year. But then, in 2013, Phelps came down with a case of ulnar neuropathy, leaving his right hand and arm temporarily paralyzed and eventually leading to his retirement.
People are still wondering why KJP dropped out, even though he stated his reasons quite clearly before leaving the scene. Here’s his last public message, as published on his website and Facebook account on December 7, 2016:
“Hello everyone, I hope all is well and good for you folks, wherever this note finds you. I’m aware that there has been much curiousity regarding my lengthy absence from the music world. Fortunately, there is nothing to be worried or concerned about. My health is fine, and my hand-neuropathy issues seem to have gone away as well.
Back in 2014 it became obvious to me that I needed and wanted to take a serious break from touring, performing, writing and recording, and live within other parts of my life that had been neglected for quite a long time. I had no idea how long that process would take when I started, and I have no idea yet when it will end. However, it still feels like the right type of journey for now, so I will be staying on it until some logical conclusion makes itself known.
Be good to each other, look after yourselves, and I’ll try not to wait so long to say “hello” next time! All the best, Kelly Joe”
Since then, KJP seems to have vanished. No more recordings, no more gigs, not even a guest appearance. A close friend of his stated on social media a few years ago that he was “on a sabbatical, living off the grid”. Someone else said that he was painting and had sold all of his guitars. The truth is, Phelps auctioned off a handfull of instruments before his departure but deleted his homepage, www.kellyjoephelps.net, sometime thereafter. The rest is merely rumors and speculation.
“Blues musicians don’t retire”, Buddy Guy once stated, “they drop.” Well, sometimes – as Kelly Joe Phelps has demonstrated – they just disappear.
