Guitarist Calvin Keys will celebrate his 70th birthday on February 6th, 2012.
To mark the occasion, Calvin will play a special birthday show Feb 6th, 7-11pm, at 57th St. Gallery, 5701 Telegraph Ave., Oakland CA. Tickets are $20 at the door.
Keys' very first album,'Shawn-Neeq, originally released in 1971 on Black Jazz, has just been reissued on 180g vinyl by SF-based label Tompkins Square.
It's a stone classic waiting to be re-discovered. The funky, deep grooves and Calvin's singular guitar stylings, coupled with a heady collaborative feel that inhabits so many early '70's jazz recordings, are all on beautiful display.
Calvin's musical roots originate in his hometown of Omaha, NE, playing with legends like Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson. Shortly after the release of his debut LP Shawn-Neeq, Calvin was hired to tour and record with Ray Charles. By the mid-70's, Calvin was working steadily with pianist Ahmad Jamal on the road and in the studio. Since settling in the Bay Area in the mid-70's, Calvin has recorded numerous solo albums and played with many greats, including Taj Mahal, Bobby Hutcherson, Big John Patton and Dr. Lonnie Smith. In 2007, fellow Midwesterner and big fan Pat Metheny included the song “Calvin's Keys" on his album, Day Trip.
To mark the occasion, Calvin will play a special birthday show Feb 6th, 7-11pm, at 57th St. Gallery, 5701 Telegraph Ave., Oakland CA. Tickets are $20 at the door.
Keys' very first album,'Shawn-Neeq, originally released in 1971 on Black Jazz, has just been reissued on 180g vinyl by SF-based label Tompkins Square.
It's a stone classic waiting to be re-discovered. The funky, deep grooves and Calvin's singular guitar stylings, coupled with a heady collaborative feel that inhabits so many early '70's jazz recordings, are all on beautiful display.
Calvin's musical roots originate in his hometown of Omaha, NE, playing with legends like Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson. Shortly after the release of his debut LP Shawn-Neeq, Calvin was hired to tour and record with Ray Charles. By the mid-70's, Calvin was working steadily with pianist Ahmad Jamal on the road and in the studio. Since settling in the Bay Area in the mid-70's, Calvin has recorded numerous solo albums and played with many greats, including Taj Mahal, Bobby Hutcherson, Big John Patton and Dr. Lonnie Smith. In 2007, fellow Midwesterner and big fan Pat Metheny included the song “Calvin's Keys" on his album, Day Trip.
