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Kelly Joe Phelps (born in Sumner, Washington, on 5 October 1959; died 31 May 2022) was an American musician and songwriter. His music was characterized as a mixture of delta blues and jazz.
Phelps grew up in a blue-collar and farming town. He learned country and folk songs, as well as drums and piano, from his father. He began playing guitar at 12.
Phelps concentrated on free jazz and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. Read more on Last.fm
This has been a favorite for years now. Kelly Joe Phelps sits comfortably between our founding fathers (Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf) and modern virtuosos (like Joe Bonamassa), and there’s no better place to sit. When songwriting combines with a great voice and apt guitar work, you get instant, classic blues records like ‘Roll Away the Stone’.