Press >> Buscadero Magazine 2000

This most important new name came out of a discovery in the underbrush of the American Indies. Above all the king is touring this month in Italy, so there is a chance to get to know well the songs from the new album.

Keep an eye on the dates!

This third album (although K doesn't want to talk about the first one) is total confirmation of everything positive we wrote about him. He's not American as the music would have you think, but Canadian. He is from Vancouver but his music encompasses vaster horizons, crosses from rock to country, jazz to blues, cajun to tex mex; his style, however, does not openly imitate these but combines into a personal style which pays debt to Tom Waits as well as Elvis, Hank Williams and Miles Davis.

It's an intriguing cocktail, dark and smoky, in which cigarettes and alcohol play a fundamental part, crossing from roots in American rock to vaudeville. B (don't be confused, it's also the nickname of Hank William Jr., son of the great Hank Sr., even here they are connected) dances into the night with his profound melodies where piano and trumpet, guitars and rhythm sections create a decidedly personal beat; still, with all these comparisons, B cannot be labelled.

The songwriter's strength is also in the lyrics, in the creation of particular people, a series of losers, tragic losers: prostitutes, hopeless lovers, punks, junkies alone without help. It only took three tracks for K to become one of our favorites at Busca, a magazine that's been around awhile and we have taken a bit of a risk and given him the cover. A risky move because K is an unknown but we are not new at this: who was Tracy Chapman when we put her on the cover? Who was Marc Cohn when we gave him our most important page?

The Blue Sickness starts where A Small Good Thing left off. B is a visitor of the night, he makes music for the joy of doing so, whether its pain, life, writing, good times, love: he's one of us. A guy with the face of an angel, but a worldly wise voice, the hardboiled type out of the classic movies of Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum. He has crafted his music while listening to that of others: his brother made him a gift of a guitar and changed his life, then John Coltrane and Miles Davis did the rest.

His music starts differently, a rich collage of acoustic guitar, with tame rhythms that aren't drowned out, piano and trumpet and unforgettable melodies that stay with you, together with profound lyrics and much sensitivity.

As in the case of the earlier album, even this music must be heard in totality before it is judged: it's energetic and sad, contagious and romantic, melancholy and disturbing.

The music grows on us slowly, needing space, one must be open to new things: only in this way can you appreciate this son of the night, this intense and clever musician who deserves a place in the sun.

The Blue Sickness
The album starts with the slow Eight & Half A song with an almost oriental tone, the guitar scans the rythym and a winding melody slowly reveals itself; then the voice, dancing over the lyrics and letting the music flow is punctuated sensually by the band, the Rigalattos.

Josephina starts with a nice fraseggio? on guitar, punctuated by bass and drums, then K lets loose his bass voice giving room to the the melody, splendidly showcasing the work of the Rigalattos. It's a good example of the personal style of B and how he arranges his own music with that of the fifties: fifties music is another important influence and in this new album he brings it to light overwhelmingly.

Mess of Love is lively, with an instrumental refrain which takes turns with the vocals in a fluid beat.

It's a perfect song to sing at night, when you're driving alone and looking for company in music. Music for the night: the beat slows and the song is emotional with the vocal reminiscent of Tom Waits, without reaching that profound tonality, but give him a few years and K too will be hoarse like Tom. The Worst Friend is much like the first album: an almost country ballad with fired melodies, a crescendo worthy of Roy Orbison and involved playing.

The Blue Sickness, supported by Stax style, combines soul and rock and is very communicative. No mistakes on this album.

Please Answer is nocturnal and alcoholic. A ballad with different chromatic tones, the beat as we have heard up to now: the jazz intro leaves space for a full sound where the lessons of old Tom are very present, strong vocal and sound with the guitar of Paul Rigby. Honey Baby is an atypical love song.

Jazzy, persuasive and pleasing; the piano behind the voice gives the song body with each note.

The Way the Story goes starts with the guitar riff already mentioned, then a suffused trumpet and the vocal handles a jazzed yet refined song.

Precious Things starts slow: guitar and piano together, simple melody until it peaks then when the vocal enters, we find ourselves in a sound very much "seventies".

My Blue Soul also has an easy intro, almost acoustic, including a female vocal. It's atypical of the album but still enjoyable thanks to the solid melody and intriguing play of the voices.

Hustler's Lament is introduced with a slide where the piano stays in the background. A slow ballad, introspective with some operatic touches.

Concluding is the long (more than 6 minutes) Ballad Barborous Nights. A country waltz ala Willie Nelson, savory and interesting, a good choice to close a great album.

The ballad has a melodic crescendo which brings together the various influences from here and there to form something between rock and country, original and roots, where K's voice assumes Dylanesque tones. BK is not a meteor, but a reality of our music.

You must discover him.