September 22, 2006

Not since I first heard Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s has a songwriter captured my attention with his poetic lyrics, songwriting prowess, and distinctive voice as Ken Will Norton did at his European Street show last Thursday. And that's not hyperbole-it's how I reacted to his performance. Ken's world weary persona and gritty voice get down into one's soul with the noble passion of truth on the grass roots level.

Recently, Ken was touring with a band called Ken Will Morton and the Wholly Ghosts. He said on stage that the bass player missed his girlfriend and left. The drummer, who lived with his grandma, couldn't handle the rigors of the road and went back home to granny. Yes, Ken found out what band leaders have known since bands started touring-the reality of the road chews up many musicians and spits them out. Only one in a hundred players can take the drudgery, conflicts, and loneliness of continual touring.

So now Ken is out on the road as a solo act, playing the folk room circuit, promoting his second album, King of Coming Around. Ken plays acoustic guitar and harmonica with advanced chops. More significantly, Ken's songs and voice sear into the listeners consciousness leaving a lasting impression.

Gifted singer/songwriters are very rare in today's world. There are so many wannabes trying to make it with mediocre material, it's easy for notable songwriters to get lost in the shuffle. Like the famous quote, "I can't explain pornography but I know it when I see it," I know a great songwriter when I witness one perform. This may seem like an arrogant statement. But I'm never wrong about this-it's too important. When I first heard Bob Dylan early in his career, I knew he was going to be huge. The funny thing was, at the time, in my youthful naivete, I thought Dylan was some obscure artist that I and a few other people knew about. But the truth was, he was already big-- headed for huge.

Ken said he sent some songs to the yahoos in Nashville, who are inundated with demos and very cynical. He was humiliated and disappointed by their comments. At Ken's gig, I consoled him by saying, "they probably didn't even listen to your songs. Besides they're full of crap. Don't get discouraged. It's a matter of connecting with the right people who believe in you."

Ken presented an hour and a half of his original material and talked with the audience in between songs. His laid-back manner, slight Southern drawl, and Georgian charm (he comes from Athens, Georgia) are comforting, like a shot of Jack Daniels-smooth with a kick. His songs tell stories of events and people he meets on his travels. Adelayda is about a 91 year old woman he met on the beach. They chatted and she told him of all the history she has lived through, and how it influenced her life.

On Ken's King of Coming Around album his song The Devil in Me, which was recorded with a full band, is a hit waiting to happen. When Ken played it acoustically at European Street, it exuded a different vibe, but it's still a hook infested hit-maker. In fact, my definition of a memorable composition is a song that can be put into any context and still come off as a notable hit. Personally, I prefer seeing singer/songwriters as a solo acts. It's a true test of a their material hit potential. There is no place to hide, it's just the artist and his guitar and in Ken's case, a harmonica.