Portland, Oregon-based acoustic/slide guitar player and singer-songwriter Kelly Joe Phelps was raised in Washington and learned country and folk songs, as well as drums and piano, from his father. At first, he concentrated on free jazz and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and John Coltrane before finding his true calling as a blues musician in the late '80s, when he began listening to acoustic blues masters like Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams. He began singing as well, and released his critically praised debut, 'Lead Me On' in 1995. Six original songs showcase Phelps' ability in the blues idiom, but he also tackles, and does justice to, traditional numbers like "Motherless Children" and "Fare Thee Well." Phelps, as deft and creative an acoustic slide guitarist as you'll hear anywhere in the U.S., also made appearances on Greg Brown's album 'Further In', Tony Furtado's ' Roll My Blues Away', and Townes Van Zandt's 'The Highway Kind''. In recent years, he's opened shows for B.B. King, Leo Kottke, Keb' Mo', Robben Ford and Little Feat. He released his second album, 'Roll Away the Stone', in 1997, and followed it up with 1999's 'Shine Eyed Mister Zen'. 'Sky Like A Broken Clock,' which appeared in 2001 exuded a more sultry disposition from Phelps; it's companion piece, the ' Beggar's Oil ' EP, was a critic's fave in 2002. Phelps was on fire, however changes loomed ahead. He switched up his role from solo act to bandleader when it came to recording a fifth studio effort in late 2002. Phelps wanted a dramatic orchestrated sound, so he collected guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Keith Lowe as well as Zubot and Dawson's Steve Dawson, Jesse Zubot and Andrew Downing (bass) for the recording of 'Slingshot Professionals'; the album appeared in March 2003 and quickly earned critical acclaim among indie critics. In 2005, Phelps released a live album, 'Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind.' 'Tunesmith Retrofi't' was released on Rounder Records on August 1st, 2006. - by Richard Skelly, All Music Guide

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Kelly Joe recorded a new album in March for Rounder Records entitled 'Tunesmith Retrofit.' It is scheduled to hit the streets on August 1st, 2006. Beginning his career as a jazz and experimental musician, Kelly Joe Phelps eventually made a life-changing discovery of classic blues. Phelps’ blues chops “left behind a trail of guitarists with wide eyes, shaking heads and jaws bruised from hitting the floor” (Acoustic Guitar). But over the past few albums, Phelps has been shifting gears again – this time towards the fine art of songwriting.

To Phelps, this is all a matter of “shifting focus, away from music heavily driven by guitar to music that’s more driven by the song.” Although his musical foundation remains country-blues and folk music, there’s nothing traditional or predictable about Phelps’ lyrical approach, which features distinctive images and refreshing turns of phrase. The album includes tributes to Dave Van Ronk and to the recently deceased songwriter/guitarist Chris Whitley.

The sparse arrangements on 'Tunesmith' allow several new textures to peek through, including the banjo, an instrument that Phelps had last played over 20 years ago. 'Tunesmith Retrofit' is Phelps’ Rounder Records debut, and an album that comes alive with masterful musicianship and superb songwriting..

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