Artist Spotlight: Luke Winslow King
By James Porter
James: Blues has always been around in your life. You had a blues band at the age of thirteen. When you decided to settle in New Orleans for the first time, had you ever been there before? What entranced you about the atmosphere, and what made you leave?
Luke Winslow King: The first time I visited New Orleans I was 19 years old, on a tour with a group of folk musicians performing Pete Seeger’s compilation of Woody Guthrie songs and stories entitled “From California to the New York Island” We began the tour in Michigan, out to California, through Texas, and to New Orleans. Our first day in town our car was stolen, with all of our instruments inside, in front of the brightly pink coloured hotel on Ursulines street. I always tell people that that experience forced me to stick around long enough to fall in love with the place. I returned the next fall to attend The University of New Orleans’ classical music program and later began my musical career there; playing the local festival and club circuit for almost 15 years. Eventually, I fell out of love with living there and city life in general. I’m still fond of all my old friends and am grateful for all the lessons I learned there, musical and otherwise.
JP: I find it interesting that you had that blues band at such a young age. Who did you play for, were all the bandmembers in the same age range, and what did your tween-age peers think?
LWK: In my early teen years I had my own band of peers and also played in a weekly house band comprised of 40-50 somethings. ‘The Winslow-King Blues Band’ Played local talent shows, events, and parties in my hometown of Cadillac Michigan. Our first major showing was at The Wheatland Music Fest in 1999. Most of the kids my age dug what we were doing, with the exception of some of the jock crowd.
JP: Roberto Luti—how did you meet him? He seems like a pivotal person in your music.
LWK: I met Roberto busking and through mutual friends in New Orleans in the early 2000’s. I learned a lot about slide guitar watching him in those early days. He’s my maestro turned right hand man. Check out his work on YouTube with Playing For Change.
JP: There are a lot of people using the phrase “keeping the blues alive,” but many of the contemporary acts today are either so “modern” that they miss the point, or so traditional that they’re boring. I think you manage to walk the tightrope by knowing exactly by not sounding like a recreation, yet bringing in outside influences like classical music that seem to fit. Do you see yourself as a blues act, or general roots musician?
LWK: I do my best not to think about it, and just to keep things fresh by not boring myself. I believe the greatest music defies definition, crosses boundaries, and comes from a pure dreamland within us. I’m trying to keep up with these songs and don’t have the time to ask them where they’re coming from or where they’ll take me next. Looking forward to bringing some of the new ones to Chicago!
