by guest author Betty J Berry, President, Kansas City Blues Society
Each month through September, the Kansas City Blues Society will feature one of the artists who is performing at our 2023 signature event, Blues in the Bottoms, on September 23, at Knuckleheads Saloon. This month we feature the Keeshea Pratt Band.
What can you say about this band and their lead singer? They are a 9-piece musical collective from 5 states and Japan that lends its energy and passion to traditional and contemporary blues, jazz, southern rock, soul, gospel, country, and back again. They offer a dazzling preview of the future of blues music. They use a 4-piece horn section, bass, organ, and keys to bring you those soul stirring performances.This is a Houston-based band with a skill and artistry that’s reminiscent of old school blues, Motown, and soul-stirring gospel. I like to describe them as starting you out in church and by the time they’re finished, you find yourself in a smoke-filled juke joint reaching for that brown paper bag with that bottle of brown liquor you snuck in. You’ve got their spirit seeping in and sweating out of every last one of your pores.
In January 2018, the Keeshea Pratt Band won the title of Best Band in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Since then, they’ve been rolling stones, letting no moss gather under their feet. They have been setting the blues music scene on fire at festivals across the country and internationally, doing their part in “Keeping the Blues Alive.”
The woman at the center of it all, Keeshea Pratt, is truly a force to be reckoned with. She instinctively understands her craft and has intimate knowledge of what her audience needs, which just makes their performances something to behold. Her mission is to ensure you have the time of your life and she does this by making her audience a part of the overall experience. She is fan-friendly and approachable, and you will often see her mingling with everyone after her performances.
Keeshea started singing in the church at age 6 and those years of polishing her craft have paid off and are evident in her amazing performances, class, style, and sophistication. She’s had an elite array of influences with unique styles, which allows her to appreciate all genres of music and keeps her from being placed in a box. Keeshea’s love of music continues to ignite her passion, as she digs deeper into her musical soul and works harder to ensure she never cheats herself or her audience.
She and her band released their debut album “Believe” in 2018.
Who’s ready for the Keeshea Pratt Band Experience? Join us at Knuckleheads Saloon, Saturday, September 23.