Kenny Butler
The blues guitarist struck his strings and sang of levees breaking, high water everywhere, dusting brooms, and cypress groves, but he still could not be satisfied.
Kenny is a musician with deep roots in many musical traditions and disciplines. Hailing from Medford, MA, Kenny began playing the violin as a child and quickly acquired a lifelong affection for the instrument and all of the creative opportunities it provides.
Kenny Butler – A Musical Life
Kenny’s musical passion was ignited at an early age when music filled his home. His mother played piano and guitar and led the family in song, covering every kind of American style imaginable. Her piano stride playing was legendary in their neighborhood. His father even played the piano and guitar. Kenny constantly listened to piles of old records from the past on a vintage Victrola that had belonged to his great-grandfather.
Enter – The Blues
As Kenny approached his teenage years, his curiosity and enthusiasm for the guitar were sparked when he heard country blues. Throughout Kenny’s musical life, he has explored the depths of the blues. He has studied the works of blues artists like Son House, Charley Patton, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Blind Boy Fuller, Reverand Gary Davis, Mance Lipscomb, Robert Johnson, and others.
Most of the great blues artists are reflected in Kenny’s repertoire. He uses all the country blues open tunings, plays fingerstyle, and is a blues slide devotee.
The Band – The Butler Boys Blues band
Today, Kenny Butler lives in Western Massachusetts, where he continues to compose and perform, sharing his music through recordings and live performances, both solo and with his band, The Butler Boys, with his brother Billy Butler playing bass alongside Gene Guth on drums.
His story is one of a deep connection – between family, musical history, and tradition, all driven by the soulful melodies of blues culture from past to present.