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" When I put out my first album, I'd play for next to nothing, like $200. And as long as the band got something, I was happy. But really I was out there to prove myself, prove my point. "Kenny Neal
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By Norm Shaw
Kenny Neal may be considered a member of the younger generation of blues men, but he doesn't see himself that way. At 38, "I'm caught in the middle." But Neal wouldn't want to be anywhere else. "You've got your younger guys playing here (in Baton Rouge, La.)," Neal said by phone. "And they're doing pretty good. It's good to see the next generation coming up." Neal, who plays Jan. 5 and 6 at B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street, knows a little bit about generations. He's a second generation musician, following in the footsteps of his father Raful Neal. The oldest of 10 children, Neal's band also features various siblings. In the week after Christmas, he was about to do his part for the third generation of Neals. "My oldest son is playing drums," he said. "In fact I'm heading out this morning to buy him a four-track machine to record. He lives in Toronto, but he's here visiting. The two oldest are really into music. My daughter sings. They'll pick up the guitar and chunk on it. But I'd never force it on them. I just let it be there if they want it." Neal's father never pushed him either, he said. "It's just there, and you're sucking it in all the time." Helping his family is only part of Neal's plan for the next generation. He's also looking out for new musicians. He is building a studio in back of his Baton Rouge home to produce demo tapes for newcomers. "They can bring their own tape and I'll produce and do the recording, then I'll shop it around," Neal said. "It's easy for me to do this, because of my producer's background." Neal has been producing his own recordings for more than 10 years. He says some of his "best records were made 10 or 12 years ago." The tapes are sitting in his closet, and he plans to release them when the time is right. But for the next year, Neal will be pretty busy. "I'm going out on the road with Koko Taylor and Lonnie Brooks in Europe pretty soon," he said. "The contract just came in. It'll be without my band, and I didn't like that. But sometimes it takes that. I'll keep them on the payroll, though, so they won't complain." Neal will visit about 15 countries in 1996, which raises that question that won't die: Are blues artists more popular overseas than in the United States and is that right? Neal offers a different spin on the perceived problem of awareness and respect. "The European audience will go out for traditional blues. They read books and study the blues," he said. "My dad will get booked regularly in Japan and Germany, but won't get booked in cities like Chicago or Los Angeles. "My case is different. I don't get a chance to tour enough in the States. I can work here year 'round if I want to. When I put out my first album, I'd play for next to nothing, like $200. And as long as the band got something, I was happy. But really I was out there to prove myself, prove my point. A lot of guys are willing to do that, especially if they are 50 or 60 years old. I had more energy then, and it paid off." The other big item on Neal's '96 calendar is deciding on a record deal. His five-year contract with Alligator expires soon, and he has received a couple of bids already. But he seems optimistic he will remain with Bruce Iglauer's Chicago-based label. "Alligator is more family like," he said. "That's what I grew up with, and it's pretty well my plan to continue on with them. They've been real good to me, and to be honest, I can't ask for anything better."
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