(For Complete Lyrics to the “Struggle Within” CD, click the “Reviews” page) 

Kajun Kelley is a veteran of the Washington DC/Baltimore music scene, earning a reputation as a well-respected singer/songwriter and musician, but in particular for being one of the best guitarists around. “I've been playing guitar since I was seven years old. I taught myself, playing along with my older brothers' Zeppelin, Stones, Kiss and Cheap Trick albums. Then I got ahold of the first Van Halen CD, and it was all over!” Kajun (his given name, by the way) started writing his own songs around that same age. He played his first club gig at the age of fifteen, and continued playing in various rock bands as a guitarist, background vocalist, and songwriter. In 1994, he released his first solo CD, Kajun Kelley Project-"Moods," a guitar-based, all instrumental effort. The CD received rave reviews- the LA Music Connection going as far as to compare his playing to guitar gods Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

It was after a Kajun Kelley Project performance promoting “Moods” that Kajun was approached by blues great Deanna Bogart. Bogart was putting together a new lineup, and asked if Kajun would be interested in joining her band. “It was a definite change in musical styles for me, but I welcomed the challenge. Deanna, Eric (Scott, bassist), & Mike (Aubin, drummer) were all great musicians and awesome people, so I jumped at the opportunity.” So he took the job, and from 1995 to 2006, he was a member of the Deanna Bogart Band, touring all over the United States, Europe, and Canada and playing with a host of big name artists. (See List Below) “It was an incredible experience- seeing the world while doing what you love to do most, and sharing all those experiences with the members of that band. We were- and still are- like family.”

In between touring and recording with the Deanna Bogart Band, Kajun recorded his second CD, "StaleStories FreshEars,” leaving behind the all instrumental approach and showcasing his singer/songwriter side. As one reviewer put it, “Many guitar soloists find it hard to transition from solo guitarist, to fronting a band, but this CD demonstrates that in this respect, Kelley has made the transition with panache.” The CD also shows Kajun returning to his hard rock roots, with his love for guitar driven bands like Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots & Alice in Chains clearly shining through. “StaleStories” is truly a solo effort- Kajun sang and played all of the instruments (except for the drums and percussion, provided by Mike Aubin,) as well as writing, recording, mixing, and producing it all himself. “My plan was to put my own band together and promote the CD by booking shows around Deanna’s touring schedule. That proved to be next to impossible. Musicians can’t commit to a band that’s not working. I would say, ‘Hey, wanna join my band? I’m going to be on the road for the next month or so with my other band, but when I get back, maybe we’ll play a show or something.’ It was a tough sell.”

So in April 2006, he made the decision to leave the Deanna Bogart Band and strike out on his own. “Deanna always used to say ‘if you want to find musicians, book some gigs’- so that’s exactly what I did! I booked my first three shows without having any idea who was going to play them with me. I ended up having a different lineup for each of those three nights. Trial by fire!” But soon the nucleus of the Kajun Kelley Band was formed, with Eric Bouchard on bass and vocals, and Rob Minnick on drums. “Even though I obviously love layering guitar parts in the studio, I’ve always preferred playing live with a trio- drums, bass, & one guitar. It gives you a lot more room for improvising.”

And improvising has become what the Kajun Kelley Band’s live shows are best known for. In addition to playing Kajun’s original music, the band has adapted a “no set list, all request” format. The word soon spread that the band could play just about anything you could throw at them, all off the top of their heads. In an interview in the March 2011 issue of DC’s On Tap Magazine, Kevin Laliberte (McGinty’s Public House) summed it up nicely. When asked if he had a favorite band that plays the club, he answered “Kajun Kelley. He is an amazing guitarist. You can ask him to play any song and he will play it ten times better than the original.”

“One of the things I love about the guys I play with is that they’re pretty fearless- they’ll play things we’ve never even thought of playing before, all in front of a live audience.” Kajun tries to explain how they pull this off: “I was thinking about it the other day; when I was young I would practice by turning on the radio and playing along with whatever song happened to come on next. Little did I know I’d have a chance to apply that when I grew up! I guess it’s the musical equivalent of a photographic memory. If I’ve heard a song before, I can usually hear it in my head- like it’s the radio- and I’ve been playing guitar for so long now that my hands instinctively know where to go.” This approach has also helped in building a loyal following. Fans keep coming back frequently because they never know what songs the band will play from night to night. “It’s fun for us too, and I think that the audience senses that. People can tell when a band is just going through the motions, playing the same show every night. Keeping things so loose makes the crowd part of the show.”

But Kajun hasn’t lost sight on continuing to write and record his own original material. His latest CD, Struggle Within, once again features Mike Aubin behind the drums, with Kajun playing all the other instruments and handling all the production duties. “I’m really proud of this CD, especially from a songwriting standpoint. I think it’s more cohesive than “StaleStories,” which was more of a collection of individual songs. “Struggle Within” is laid out in somewhat of a ‘concept album’ format, with all the songs blending from one into the next. I went through a bad period during the making of this CD- lots of health issues- and the music, title, and artwork all relate to that “struggle”. It’s a very personal record, and I’m happy to say that the reaction to it has been great!”

(For a preview of songs from “Struggle Within,” as well as Kajun’s other CD’s, go to the “Music” page)

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Artists Kajun Has Jammed With On Stage:

Monte Montgomery * Chris Duarte * Jimmy Buffett * Jeff “Skunk” Baxter * Gibb Droll * Bill Kirchen * Tom Principato * Linwood Taylor * Michael Fath * Everything * Joe Louis Walker * Ron Holloway

Artists The Kajun Kelley Band Has Opened For:

Monte Montgomery * Yngwie Malmsteen * Robin Trower * Pat Travers * Frank Marino * Tony MacAlpine

Artists Kajun Has Opened For As A Member of the Deanna Bogart Band

B.B King * James Brown * Ray Charles * Buddy Guy * Little Feat * Stevie Nicks * Gov’t Mule * Better Than Ezra * The Neville Brothers * Brian Setzer * Robert Cray * Dr. John * The Radiators * The Subdudes * Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown * Luther Allison * Bo Diddley

Noteworthy Venues & Festivals Kajun Has Played:

· House of Blues- Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando

· B.B. Kings- New York, Los Angeles

· The Cave- Paris, France

· The Club 100- London, England

· Slims- San Francisco, CA

· Café Campus- Montreal, Canada

· Buddy Guy’s- Chicago, IL

· Silver Dollar- Toronto, Canada

· Rams Head Live- Baltimore, MD

· Rams Head On Stage- Annapolis, MD

· The Birchmere- Alexandria, VA

· 9:30 Club- Washington, DC

· Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville- Key West, FL

· Whittaker Center- Harrisburg, PA

· The Rosebud- Pittsburgh, PA

· M&T Bank Stadium- Baltimore, MD

· Nationals Stadium- Washington, DC

· Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival- Annapolis, MD

· Monterey Blues Festival- Monterey CA

· K Pig Fat Fry- Sonoma CA

· San Francisco July 4th Festival- San Francisco CA

· High Sierra Music Festival- Sierra CA

· Long Beach Blues Festival- Long Beach CA

· Portland Blues Festival- Portland OR

· Rehoboth Jazz Festival- Rehoboth Beach DE

· Clearwater Jazz Festival- Clearwater FL

· Low Country Blues Festival- Charleston SC

· City Stages Festival- Birmingham AL

· River Bend Festival- Chattanooga TN

· Mississippi Blues Festival- Davenport, IA

· River Walk Music Festival- Fort Lauderdale FL

· Chicago Blues Festival- Chicago IL

· Lugano Blues to Bop Festival- Lugano Switzerland

· Virginia Wine Festival- Middleburg Va

· Vintage VA Wine Festival- Middleburg VA

· Annapolis Jazz Festival- Annapolis MD

· Wine in The Woods Festival- Columbia MD

· Eureka Springs Blues Festival- Eureka Springs, AR

· International Festival du Blues, Mont Tremblant- Montreal, Canada

· Blues Festival- Toronto, Canada

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Complete Recording Discography:

Kajun Kelley

Struggle Within

StaleStories FreshEars

Moods

Snowpocalypse (single)

Kajun Also Appears On

These Releases By Other Artists:

Deanna Bogart Band

Timing Is Everything

Live

The Great Unknown

New Address

www.deannabogart.com

Niki Barr

Lush

Other Side of Me

www.nikibarr.com

Gina DeLuca

Angel With Dirty Wings

Blue Eyed Soul

www.ginadeluca.net

Dira

Who’s Sorry Now

www.myspace.com/diramusic

Jim Ebert

KidsRockIt!

www.kidsrockit.com

Everything

Young Americans (Single)

www.thebandeverything.com

Fidel

Cartoon Life

www.myspace.com/davehill

Peter T. Francis

Rippin’ The Covers Off

Kyle Glass

God Love Me

www.reverbnation.com/kyledavis

Tumer Gundem

Kolyulduk Yola (single)

www.myspace.com/tumer

Lexie Hayden

Feels Like Home

www.lexiehayden.com

Mitch Kernus

Only Love

www.myspace.com/mitchkernusband

Jeryl Orsino

Radio Friendly

From The Desk of Sally

www.jerylmusic.com

Scott Paddock Electric Band

From Within

www.scottpaddock.com

Steve Palmer

Stuck In A U-Haul

www.stevepalmerband.com

Punch Drunk Poets

Another State of Mind

www.punchdrunkpoets.com

Eric Scott

Where The Water Runs Deepest

Divine Static

www.ericscottmusic.com

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EQUIPMENT

Endorsements: Paul Reed Smith Guitars * Line 6 Amplifiers * Godin Guitars

Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 * Paul Reed Smith McCarty Hollowbody II * Fender Strat Plus * J.C. Penney Skylark * Taylor 814 Acoustic * Charvel 325C Acoustic * Godin A6

Amplifiers: Crate Power Block Head * Line 6 Flextone II Plus combo * Marshall JMP-1 pre-amp * Mesa Boogie 50/50 power amp * Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12 combo * Fender Blues Deville 2x12 combo * Marshall 2x12 cabinet * ADA Slant Back 2x12 cabinet * Crate 4x12 stereo cabinet

Effects: Boss: CH-1 chorus; DD-7 digital delay; RV-5 Reverb; GE-7 EQ; DS-1 distortion; BD-2 blues driver; CS-3 compression/sustainer * Radial: Tonebone Tube Drive Classic distortion; Tonebone Tube Drive Hot British distortion * Jim Dunlop: Tremolo; 535Q Cry Baby Wah * Digitech WH-1 Whammy Pedal