Kevin Burt is a multi-award winning Blues artist who’s essence can really only be felt through his musicianship; it’s difficult to capture through words. Not so coincidentally, this is the way that Burt describes the Blues itself as an esteemed and passionate educator on the subject.

“You don’t study Blues, or learn it,” says Burt. “I mean, you can learn to play the Blues. But really, it’s something you gotta be able to feel, it’s something you live. The Blues lives within because it’s all about ‘how are you expressing your soul?’ ” 

When listening to his music, the essence of a very skilled and soulful musician shines through, so much so that it’s hard to believe there was a time in his life when Burt didn’t play the Blues.

Born and raised in Iowa, Burt was a football player before he was a musician. 

“I had the opportunity to play with the Hamilton (Ontario) Tiger Cats after college. And they found out I was too short, and too American,” Burt laughs. “So I was released,  and I returned to Iowa, and through a series of little circumstances, I worked a few different jobs.” 

Burt reminisces on his journey toward music:

“One day, my boss heard me singing in my office and told me ‘oh, you got a voice! My son’s putting together a Blues band, come audition.’ Now, singing was never on my list of things to do, so it was kind of just a passing moment, but I said ‘sure.’ A couple weeks later, my boss invited me over to have dinner with her and her family. I get there, there’s no dinner, but the band is downstairs rehearsing,  and she told them they needed to hear me. That was 30 years ago.”

Since 1996, Burt has also been traveling and educating students about the Blues and its importance to African American history — a history rooted in the survivorship of enslaved Black Americans. 

Kevin Burt will be performing at Arts Commons on January 20th, and will also be visiting a lucky class of students in Calgary to teach them about the importance of Blues history as a touchstone for much of the culture we all consume. Burt’s instruction will include harmonica lessons for all the students.

“There’s a deep story in the Blues, the stories are what you’re feeling when you feel this music,” he says. “It’s our history and our stories, which can’t be manufactured. Hip hop and all that, of course it extends from the Blues in a lot of ways, because it’s that storytelling, that lived experience.” 

“When I started going solo, one of the first shows I got was to open for David Honey Boy Edwards. I was up on stage helping him get some cords connected and whatnot. While we were up there, a young lady came up to talk to him and said,  ‘Mr. Edwards. I've been studying the Blues for the last three years.’ And he chuckled at me and said, ‘how do you study the Blues? You got to live the Blues.’ And you know, that's a reality.” 

To learn more about Kevin Burt,click here. For tickets to his performance on Friday, January 20 at Arts Commons here.