KEVIN SO

KEVIN SO

Kevin So has earned the respect of 4-time Grammy award winner Keb’ Mo’, singer/activist Billy Bragg and Tony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang, and has built a loyal fan base around the world for the past 20 years. He has performed recently at The Wiltern Theater, as well as Carnegie Hall and The Ryman in Nashville. Kevin was also recipient of the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival Award (Best Music & Lyrics) for “Great Wall” – a semi-autobiographical musical. His songs have been recorded by India Arie (“Crush On You”), Keb’ Mo’ (“Talk”), and Shemekia Copeland (“Sounds Like The Devil”).  He is blues, folk & soul in its finest blend.

 

 

“The Amy Tan of the singer/songwriter world.” -Recording Magazine

Since graduating from Boston Latin School in 1989, and in over 25 years of performing his music around the USA, Kevin So is a Chinese-American musician who has earned the respect of fellow musicians (Keb’ Mo’, Amos Lee, Melody Gardot, Simon Lynge), won over members of press (the late editor-in-chief Timothy White/Billboard Magazine, Steve Morse/Boston Globe) and radio (John Platt-WFUV, New York, Rich Warren-WFMT, Chicago), and has built a loyal fan base around the world.

Born and raised in Boston, So channeled his early passion for singing into the start of a music career with his 1990 appearance on the nationally broadcast Fox TV show “Big Break” hosted by Natalie Cole.

In 1994, So toured the country in a cover band that would later see some of its members moving on to Britney Spears’ and Justin Timberlake’s bands.

“The Amy Tan of the singer/songwriter world.” -Recording Magazine

 

 

Since graduating from Boston Latin School in 1989, and in over 25 years of performing his music around the USA, Kevin So is a Chinese-American musician who has earned the respect of fellow musicians (Keb’ Mo’, Amos Lee, Melody Gardot, Simon Lynge), won over members of press (the late editor-in-chief Timothy White/Billboard Magazine, Steve Morse/Boston Globe) and radio (John Platt-WFUV, New York, Rich Warren-WFMT, Chicago), and has built a loyal fan base around the world.

 

Born and raised in Boston, So channeled his early passion for singing into the start of a music career with his 1990 appearance on the nationally broadcast Fox TV show “Big Break” hosted by Natalie Cole.

 

In 1994, So toured the country in a cover band that would later see some of its members moving on to Britney Spears’ and Justin Timberlake’s bands.

 

It was during that period when Kevin spent a considerable amount of time listening to the early recordings of Bob Dylan.  By 1995, So quit the cover band and became a regular on the open-mike folk scene in Cambridge, MA.  His strong musicianship caught the attention of Boston Globe critic Steve Morse who wrote that Kevin was “riveting… a smooth, impeccable guitarist.” The following year 1996, at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, an Austin Chronicle’s music writer took notice, writing that So was “the big discovery.”  The 1997 release of “Individual” was accompanied by a sold-out performance at Club Passim and hundreds of shows to follow througout 1998, including a historic concert recorded live, again at Passim, and released as “Along The Way.”

 

So moved to Chicago in the fall of 1999, booked his own gigs, performing shows in the Midwest and elsewhere.  Busking with Mary Lou Lord in Austin, TX the following year at the 2000 SXSW Festival, Kevin was “discovered” by head of The Agency Group, Steve Martin.  Subsequently, he opened for Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg, Randy Newman and Robben Ford. That year was documented in what some folks call the “Asian American Don’t Look Back” – a documentary aptly titled “HAVE YOU HEARD OF KEVIN SO?” (Frank Floyd Films).

 

Following the sudden passing of his father on August 10, 2000, So moved back to Boston in 2001, began work on his next album and continued to tour extensively throughout the US. The day after September 11th, Kevin connected with Grammy-award winning bluesman Keb’ Mo’ and co-wrote “Talk” which Keb’ would eventually record (“Peace… Back By Popular Demand”, Sony/Okeh).

 

What was Kevin So’s artistic reaction to his father’s death, 9/11, and the loss of his best friend soon after?

 

The double-disc, 32 track “Leaving The Lights On” was released in May 2003 and appeared to an avalanche of praise around the world that year.  Six months later, Kevin moved to Brooklyn, New York.

It was during that period when Kevin spent a considerable amount of time listening to the early recordings of Bob Dylan.  By 1995, So quit the cover band and became a regular on the open-mike folk scene in Cambridge, MA.  His strong musicianship caught the attention of Boston Globe critic Steve Morse who wrote that Kevin was “riveting… a smooth, impeccable guitarist.” The following year 1996, at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, an Austin Chronicle’s music writer took notice, writing that So was “the big discovery.”  The 1997 release of “Individual” was accompanied by a sold-out performance at Club Passim and hundreds of shows to follow througout 1998, including a historic concert recorded live, again at Passim, and released as “Along The Way.”

 

So moved to Chicago in the fall of 1999, booked his own gigs, performing shows in the Midwest and elsewhere.  Busking with Mary Lou Lord in Austin, TX the following year at the 2000 SXSW Festival, Kevin was “discovered” by head of The Agency Group, Steve Martin.  Subsequently, he opened for Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg, Randy Newman and Robben Ford. That year was documented in what some folks call the “Asian American Don’t Look Back” – a documentary aptly titled “HAVE YOU HEARD OF KEVIN SO?” (Frank Floyd Films).

 

Following the sudden passing of his father on August 10, 2000, So moved back to Boston in 2001, began work on his next album and continued to tour extensively throughout the US. The day after September 11th, Kevin connected with Grammy-award winning bluesman Keb’ Mo’ and co-wrote “Talk” which Keb’ would eventually record (“Peace… Back By Popular Demand”, Sony/Okeh).

 

What was Kevin So’s artistic reaction to his father’s death, 9/11, and the loss of his best friend soon after?

 

The double-disc, 32 track “Leaving The Lights On” was released in May 2003 and appeared to an avalanche of praise around the world that year.  Six months later, Kevin moved to Brooklyn, New York.