www.glennpatrik.com

Over 40 years after performing his very first show at age eight for a crowd of 3,000 people in his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas - singer, songwriter and guitarist Glenn Patrik brings a lifetime of struggle and soul, joy and pain and hard-driving blues playing to his long awaited independent solo debut Mr. Blues Jr.

Though the album’s seven raw and soulful vocals and one raucous instrumental jam (“Candystick”) are rooted in a distinctly American musical story, Patrik is quickly becoming an international ambassador for the music that has defined his life. Without the benefit of formal radio promotion, tracks from Mr. Blues Jr. have hit the airwaves everywhere from Denmark, Poland and Belgium to Thailand and Brazil. Last year, the currently Las Vegas based Patrik performed extensively throughout Asia, whipping audiences into a frenzy with shows in Thailand and Singapore. He’s gearing up for a new tour of the continent this March, when he’s scheduled to headline at the Bangkok Blues Festival and the Kuala Lumpur International Blues Summit.

“In the neighborhood I grew up in,” he adds, “everyone played soul and blues, and I was exposed, starting at about age six to live shows and recordings by Freddy King, Albert Collins as well as Archie Bell & The Drells and Count Basie. I can feel Mozart right along with Nat Cole, Django Rheinhardt along with some George Clinton. Then, throw in some Hound Dog Taylor, Aaron Neville, The Carter Family with Too Live Crew and Hendrix. Add the influence of K.C. blues guitar legend Leon Estelle and you get a feel of where I come from.”

Patrik got the name of his debut recording indirectly from Estelle on “Mr. Blues Day,” when the city of Kansas City paid homage to him. Estelle was Patrik’s mentor and always told everyone that Patrik was his son. So when someone pulled the younger musician up on stage for the presentation, Grace Harris, aka Amazing Grace, owner of Harris Barbecue, introduced Patrik as “Mr. Blues Jr.” This episode reflects the intense professional connection Patrik has had his whole life with legends of the blues we’ve all heard of (Luther Allison, John Primer, Lefty Dizz) and others who were strictly K.C. heroes. Over the years, his resume as vocalist, guitarist and arranger grew to include working with Little Hatch & the Houserockers, Ray Drew, Chick Willis, Abb Locke, Anetta “Cotton Candy” Washington, Millage Gilbert, Valerie Wellington, Lefty Dizz, George Baze and Joe Houston; he also spent a year on the road with the great jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany.

Since launching his blues odyssey well before the age of 21, hitchiking and hopping trains from Kansas City, Kansas’ massive railroad switching yard to all points north, south, east and west, in search of musicians that he had only heard of, Patrik says, “I’ve spent the last thirty somethin’ years tryin’ to show up early, look sharp, and deliver the guitar/vocal sound that the boss was lookin’ for.” Now, with a heavy tour schedule and the release of Mr. Blues, Jr., he’s the boss, making sounds that carry on the legacy of the greats he learned from.

“I’ve been performing out a lot lately,” says Patrik, “but I’ve got a great new home studio and am in the process of completing a new album and am excited to keep writing and recording original material. My original goal as a player was to be a sideman for every one of my heroes, but as they have slowly passed away and there are fewer people who personally knew the first and second generation bluesmen, it’s up to us in the modern generation to keep the tradition alive. I’m really hoping that the kids get into this stuff so that it lasts at least another generation. The cool thing about making this blues record is that besides being full of true stories about my life, it’s got all first take recordings, like they did it back in the day, with all the musicians facing each other in a living room setting. I think this primitive quality is one of the the reasons Mr. Blues Jr. is connecting with so many people. It takes people back to a simpler time.”