Review: Kerry Kearney Band at Grounds & Sounds

As he was making lighting and sound adjustments before Kerry Kearney's return last Friday, Greg Galluccio had a hard time containing his enthusiasm.

"I would've paid 90 bucks to go see him at the Garden," the founder of Grounds & Sounds, hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, gushed. "He's unbelievable."

With the pre-show buzz at his back and several strong performances at the monthly venue already in the books, Kearney and company were well on their way to recapturing the magic. Video clips of past performances do him justice, but the live experience is where Kearney and Kerry Kearney Band members Maria Fairchild (banjo/vocals) and Frank Celenza (bass/vocals) truly prove themselves worthy of their local legend status. 

Kearney got his first taste of the blues via legendary British blues band Cream. Then his brother, who made stringed instruments and would build him an electric guitar, introduced him to B.B. King's classic set "Live At the Regal." Since then, he joined the Long Island Blues Society and made a sojourn with other members down to Memphis, Tenn. in 1996, as well as to Mississippi along the famous Highway 61 - the inspiration for the song "Mississippi" on the band's latest release "Appalachian Diaries."

"I try to make it sound like a front porch as much as possible," Kearney said of his band's approach to performing. The music is an eclectic but organic mix of blues, folk, roots, and country, peppered with nods to Celtic and Hawaiian styles.

Even mostly unplugged and at half-strength - the night's lineup did not include drummer Eileen Murphy, harmonica player Charlie Wolfe or keyboardist Tony Campo - the depth and breadth of their sound is well-deserving of a wider following. Madison Square Garden may be some years off, but their more modest ambitions have kept them within easy access of live music locavores. 

Seated but never resting, Kearney coaxed an astounding array of tones from his acoustic guitars, alternating sweeping slide passages with lively melodic sketches and chugging rhythm beds for the vocals. Like his blues heroes, he lets the instruments only steal so much time away from the lyrics, which he delivered in a solid, room-filling baritone with a hint of roguish charm, showcased in songs like the sly, seductive shuffle "Kiss Every Woman" and their cascading, rootsy cover of Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue."

As proficient as Kearney and no less valuable to the songs, Fairchild's "clawhammer" banjo technique and Celenza's understated, thumping bass lines fleshed things out while providing plenty of backbone. Fairchild's tender vocals also took center stage at points, including a faithful cover of the Carter Family's "Are You Tired of Me, My Darling." 

Fairchild also plays in the Long Island Bluegrass Quartet and released a solo album entitled "Celebration" in 2009. Celenza, apart from his work with Kearney, is currently at work on his own solo album. The band will play the B.B. King Ribfest on August 27 at Jones Beach.