We heard the song “Life is Beautiful” by Keb’ Mo’ last night on the Big Mo Blues Show. It was released 20 years ago. Big Mo said it helped him get through a difficult time. We think the song is beautiful and so do hundreds of other people on the YouTube video posted 16 years ago.
Keb’ Mo’ also did a very fine cover of Bill Withers’ song “Lean on Me” a few years ago in tribute to Withers who was his friend and mentor.
It’s not worth debating whether this song is classifiable as Blues—it doesn’t matter. I think it’s notable that of the many songs I heard on the KCCK Big Mo Blues Show last night, the list of the songs he posted early this morning after the broadcast was very short. He posted only a few, and we’re glad he listed this one.
Most would agree that “Life is Beautiful” is a fine example of contemporary acoustic blues. Compared to what we might usually hear in music labeled as the blues you might think it’s the opposite—almost “too happy” and soul-soothing to be the blues. Blues isn’t always about badness in life.
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