Ken Baker

Can Ken Baker boogie? The answer is yes, he could; in fact he needed to be some kind of behemoth of boogie in order to endure 16 years on the road with John Lee Hooker, whose song "Boogie Chillun" turned into the marching orders behind generations of rear-shakers. Baker primarily blew the tenor but also wrote horn arrangements, his ear finely tuned to the nuances a good horn section can add to this style of urban blues. His relationship with soulful singer Sister Monica followed his many years with Hooker and meant an expansion of his musical achievements. He was featured with her as a background vocalist and also directed the entire choir as well as providing horn charts on her self-titled 1997 release. Sister Monica seems to have been particularly moved by Baker's death in early 1999, dedicating a moving version of "Amazing Grace" to him in subsequent live concerts and also recording a saxophone-drenched track entitled "Kenny 'Big Papa' Baker Blows Number One." Baker worked with a variety of other blues artists, from youngsters such as Robben Ford to grand figures of seniority such as Jimmy Witherspoon. He also recorded with the band the Kingsnakes and rockabilly maestro Sonny Rhodes. Obviously, Baker was a player who was well loved in the musical community, many of whom turned his San Jose funeral into an overflow event. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide