Born in rural Alberta, Cook's earliest memories are of his Dad's enthusiastic renditions of Hank Williams and Carter Family songs around the kitchen table. By the time he was six or seven, Kevin was strumming along on a Sears "Gene Autry" guitar. After mastering three chords, there was no turning back. At seventeen he put together his first band, a country/bluegrass outfit called the Prairie Dogs, they played in honky tonks and halls across western Canada. Around the same time, Cook started to write his own material and explore other forms of music. Doc Watson, the Reverend Gary Davis and Ry Cooder really struck a deep chord. Blues School A move to the city got Kevin Cook involved in the thriving blues scene. Playing six nights a week in those smokey clubs was like getting a degree in blues school. Cook says, "this experience really grows a thick hide on ya, a good thing to have in this business." He assembled some of the top roots players to release his first recording. The Subterraneans, a local favorite, played country blues with a groove. Alumni included Stu Mitchell on drums and guitarist extraordinaire Lester Quitzau.  Happy Accident A near-career-ending encounter with a tablesaw left Kevin with one less finger, but as one reviewer said his playing did not suffer from Jerry Garciaing his left hand. From solid rhythm-playing to smooth soloing to fine finger-picking, he's an excellent guitar player. A little downtime in Mexico provided the chance to get back to his roots as an acoustic musician. Following this, Cook contributed two tracks to the 1991 ARIA-nominated New Songbirds recording which exposed him to a national audience. Cook broke out as a solo artist with the release of HAPPY ACCIDENT in 1997. Journalist Peter North wrote that this particular CD was the talk of the town among his peers. Edmonton music reviewer Stew Slater chose Happy Accident as one of his top ten picks for 1997 putting Kevin Cook in the company of Beth Orton and Steve Earle. He then went on to comment, "The musicianship is superb... the best locally-produced recording this year."   "Roots Artist Cooks Up the Blues" "Mesmerizing acoustic ideas flow from the guitar of Kevin Cook like liquid amber. The Alberta-born musician's album, WESTERN UNION, puts his own original and confident stamp on a country-blues style that sounds old and new. Cook sounds like a man born to sing blues as he gets down to the heart of the matter. A leading light of the Canadian roots music community, Cook proves his status on this album. Influences such as Doc Watson and JJ Cale creep through as well as the fingerstylings of Reverend Gary Davis. These sounds are woven into Cook's command of the genre, adding lustre to his authenticity. Instrumentally, the album is sparce but the arrangements give the music a wide scope. Early 20th century styles such as gospel and ragtime are touched on in songs like Revelation Blues and Lemon Grove with Cook capturing the spirit of these traditional forms with a natural affinity for their subtleties. Cook's intuitive touch is evident on cuts like Cora-Mae, an urgent and curious southern gothic lamentation. This brooding mood is illuminated by the mellow introspection of Roving Eye's Dylanesque story-telling setting. Cook's lively energy as an acoustic stylist is high-lighted on Early Girl and High Country, whose rolling rhythms are carried forward by his clear, emotive vocals. An example of what Cook can do with a ballad is offered up on Age of Loneliness, a gently moving song with unique, captivating chords and bittersweet lyrics. This country-blues based sound is rich in skill and feeling. The pace of the album is laid-back, but the flow of the music is constant and shot through with muted energy. Atmosphere and vibe are paramount in Cook's sound. From song to song, one gets the sense of hearing true artistry and conviction." Dean Gordon-Smith The Morning Vernon Star BC   news | bio | recordings | projects | reviews | press kit | dates | contact | kevin cooks Copyright © Kevin Cook Music 2002 - 2008, all rights reserved