Kenny Wayne
The Boss of Blues
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is a true maestro of both blues and jazz
piano. He is world-renowned for his raw and edgy style of boogie-
woogie playing. Whilst boogie-woogie piano is melodically similar to
traditional styles of blues music, it is instantly recognisable by the use
of an upbeat bass figure designed to get people dancing. This simple riff
is repeated throughout most of the tune and transposed with each chord
change, making it ideal for beginners to try. Make sure to really stomp out
the bass note at the beginning of each bar!
Give it a try
Embrace the blues with the following piece
Top tip
Get comfortable
The blues scale is at the heart of
this genre. Getting comfortable
with fi nding it in any key will
give you freedom to improvise.
Learn this six-note pentatonic
scale by memorising its
distinctive sound,
and then practice
transposing it.