Suitcase

*Suitcase* proves that Keb’ Mo’ looks far beyond the blues scene for inspiration. With producer John Porter judiciously applying texture and space, the singer/guitarist blends genres the way a painter mixes colors. The Latin-flavored “Eileen” sways like palm trees while wafts of pedal steel float through the warm air. Underpinned by flickering organ, “Still There for Me” is minimalistic soul warmed by tender introspection. And the playful, front-porch picking of “Life Is Beautiful” highlights the dexterous musician\'s deep love for country bluesman Taj Mahal.

On Suitcase, his eighth studio release, Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore) reunites with John Porter, the producer of Moore's critically lauded first album, and the result is a pleasant, midtempo suite of songs dedicated to the emotional baggage everyone carries with them as they plow through increasingly complicated lives in search of peace, love, and some measure of personal redemption.