Kalo - Live In NYC (2017)

In 2009, Israeli singer/songwriter/guitarist Bat-Or Kalo left Israel to soak herself in the sounds of U.S. music. Her creative and musical Israeli family includes a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, famous musicians and war veterans. After finishing her classical and jazz guitar studies and recording her jazz-imbued album, Flesh and Bones, in Tel-Aviv, Kalo moved to New York City to hone her skills as a live performer, frequenting stages like The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, Rockwood Music Hall and others. In 2012, she left The Big Apple to strum her guitar and write in the heart of Dixie. Her sophomore album, Dear John, took root in the Mississippi Delta and other southern states, where its blues tinge began to grow. Along the way, Kalo, the guitarist, became KALO, the band, adding Mack McKinney on bass, and later, Mike Alexander on the drums.

What audiences grow to love listening to KALO's albums, they become enthralled with while watching the songs performed live. Fiery, passionate and strong, Kalo's guitar chops and contralto voice belie her small frame, while the solid bed provided by bassist Mack McKinney and drummer Mike Alexander allows the audience to feel a heartbeat. Alexander’s electric performances alongside McKinney’s ever-steady bass provides a pocket from which the band can take off and deliver emotional and fevered performances.

A Little Rock, Ark., native, McKinney started playing guitar in his teens. He began playing bass after listening to a church bassist perform, and he’s been playing the instrument ever since. McKinney has played in punk bands and set the groove for country and rock groups, but his solid playing and backing vocals make him an important part of KALO.

Erick Worrell, an Oklahoma City native, stepped out of the role of primary drummer in 2014, but his sound and contributions continue to influence KALO's live recordings and performances. Mike Alexander took on the role of primary drummer in 2015. Alexander is a seasoned drummer, and, like Kalo, has roots in jazz as a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma's music program.

KALO made it to the semifinals of the International Blues Challenge in 2015 representing the Wichita Blues Society. In 2016, Bat-Or Kalo represented the Topeka Blues Society and made it to the semifinal round of the competition.

TRACKLIST

01. Oh Father
02. Looking For Me
03. Treat Me Bad
04. Dear John
05. Down Down Down
06. Blue Chevy
07. Flesh And Bones
08. March To The Light
09. Isabel