Biography
Born on 13 December 1964 in Buffalo, New York, Judge Kenneth Peterson displayed extraordinary musical ability from early childhood, yet struggled to channel that innate facility into a coherent artistic identity. His father James operated the blues venue Governor’s Inn, granting the youngster repeated chances to perform with touring players—an endeavor that, when the three-year-old took to organ and drums, often registered more as spectacle than prodigy. At five he cut a session for Willie Dixon; the resulting single “1, 2, 3, 4” and its follow-up album generated early fame, leading to guest spots on Tonight and The Ed Sullivan Show.
At seventeen Peterson joined Little Milton’s ensemble for three years, then spent an equal span supporting Bobby Bland. While touring Europe with Bland he tracked his first mature recording, Ridin’, in Paris. By then he had adopted guitar, and releases such as Lucky Strikes! foregrounded his command of the instrument. He also became a regular studio contributor to other King Snake and Alligator roster acts, most often on keyboards.
Signing with Verve, Peterson issued I’m Ready and Beyond Cool, reinforcing his profile as a guitarist while expanding his palette to encompass readings of songs by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder. Although he has explored French horn and trumpet, those instruments have not yet appeared on any of his recordings. In pursuing the breadth of a complete musician, Peterson sometimes allows the surface polish of technical display to overshadow the substance of his gift. Entering the new millennium he ventured into funk-oriented material that met with uneven response.
At seventeen Peterson joined Little Milton’s ensemble for three years, then spent an equal span supporting Bobby Bland. While touring Europe with Bland he tracked his first mature recording, Ridin’, in Paris. By then he had adopted guitar, and releases such as Lucky Strikes! foregrounded his command of the instrument. He also became a regular studio contributor to other King Snake and Alligator roster acts, most often on keyboards.
Signing with Verve, Peterson issued I’m Ready and Beyond Cool, reinforcing his profile as a guitarist while expanding his palette to encompass readings of songs by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder. Although he has explored French horn and trumpet, those instruments have not yet appeared on any of his recordings. In pursuing the breadth of a complete musician, Peterson sometimes allows the surface polish of technical display to overshadow the substance of his gift. Entering the new millennium he ventured into funk-oriented material that met with uneven response.
Albums