The Kelly Richey Band

An excellent album by an astonishing player, Kelly Richey’s Speechless will indeed leave you lost for words. Cincinnati-based blues guitarist Richey’s first new album in five years (and 11th overall) is an incendiary blast through her influences, an all-instrumental set that picks up where the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, and Al DiMeola left off (or were once spotted) and tears hell for leather through a series of stylings and storms that render you slack-jawed in amazement.

It’s not a tribute album — there are no covers and no copycatting. The similarities are in the tone and execution, tuning and essence. Richey is a solid original, fronting her hyper-effective three-piece (bassist Jimmy V and drummer David Clawson complete the lineup) with an electrifying energy that, more than anything she’s released in the past, captures the sheer effervescence of her live show.

There are occasional missteps — “Climb The Highest Mountain” is a little too conscious of its debt to Joe Walsh to truly shine. But “Is There Any Reason” is a spellbinding recapitulation of all that made Roy Buchanan stand out, particularly in his early years, while “Without Trace” is certainly the best thing Eric Clapton forgot to record with The Bluesbreakers. Neither does she spoil the fun by telling us who we might be listening to — there’s no cheat sheet with this album, so although “Only The Bird Knows” might remind one listener of a hyper-active José Feliciano, there’s another who could detect the deft drive of Dickey Betts. But the echo and phasing-drenched “The Longest Road” has to be Jeff Beck. Doesn’t it?

Goldmine Magazine CD Review
By Dave Thompson - By Dave Thompson

Looking, instead, to bang your head to the electrified, knife-edged funk of get-down shredder Blues? Hands down, I think Kelly Richey would have kicked the snot out of both Steve Vai and the "Karate Kid" if she could've stepped into the film Crossroads. Next week brings the local guitarist's new CD, Speechless, a fitting title for an instrumental stunner that hovers and dives under the blistering influence of Roy Buchanan, Joe Walsh and Warren Haynes. Taking a breather in the acoustic "Only the Bird Knows" and the British Invasion-tinged "Stand Alone," this incense-and-black-light-basement smoker can be found on the Sweet Lucy Records imprint. ...

NoHo LA
By John James - By John James

There are very few blues-rock guitarists capable of creating an entire album of instrumentals that anyone who isn't a full-time employee of Guitar Center would want to listen to. It's a tough road to hoe, but Kelly Richey is actually able to pull it off. She has the fire of Stevie Ray Vaughan, a player who puts all inhibitions aside when she picks up her instrument, and instead is able to come up with new levels of expression from six strings, a piece of wood and some basic electronics. Richey can veer from flat-out sonic assaults to gracious beauty, using the guitar to do all her talking. And though you might not be exactly speechless after listening to this album, you'll surely be wondering who Kelly Richey is, and how she's been able to fly under the radar so long. Blast off.

Studio City Sun
By Bill Bentley - By Bill Bentley

KELLY RICHEY/Speechless: First, women are outnumbering men in college, now they are taking over all the slots as guitar slingers in the front line. Hot blues rocker Richey continues to fly under the radar, but she does it with real style. A pro since she was in her teens, she’s been honing her chops as she goes along until you get the feeling she could step into Stevie Ray Vaughn’s shoes at a moments notice if called to. Hot stuff guitar slinger fans are sure to love.

Midwest Record
By Alex Henderson - By Alex Henderson

Five years have passed since blues rock guitarist Kelly Richey has come out with new studio material. That interim was well spent releasing live dvd and cd selections that showcase Richey exercising finger acrobatics on her Strat that come from the Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray school of musical arts. There are very few women who can attack their instrument with the same intensity Kelly has. This isn't some little angel looking for American Idol worship. This woman plays with a fury that would chase a hellhound back into the doghouse. Hard to conceive that a Susan Tedeschi much or less Anna Popovic would want to have the enviable task of following Richey at a blues festival. It would be minnows chasing Moby Dick.

Now the five year silence has been broken with the release of the all instrumental cd "Speechless." Still operating with a three piece unit, Kelly salutes her heroes influential in her artistic development. The Strat sounds have that same vicious bite. Kelly takes a blender of blues and dips them into a rock 'n' roll frosting of ingredients that had their first taste test in the 60's when Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the guitar and changed music forever.

That is not to say Richey is a retro rocker capitalizing on golden oldies. It's just that when she sat in the classrooms taught by masters Jimi Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, Albert King and many other great professors, she took some notes to add another chapter to an ever growing novel. Now it's Kelly's turn to become the teacher. (Incidentally, Richey is a guitar instructor. Check out her website for the details and you'll become a better pupil).

Nine studio tracks resonate with the soulful power Kelly is known for. It's difficult to find a certain "standout track" as all nine of them amplify the blues in a natural live setting. The influences are obvious: Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray, Albert King, Jeff Beck, etc. Opening track "One Day We'll Feel The Sun" is the magnet that draws you to Richey's blues rock flame engulfing moral fiber. Sometimes her playing can make her a second cousin to Robin Trower.

Speechless is a headphones cd aiming to capture an overall vibe of building a bridge from a Woodstock past that crosses over into a blues millennium that never forgets to honor its dead. On Speechless, Kelly dusts off the scrolls and adds ink to parchments having their place in a time capsule to be open by young blues prodigies who wish to keep the flame alit.

SW Blues Foundation
By Gary Weeks - By Gary Weeks

Despite being Speechless on her ninth disc, Kelly Richey still reveals a wealth of information. That’s because on a day in the studio when the Cincinnatian’s Janis Joplin growl remained perfectly silent, her flaming guitar more than compensated by boldly screaming out its personal identity and spilling little secrets along the way. Secrets like there’s an inner Roy Buchanan just itching to explode out of the expansive heaviness of “Is There Any Reason.” That the engineering principles behind the acoustic jet propulsion of “Only The Bird Knows” are of Michael Hedges’ fretful design. That “Stand Alone”’s persistent throb scratches a serious Lonnie Mack itch, Joe Walsh resides in the rugged riffage of “Climb The Highest Mountain” and it’s Hendrix, minus the purple haze, beaming out from the turbulent “One Day We’ll Feel The Sun”. (But then again, finding shards of Jimi or Stevie in her attack comes as no secret..) And so goes a wicked game of “spot the guitar gods” channeling through all-instrumental soundscapes co-inhabited by only bass and drums.

Such was Richey’s intended mission too: to creatively vent her own blues-rock power on original work that exposes flecks of heroes who’ve imbedded in the DNA of her hot-handed soloing. Not until running down “The Longest Road” does opportunity present to take a breather from playing the heavy – somewhat – and just let the strings lyrically sear awhile. Starting there, the perceptive listener can dust the three remaining workouts for sonic prints from the likes of Pat Metheny, Al Dimeola and Jeff Beck.

Bluesrag
By Dennis Rozanski - By Dennis Rozanski

I have always said that instrumental music is way under-appreciated. This just proves the point that I have been making all along. Kelly Richey is nothing short of an inspirational guitar player, changing guitar styles like I change my socks... at least twice a week. But, with all seriousness, I have never before heard a woman rip it out on a guitar like this before.

"Speechless" is a tribute to Richey's favorite musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan and Jeff Beck. While all of these songs are Richey's way of tipping her hat to the legends, they are in no way imitations or rip offs. All of the songs on this album are original works focused on Richey's guitar skills. And although I have not heard her voice, she is also supposed to be an amazing singer as well. This is me tippin' my hat to a new, up-and-coming guitar legend.

Top Twenty-One
By John Shelton Ivany

Note: John Shelton Ivany is the current Internet content provider for Hardrock.com. Mr. Ivany is the former editor of Revolution, Country Song Roundup, Hit Parader and Rock & Soul (all national magazines). Formerly editor of On Radio, Electric Village and Riffage.com websites. Mr. Ivany was the President of Titanium Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Record Company - By John Shelton Ivany

"This is the first time I've had the pleasure of working with a world class producer and my absolute pick of session players," says blues-rocker Kelly Richey of her new album Sending Me Angels (Sweet Lucy Records). "If I could go back and cut this record again, I'd do it exactly the same way. I can't say that about other things in my life."

On Angels, the Kentucky native layers crunchy riffs, sassy wah lines, and fiery solos over tight, funky rhythm tracks played by elite Memphis studio cats. But it's Richey's fast powerful picking hand that sets her apart from typical blues-drenched rockers.

"I played drums for a long time," she explains, "so I tend to approach lead guitar rhythmically. When I'm soloing, I play against the groove and use a lot of syncopation. I've got my foor going, and every ounce of me is into what I play. I drill on it."

For the album's 11 tracks, Richey kept her setup simple. "I plugged my Strat into a Tube Screamer and a Fender Super Reverb-that was it, "she says. "I was a bit freaked out that I wouldn't get enough tonal variety, but that wasn't an issue, because my amp guru, Mike Stevens, put a knob on the Super that lets me control the amp's negative feedback. For my lead tracks, I turned the knob wide open to eliminate the feedback and allow the amp to sing and breathe. For rhythm tracks, I closed it down to clean up the sound."

To say that Richey has bonded with her guitar is an understatement. "I've had this Strat for more than 20 years," she laughs. "It has been the one constant in my life, and it never leaves my side. It's a magical instrument-my friends say I'll be buried with it. It has a '65 neck and a '63 body, but there's nothing original except the wood and the knobs. When I was young and stupid, I got rid of the pickups because I wanted the ones that didn't buzz. I even cut a big hole in the body and installed a Kahler whamm!! Now I have a traditional trem pulled flush to the body with four springs, so I really have to push on the bar to make it work. The neck has big frets-which I love-and the pickguard is wired with Duncan Classic Stack pickups and new pots.

"I use S.I.T. Strings-gauged .010-.046- which I change every night because I play so hard. And, thanks to Joe Walsh, I use a .60mm nylon Dunlop pick. He showed me how to get more traction on each note by using the fat, textured end of these picks instead of their points. I'm not a strong fingerpicker, but I use my middle and ring fingers in conjunction with my pick all the time. When the music gets quiet, and I want to pull more out of each note, I'll put the pick between my middle and index fingers and play lead with my fingertips."

Asked how she stays inspired, Richey replies, "My favorite guitar player is Roy Buchanan. I always feel in tune when I hear his instrumental album, You're Not Alone. But studying yoga has helped my playing more than anything I've tried in years. You see, I used to have terrible pain in my left shoulder because I play several hundred shows a year, and I play very physically. I started working out because I thought strength training would help me. I did get stronger, but I felt the increased muscle mass made my playing stiffer. Yoga has given me more physical flexibility, which has helped me play smoother and more fluidly. It's not a Zen thing-yoga has actually improved my technique!"

Guitar Player Magazine
By Andy Ellis - By Andy Ellis

Anyone who has heard Mike Bloomfield, Jeff Beck, or Ronnie Earl peel off sweat-inducing licks on their instrumental compositions know you don't need vocals to be a respected blues artist. In fact, it's surprising that acts don't go the "speechless" route more often, as Kelly Richey does on her first studio release in six years. The results are remarkable.

Richey can hold her own with almost anyone on the blues scene, and her guitar prowess brings soul to these nine tracks, none of which become repetitious. Her warm, meaty sound is indebted to Hendrix, Vaughan, and Beck as well as to less obvious influences like Joe Walsh (especially in his James Gang years), Roy Buchanan, Robin Trower, Warren Haynes and Gary Moore. Lonnie Mack, a guitarist known for his instrumentals, is another touchstone. Richey's stripped-down three piece generates impressively consistent passion on an album recorded with minimal overdubs. Part of the credit goes to the strong, clean rhythm section of drummer David Clawson and bassist Jimmy V, who support Richey's run with nearly as much receptiveness as Double Trouble gave their boss.

Riff-driven, but not slavishly so, Richey navigates the songs with dexterity, tearing into solos with surprising restraint and keeping most tracks under six minutes. Like most of the finest guitarists, she sings through her instrument, soloing with traces of gospel ("The Longest Road") and hard rock ("Without a Trace") and even contributes an acoustic track (the soaring "Only The Bird Knows"). She slides from tones enhanced by pedals to those that come straight from the amps.

On previous albums, Richey's terrific voice stole the spotlight from her sparkling playing. But with Speechless, an inspiring and extraordinarily controlled display of six-string talent, she lets her fingers do the talking.

Hal Horowitz Blues Revue Magazine
- By Hal Horowitz

- Blues Revue Magazine

On previous albums, Richey's terrific voice stole the spotlight from her sparkling playing. But with Speechless, an inspiring and extraordinarily controlled display of six-string talent, she lets her fingers do the talking.
Hal Horowitz

- Vintage Guitar Magazine

“Guitarist/singer Kelly Richey has been described as "Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman's
body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out." That makes a helluva picture, but it's as close as words come to describing the talent of this native of Lexington, KY....On these nine original cuts, the Strat-wielding guitarist interprets and expands on
the great sounds of the masters, but with many original touches.
ECS

- Hittin’ The Note

"Cincinnati's Kelly Richey Band marshaled inspirations, passion, and huge talent in to one classy album called Speechless...Great stuff, still indelibly branded KRB."
Tom Clarke

- Goldmine Magazine

“Kelly Richey’s first new album in five years (Speechless) is an incendiary blast through her influences, an all-instrumental set that picks up where the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, and Al DiMeola left off (or were once spotted) and tears hell for leather through a series of stylings and storms that render you slack-jawed in amazement.”
Dave Thompson

- Elmore Magazine

"Kelly Richey is a fiercely gutsy and immensely talented female guitarist based in the Midwest....A purely instrumental album in the rock or blues genres, in my opinion, must try harder to gain and keep the listeners' attention throughout.
Speechless succeeds."
M.T.H. Weitzman

- Top Twenty One

"Kelly Richey is nothing short of an inspirational guitar player... I have never before heard a woman rip it out on a guitar like this. "
John Shelton Ivany

- NoHo LA

"I think Kelly Richey would have kicked the snot out of both Steve Vai and the "Karate Kid" if she could've stepped into the film Crossroads. Speechless (is) a fitting title for an instrumental stunner that hovers and dives under the blistering influence of Roy Buchanan, Joe Walsh and Warren Haynes."
John James

- Midwest Record

KELLY RICHEY/Speechless: First, women are outnumbering men in college, now they are taking over all the slots as guitar slingers in the front line....She’s been honing her chops as she goes along until you get the feeling she could step into Stevie Ray Vaughn’s shoes at a moments notice if called to. Hot stuff guitar slinger fans are sure to love.

- Guitar Player Magazine

" On Angels, the Kentucky native layers crunchy riffs, sassy wah lines, and fiery solos over tight, funky rhythm tracks played by elite Memphis studio cats. But it's Richey's fast powerful picking hand that sets her apart from typical blues-drenched rockers."
Andy Ellis

- Arkansas Night Flying

"...The Kelly Richey Band's reputation is built on its explosive live performances and seeing is believing...Not many women, or men, can rock the blues with Richey's intensity and authority."

- Cincinnati, City Beat

"...Imagine a cross between Ruth Brown and Bonnie Raitt and you've just begun to get the picture."

- LA Weekly

"Such adventurous extrapolations are exactly what's required if the blues genre is going to have anything new to say in the next century."

- Blues Revue Magazine

"Sending Me Angels should break this remarkably talented artist wide open. She's overflowing with confidence and the kind of star power that can't be faked."
Hal Horowitz

- Minneapolis, Blues On Stage

"...( Kelly Richey ) is one remarkable blues guitar player. There are actually some very interesting similarities between Kelly Richey and Walter Trout - - both in style of playing, fretboard prowess, certain mannerisms and sheer intensity of emotion in their playing."

- New Music Weekly

"Just got a copy of Kelly Richey and "Sending Me Angels" and we're certainly impressed. Produced by John Snyder on the Sweet Lucy Record label, this amazing vocalist/guitarist, displays the very best in blues/rock, perfect for our Album Mix format."

- Album Network

...(Sending Me Angels) "Kelly Richey's Raw gutsy performance on 'Nothin' To Do With Love' is really accented by her amazing guitar work." - Reviews / Quotes