Smooth and Blue guitarist Ken Massey makes his debut as a solo artist with the release of Autumn In Baltimore. Ken shows his maturity in this release by taking the hard edge off of his rock chops and playing a clean jazz guitar style.

While Autumn In Baltimore is his first solo release, Ken is no stranger to the music business. He began his musical career in the late 1960s, while still attending high school. After starting on violin in middle school, he had switched to string bass and eventually electric bass.

In 1968 he and a neighbor, Evelyn Kite, had formed a pop band called The Grabbers, and by the following year The Grabbers were playing regular professional gigs at the Club Vista in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. A number of other bands followed.

Influenced by the music of guitarists Eric Clapton and Steve Howe, Ken decided to take up the guitar and in 1972 began guitar lessons at the Peabody Preparatory School in Baltimore.

After a tour of duty in the U. S. Navy, Ken became immersed in the world of rock guitar. Playing in the band, Hare Trigger, Ken met singer/songwriter Benny Sudano and in 1978 they laid down tracks at Sheffield Recording Studios in Baltimore. After gigging regularly for a few months, Ken left Hare Trigger to form the band Legacy with drummer Russell Kulp. In 1980, Legacy evolved into the group Hurricane, a real working rock band that played nightly in the area for several years.

Ken's constantly evolving musical tastes and appetite for exploration would eventually lead him into other areas. The year 1984 found him working as a sideman with singer/songwriter Joe Warren, with whom he recorded and toured nationally.

In 1987 Ken had developed an interest in jazz, which found him studying guitar with local jazz guitar legend Carl Filipiak.

After stints with a number of local pop and rock groups, 1993 found Ken reunited with Benny Sudano who wanted to record his catalog of songs. Hare Trigger was reformed and went back to the studio, this time Motion Sound in Baltimore, to record the CD Just Believe that was released in 1995.

While working with Hare Trigger in the studio, the engineer, Gary Charles, invited Ken to record guitar tracks for Penguin Dilemma Music's 3rd Annual Christmas Sampler, released in December of 1995.

After the unexpected death of Benny Sudano, Ken took a sabbatical from professional gigs to spend more time with his family. He began playing classical guitar with the church and was eventually persuaded to play electric guitar with the church praise band.

2002 found Ken regularly performing on classical guitar, on electric guitar with the praise band and singing in the choir.

In 2003 Ken began playing jazz on a regular basis and started gigging with other local musicians.

In 2005 Ken performed Vivaldi's Concerto in D Major, as a soloist, with the Summer String Orchestra and began work on his jazz guitar solo record. He performs solo and in duos, trios and bands regularly with a variety of local musicians. He also teaches guitar at St. Paul's Lutheran School, Music & Arts Center, S&S Music and Rosso Music Center.

August, 2006 Ken released his first solo CD, an instrumental, guitar based, smooth jazz record entitled; Autumn In Baltimore.

Additional media information, photos, etc. are available at www.kenmassey.com

Avanti Blue

Autumn In Baltimore