Belushi is riding on adrenaline – you can hear it in his voice he’s bearing down a little too hard – but Aykroyd’s solo is spot-on, and the horn section is the backstop against which all this can be thrown, absorbing it all and sending it back to the crowd. They dig in with “Hey Bartender,” the Willie Dixon chestnut that opens the album. Aykroyd, for one, was a really good blues harp player, and Belushi a decent, workmanlike singer, and both showed off not just their knowledge of the material, but their reverence for it as well. From their first appearance – as musical guests on an April 1978 episode of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – one might have thought them just a new pair of SNL characters – decked out in dark suits, hats and shades, sounding like Sam & Dave and dancing like idiots.īut when they took the stage at Los Angeles’ Universal Amphitheater that September, one could tell they were for real, a couple of blues and R&B fanatics with a cracking band behind them, belting out classic songs with little in the way of comic flair.
THE BLUES BROTHERS FULL
This marks the reunion of this team for the first time since 2000 and not much has changed, because the pairing of comedy and blues music never gets old.BRIEFCASE FULL OF BLUES proved that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s alter egos Jake and Elwood Blues were not shtick, or at least not as much shtick as people might have imagined they were. Today he’s very excited to be back on stage with one of his former partners, Dan Meisner.
In 1996 Kenny moved east to Myrtle Beach, where he began his incredible residency (1996-2010) where he entertained thousands of repeat guests at Legend’s former Surfside Beach location. He was quickly signed to perform in their venues on cruise ships and in various venues throughout the world. Soon, Kenny was introduced to Legends In Concert, where he breathed life into one of his favorite Chicago heroes, Elwood Blues. Although Kenny was very happy as a working performer in the film industry, he still missed performing and singing live on stage. Some of his favorite credited roles include: Sidekicks, which starred Chuck Norris and For The Boys, which starred Bette Midler.
In 1988 Kenny ventured to Hollywood, CA, where he began to work professionally as a stunt man and actor. He’s capable of singing anything from blues, standards, to rock and roll. Throughout his early adult life Kenny was the lead singer in several bands which showcased his vocal range. As soon as he could walk on his own, he began studying their moves and started to mimic their vocal stylings which eventually led to impersonation gigs at local talent shows. Early in life he was enamored with Elvis, Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra. Kenny Barret as Elwood of the Blues Brothers™īorn and raised in Chicago’s South Side, Kenny’s childhood was always filled with music. “The Blues Brothers™ is a registered trademark owned by “Dan Aykroyd and Judy Belushi.” Fortunately both Aykroyd and Belushi really enjoyed the show and signed our Bluesmobile, the highest honor they could bestow upon us. It’s the toughest audience in the world because they have only the originals to compare you to. Performing for the originals and their relatives was the highlight of my career. While in Orlando Dan was fortunate enough to perform for the original Elwood Blues, Dan Aykroyd and John’s brother Jim Belushi. He spent some time with Chicago’s Second City and in 1990 moved to Orlando FL to open Universal Studios. While attending Emerson College in Boston, Dan began performing in their Comedy Workshop. Since 1996, Dan Meisner (from Kingston, NY) has been entertaining thousands of happy Legends in Concert guests in Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach and Atlantic City.
Dan Meisner as Jake Blues of the Blues Brothers™