Smoke 'em if ya got 'em
by Glen Starkey: New Times Music Editor
J. Kelly "JK" Moreno is a real gather-no-moss kind of guy. The rolling stone is a novelist, Cal Poly psychology professor, researcher, psychotherapist, forensic examiner, expert witness, and singer-songwriter who'll release his second album, He Smokes with God, this Saturday, Oct. 19, at Mulligan's (5 to 7 p.m.; all ages; free). Moreno has a super interesting voice, and he writes really lucid songs that on this album have been informed by his psychology practice.
Each song introduces a multi-layered character who's suffering one psychological affliction or another. These are endlessly fascinating vignettes, and Moreno has enlisted a slew of talented session players for the recording. It's a terrific-sounding album that features rock, blues, reggae, Americana, and country.
"Were it not for music, I would not be here," Moreno admitted. "It was music that brought my parents together; it was music that kept me sane during insane times; and it has been and remains music that keeps the dark passenger at bay and brings joy, levity, and light to every day I sing, play, and write."
He'll be backed by a 10-piece band.
See the online article here.
