Ken Saydak (born Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...

pianist and singer-songwriter. In a long career, he has played as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...

with

Lonnie Brooks Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in ''Rolling Stone'', stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, b ...

, Mighty Joe Young,

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

and

Dave Specter Dave Specter (born May 21, 1963) is an American Chicago blues and jazz guitarist. Biography Hailing from Chicago's Northwest side, Specter began to learn to play the guitar at the age of 18. His teacher was Steve Freund, who taught Specter bet ...

. Saydak has released three albums under his own name since 1999. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' once described him as "a gripping frontman".

Biography

During the 1980s, Saydak played on tours and albums by

, including Winter's

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominated LP, '' Guitar Slinger''. Following this spell, Saydak became one of the members of the

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

band, Big Shoulders, who issued two albums (produced by Saydak) before disbanding. His debut solo album was 1999's ''Foolish Man'' released on

Delmark Records Delmark Records is an American jazz and blues independent record label. It was founded in 1958 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when then owner, and founder, Bob Koester released a recordi ...

. Saydak has also produced his own albums, as well as

Zora Young Zora Young (born January 21, 1948, West Point, Mississippi, United States) is an American blues singer. She is distantly related to Howlin' Wolf. Young's family moved to Chicago when she was seven. She began singing gospel music at the Great ...

's 2000 issue, ''Learned My Lesson''. He has now appeared on over fifty albums. The ''

Chicago Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'' reported "Ken Saydak has built an impressive body of work with his three solo albums and his studio work...''It's My Soul'' is his best stand-alone project yet".

Discography

Albums

*''Foolish Man'' (1999) – Delmark *''Love Without Trust'' (2001) – Delmark *''It's My Soul'' (2005) – Evidence

Other appearances

*1976 – ''Mighty Joe Young'' – Mighty Joe Young – Keyboards *1983 – ''Hot Shot'' –

– Keyboards *1984 – '' Guitar Slinger'' –

– Keyboards *1985 – ''Serious Business'' – Johnny Winter – Piano *1986 – '' Third Degree'' – Johnny Winter – Piano *1988 – ''

The Winter of '88 ''The Winter of '88'' is a 1988 album by Johnny Winter. It was released by MCA Records. The album contains three compositions by Jerry Lynn Williams who also had several of his songs recorded by Eric Clapton. Track listing #"Close to Me" (Jerr ...

'' – Johnny Winter – Keyboards *1990 – ''Big Shoulders'' – Big Shoulders – Organ, piano, accordion, vocals *1991 – ''Nickel History'' – Big Shoulders – Organ, piano, accordion, vocals *1991 – ''Bluebird Blues'' –

with Bill Smith – Organ, piano *1991 – ''Let Me In'' – Johnny Winter – Piano *1993 – ''Fortune Tellin' Man'' –

Jesse Fortune Jesse Fortune (February 28, 1930 – August 31, 2009) was an American Chicago blues singer and barber. Biography Born in Macon, Mississippi, Fortune was trained as a barber before moving to Chicago, Illinois, in 1952. In Chicago, he worked ...

– Organ, piano *1994 – ''Blueplicity'' – Dave Specter – Organ, piano *1994 – ''Gotcha!'' –

Barkin' Bill Smith Barkin' Bill Smith (August 18, 1928 – April 24, 2000) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and songwriter. He was born in Cleveland, Mississippi, and in his latter years lived in Chicago. Biography Smith was raised in M ...

– Piano *1994 – ''One to Infinity'' –

Tad Robinson Tad Robinson (born June 24, 1956) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter. Robinson was born and raised in New York City. He graduated the New Lincoln School and attended Indiana University's school of music and graduating in 1 ...

– Organ, piano *1995 – ''Had My Fun'' – Karen Carroll – Organ, piano *1995 – ''Sweetheart of the Blues'' –

Bonnie Lee Bonnie Lee (June 11, 1931 – September 7, 2006) was an American Chicago blues singer known as "The Sweetheart of the Blues". She is best remembered for her lengthy working relationships with Sunnyland Slim and Willie Kent. David Whiteis, who in ...

– Organ, piano *1995 – ''Wild Cards'' – Al Miller – Organ, piano *1996 – ''Left Turn on Blue'' – Dave Specter – Organ *1996 – ''Long Way to Ol' Miss'' –

Willie Kent Willie Kent (February 24, 1936 – March 2, 2006) was an American Chicago blues singer, bassist and songwriter. Career Kent was born in Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi. Although he had played the bass guitar in Chicago's clubs since the ...

– Piano *1996 – ''Live at Blue Chicago'' –

Johnny B. Moore Johnny B. Moore (born Johnny Belle Moore, January 24, 1950, Clarksdale, Mississippi) is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of Koko Taylor's backing band in the mid-1970s. He has recorde ...

– Keyboards *1997 – ''700 Blues'' –

Lurrie Bell Lurrie Bell (born Lurrie C. Bell, December 13, 1958, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American blues guitarist and singer. His father was renowned blues harmonica player Carey Bell. Career Bell started playing guitar at the age of six ...

– Organ, Piano *1997 – ''Troubled World'' –

– Piano *1998 – ''Blues Spoken Here'' – Dave Specter and Lenny Lynn – Piano *1998 – ''Kiss of Sweet Blues'' – Lurrie Bell – Organ, piano *1998 – ''Make Room for the Blues'' – Willie Kent – Electric piano *1998 – ''Ready'' – James Wheeler – Piano *1999 – ''Knockin' at Your Door'' –

John Primer John Primer (born March 5, 1945, Camden, Mississippi, United States) is an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and guitarist who played behind Junior Wells in the house band at Theresa's Lounge and as a member of the bands of Willi ...

– Organ, piano *2000 – ''Can't Take It'' – James Wheeler – Organ, piano *2000 – ''Learned My Lesson'' –

– Organ, piano, producer *2000 – ''Royal Blue'' –

Koko Taylor Koko Taylor (born Cora Anna Walton, September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009) was an American singer whose style encompassed Chicago blues, electric blues, rhythm and blues and soul blues. Sometimes called "The Queen of the Blues", she was known for ...

– Piano *2000 – ''Speculatin – Dave Specter – Piano *2002 – ''In the House: Live at Lucerne, Vol. 1'' –

Bob Stroger Bob Stroger (born December 27, 1930) is an American electric blues bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has worked with many blues musicians, including Eddie King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Sunnyland Slim, Lo ...

– Piano, vocals, producer *2004 – '' Have a Little Faith'' –

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...

– Choir, chorus *2004 – ''Chinatown'' – Paul Filipowicz – Piano *2008 – ''Tell Me Why'' – Alex Wilson – Hammond organ

References

External links