Album Notes

I was a working musician from 1999-2007. I have 886 documented shows in my database, but there are still a few months missing that included a long European tour with Candye Kane. I've tried hard to recover those dates to no avail. Music was my primary career until I became a full-time student. Then I moved to Chicago in 2007 and found consistent paychecks with Whole Foods Market. From the beginning I was under the impression that having a day job would only take away from the incentive to book and play shows as much as possible. Now that a day job is taking so much of my time, this theory has been proven -- I don't have the time or energy to front a band. When I did have my own band I tried to recreate authentic, west-side Chicago blues as best I could with high energy levels. For variation I would stray from the Magic Sam and Otis Rush vein and cover tunes by Roy Brown, Junior Parker, Frankie Lee Sims, Elmore James, Jimmy Witherspoon, Johnny Guitar Watson, and Guitar Slim... just to name a few.

I started out in 1999 as the the front man and founder of The Tri-Tones (February 3rd, 1999 - July 18th, 2001). This was my first power trio of many to come. I played with Vladimir Yarrovinsky on drums and Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins on upright bass all over San Diego and north county... any club that would have us pretty much which turned out to be 4-5 nights a week.

It was through The Tri-Tones, and the Elector Studio which Thomas had opened, that I met Earl Thomas in 2000. Earl had a big name here in San Diego and we were happy to accept his invitation for The Tri-Tones to back him on a record that came to be known as "The Elector Studio Sessions." The record went on to win the San Diego Music Award's "Best Blues Album" in 2002, and has since been re-mastered and re-released on the Memphis International record label as "Soul'd."

We backed Earl for about six months after the record came out (January 3rd, 2000 - June 1st, 2000) until I was invited to join the Freddie Brooks Band out of Long Beach (June 1st, 2000 - January 1st, 2001), and Thomas was asked to rejoin the Paladins. Freddie had and all-star cast that I was excited to be a part of: Freddie Brooks on harmonica, Tyler Peterson on bass, Paul Fasulo on drums, then Ron Felton on drums after Paul left to join Candye Kane's Band, and occasionally Carl "Sonny" Leland on piano. We played the opening slot at the Blue Cafe every Friday and Sunday where I got to see and meet all kinds of greats, like Anson Funderburgh, Little Charlie, Candye Kane and Junior Watson.

I stayed with Freddie through the end of 2000, until I was offered a spot in internationally renowned blues artist Candye Kane's band, as her show opener, guitar player, duet vocalist, and bandleader (January 3rd, 2001 - April 10th, 2005). So I took the job and got to play with my old buddy Paul Fasulo from Freddie Brooks band again. We toured about 250 nights a year and I the pleasure of playing in 23 U.S. States and 16 countries (all over Europe, Canada, Australia, & the U.S.). A short list of some of the festivals we played includes: the Blues Balls Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland; the Rauma Blues Festival in Rauma, Finland; the Notoddon Blues Festival in Notodden, Norway; the Moulin Blues Festival in Denmark; the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Rhode Island; the Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, Minnesota; and the Narooma Music Festival in Narooma, Australia. The band won San Diego Music Award's "Best Blues" in 2001 and 2002, and had a 2003 release on the Ruf Record label called "Whole Lotta Love" which included Candye and I singing a duet of an old Billy Valentine tune.

Since we did have about 3 months off a year, I started another 3-piece band called the Small Town Heroes (August 24th, 2001 - January 15th, 2006). This band was Kevin Williams on upright bass and Tom Essa on drums, and we played the clubs and festivals of San Diego until 2003, when Candye’s busy touring schedule would only allow a few surprise shows. The Small Town Heroes still play around with a new lineup.

On March 13th of 2004, I went into the studio with Kevin Williams and Tom Essa to make a record. In two days we did 15 songs: one song with Candye Kane, and all high-energy blues. After mixing, I added five originals that were recorded in 2000 with Thomas Yearsley at the Elector Studios, and mastered a 20 track record. 74 minutes of blues, ballads and rockers… all recorded in black and white, entitled Kyle Jester, "Ain't No Way."

In May of 2004 I gave Candye 6 months notice and in 2005 I started booking under my name The Kyle Jester Blues Show (February 4th, 2005 - Present... kind of) to push the new record "Ain't No Way." The line-up this time was Tom Essa on drums and Rob King on basses. Since its release, "Ain't No Way" has received high praise in two international blues magazines, Blues Revue Magazine and Real Blues Magazine; great reviews in localized publications; and radio play on blues shows in Australia, Canada, and throughout Europe and the United States.

I am effectively retired as a musician in favor of consistent income and health insurance.