The time has come to announce the choice for the KIT concert and this has been a very difficult decision to make, especially given the circumstances that developed. My fellow Legend bandmate, Fred Melillo, is unable to do the concert. That was a heartbreaking blow. Legend fans know the caliber of his bass work on the album. What to do? Cancel? With understanding and encouragement from people I counseled with I decided to forge ahead, as this is an event, like the 40th anniversary reissue, for the Legacy of Legend and Kevin; a tribute to his life and talent.
What made the decision tougher were the thoughts and feelings of people I invited into this decision being divided in their choice, as well. That's how close this was.
I would be thankful to work with the guitarists that auditioned, on any occasion, and would hope that might be the case someday. It really came down to practical matters.
For the Legend, Keep It True XXlll festival concert, the guitarist/vocalist shall be Martin Jepsen Andersen, from Denmark, along with his long-time playing partner Jesper Bunk on bass. Martin and Jesper are recognized from their work together in the well-known Blues Rock band Blindstone, on their eight, very cool recordings. Martin also records and performs with the Melodic Heavy Metal band, Meridian, as well as his own solo recordings.
As an interesting side-note, in looking at a map of Denmark, I mentioned his Danish heritage and Kattegat, which I didn't realize was an actual place. In our correspondence, Martin informed me his family is from the island of Mors, situated in the Danish Limfjord so, he literally comes "from the fjord." Though he lives on the Northern Jutlandic Island now, as does Jesper, he remains close to his ancient heritage, just minutes away.
I look forward to working with them and preparing a memorable performance for KIT XXlll.
I must include an honorable mention and heartfelt thanks to Gary Hendrickson; a fantastic guitarist and wonderful human being. His current album, The Gift, is one of the most unique and incredible collections of songs that I have heard in fascinating blended genres of Rock. It deserves high praise and wide exposure. I hope you will check it out.
To all our candidates, we thank you for your participation and wish you well and success in your future endeavors.
Now, to pull together a great Legendperformance for Keep It True XXlll, April 24, 2020.
The time will fly. We hope to see you there.