by Jay Mazza

A two-year tenure with the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, sitting in the drum chair that also was occupied by "Mean" Willie Green of the Neville Brothers and Stanton Moore of Galactic, gave O'Day a chance to hone his skills in a world music setting that belied its jazz sensibility.

Before long, the musically insatiable drummer was moving in another direction towards the funk and soulful jazz spawned by New Orleans drum icons like Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste and Idris Muhammad.

His long association with Swedish rocker-turned-acclaimed-songwriter Anders Osborne bloomed when Osborne reconfigured his band into a quartet and brought in Kirk Joseph, late of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Along with tenor man Tim Green, the band forged new roads in trance-inspiring performances further establishing O'Day's cred as a high-energy player who could communicate with top-flight musicians at the maximum level.

O'Day's relationship with Joseph, arguably the most important sousaphonist from New Orleans, produced an extremly funky group called Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove with a CD entitled Sousafunk Ave.

Along the way, O'Day has lent his considerable chops to a huge array of performers. He was a member of the Kosmic Krewe- an eclectic jazz/funk band led by trumpeter Michael Ray of Kool and the Gang and the Sun Ra Orchestra. He has recorded and performed with All That, another innovative group that merged the second line beats of New Orleans with hip hop. He has also performed and recorded with the trombone collective Bonerama.

O'Day's deft touch on the drums is augmented by his deep knowledge of music of every variety. He is as comfortable on the stage at Snug Harbor- New Orleans' premier modern jazz club- as he is in gritty juke joints and watering holes. He gives his heart and soul to the music whether he is on a giant stage in front of thousands at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival or in a tiny club with only a handful of fans.

Kevin O'Day has been one of the leading lights on the New Orleans music scene for more than a decade. He is a charter member of the fertile Frenchmen Street scene and has worked with a literal who's who of the next generation of New Orleans musicians in addition to many of the luminaries who have already made their mark.

He is now prepared to take his career to the next level. His prowess as a drummer and his skills on the microphone continue to grow with each gig and each new association. He has soaked up his influences and experiences and distilled them down into an expressive personal style that is instantly recognizable and undeniably original. He is poised for a break-out. Get ready world, Kevin O' Day is coming.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE CREDITS

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
" 2008 - Big Chief Peppy & the Golden Arrow Indians, Monk Boudreaux, 101 Runners
" 2007 - James Andrews, Big Chief Peppy & the Golden Arrow Indians
" 2006 - James Andrews, Big Chief Peppy & the Golden Arrow Indians, Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters
" 2005 - James Andrews, The Backyard Groove, Brian Stoltz
" 2004 - Have Soul Will Travel
" 2003 - Rebecca Barry
" 2002 - Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters
" 2001 - Have Soul Will Travel and Iris May Tango
" 2000 - Anders Osborne
" 1998 & 1999 - New Orleans Klezmer All-stars
" 1997 - Royal Fingerbowl
" 1996 - All That

2006 - Chicago Blues Festival - Walter "Wolfman" Washington - 400,000 in attendance

2005 - Town Hall, NYC - Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Sponsored by New Yorker Magazine for the Red Cross
Performed with Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, and many others to benefit victims of Katrina

2005 - Robert Redford's Christmas Party - Walter "Wolfman" Washington.

2000 - High Sierra Music Festival - Anders Osborne

1998 - National Fourth of July Celebration - New Orleans Klezmer All-stars
Performed with The Staple Singers & Gatemouth Brown on the National Mall at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. - 375,000 in attendance

TOURS

2006 - Walter "Wolfman" Washington - Italian Tour
2006 - Walter "Wolfman" Washington - Northeastern U.S. Tour
2005 - New Orleans All-star Brass Band - African & Middle Eastern Tour
Represented New Orleans as Jazz Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department through Jazz at Lincoln Center in Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait.
2004 - Brice Miller Quartet - Germany
Ingolstadt Jazz Festival
2003 - Andy Hoffman & The B-Goes - Swiss, German & Austrian Tour
Supporting "Living in the Big Wide World", Independent Release
2003 - Funky 7 Brass Band - Italian Tour
Including The Umbria Jazz Festival & Ancona Jazz Festival
2000 - 2003 - Anders Osborne - U.S. & Canadian Tours
Supporting "Ash Wednesday Blues" on Schanachie Records
2001 - Walter "Wolfman" Washington - U.S. National Tour
Supporting "Funk is in The House" on Rounder Records
1999 - 2000 New Orleans Klezmer All-stars - U.S., Canadian and European Tour Supporting "The Big Kibosh" & "Fresh Out the Past" on Schanachie Records
1998 - Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe - Greek Tour
Supporting "Funk If I Know" on Monkey Hill Records
1997- 1999 Royal Finger Bowl - U.S. Tour
Supporting "Happy Birthday Sabo!" On TVT Records