The posthumous album from beloved Western Pennsylvania musician Kip London emerges from skillful production by three-time GRAMMY winner Kirk Yano.
Born in 1954, Kip London's early life in Braddock,PA, McKeesport, PA then Greensburg, PA was filled with his mother's love and the sounds of big band and swing orchestras. He got his first guitar at the age of 11 and never looked back. Gifted with prolific songwriting ability and rhythmic improvisation, London began playing in various Pittsburgh rock n' roll bands throughout the 70's and 80's before moving to Boston for its active music scene. His early blues album, Jump City, was listed among the top ten most listened to recordings in the Blues Revue office in the March 1998 magazine issue. Later returning to Pittsburgh in 2017, his distinctive blues style, both eclectic and authentic, earned him the admiration of the blues community of western Pennsylvania and beyond. He won the Blues Society of Western PA's annual blues challenge in the solo/duo category in 2021, and represented the region at the 37th Annual International Blues Challenge held in Memphis in May, 2022.
Never straying from the original energy of London's vocal and guitar tracks, producer Kirk Yano assembled a distinctive group of musicians to provide a rhythmic foundation and solos to skillfully finalize 'The Last Dance' after London's passing. In addition to Yano's own guitar and bass tracks, 2021 Blues Music Award winner Solomon Hicks and Pittsburgh's finest, Cheryl Rinovato, also appear on guitar. Don Krueger (Eric Carmen) and Tommy Rich (Donnie Iris) provide drums. Steel guitar from Tony Paoletta (Dixie Chicks, The Opry) and harmonica from world-renowned, six-time Blues Music Award winner John Németh complete the exemplary musician roster.
