One of the strongest modern proponents of R&B-drenched Baton Rouge swamp blues, Kenny Neal is a second-generation southern Louisiana-based guitarist, harmonica player, singer, and songwriter, and the son of Raful Neal. After making his debut with 1987's independently issued Bio on the Bayou, his reputation expanded after signing with Alligator Records for Big News from Baton Rouge!! His incendiary live shows resulted in sold-out solo gigs and festival appearances. He signed to Telarc for 1998's Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain, and left after 2001's One Step Closer to return to Alligator for 2004's Double Take. In 2008, he released Let Life Flow on Blind Pig, it peaked at eight on the Blues charts. Neal delivered the Grammy-nominated Bloodline in 2016, and he signed with Ruf Records for 2022's Straight from the Heart.