Kenny Klein

Kenny Klein (born 1955 in New York City) is a Celtic, Folk and Country musician, a published author, playwright, actor and poet, and an elder and a High Priest in the Blue Star tradition of Wicca. He developed an interest in British Folk music at an early age, and pursued the fiddle and other stringed instruments. He studied music in New York through his college years, taking lessons from noted jazz and bluegrass violinist Matt Glaser, and learning Country and Appalachian music on the streets of Greenwich Village and the mountains of New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania [ [http://www.perfectmusicforweddings.com/los_angeles_wedding_musicians.php Perfect Music for Weddings Website] ] . In the early 1980s he spent time in Europe studying Gypsy violin [ [http://www.perfectmusicforweddings.com/los_angeles_wedding_musicians.php Perfect Music for Weddings Website] ] , returning to New York City in 1981 and settling in the Punk rock infested East Village.

In the late 1980s Klein recorded several projects on Kicking Mule Records with Blue Star Priestess and musician Tzipora Katz, including the album "Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears" in 1985. In 1992 he began a solo music career, subsequently releasing several projects on Blackthorn Records, and began finding a lucrative musical venue at renaissance festivals throughout the U.S. In 1998 he released the CD "Muses", an album of all original music produced by Brewers' Witch Productions.

Klein currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and works with Enrichment Works, a non-profit organization that brings performance art to public schools in the Los Angeles area [ [http://www.enrichmentworks.org/about_artists.php# Enrichment Works Website] ] . He originated the role of Ike in "Gold Rush Honeymoon" for Enrichment Works, and also appeared in his original one-man show, "Wandering Minstrel", for the organization [ [http://www.enrichmentworks.org/about_artists.php# Enrichment Works Website] ] . He plays both as a solo musician and with the band "The Long Goners" (who currently record for CMH Records [ [http://www.witchvox.com/lx/dt_lx.html?a=usca&id=11472 Witchvox Website Profile] ] ) AKA "Junia May and the Hymns", with various Country and Blues bands (including his own band "Blues For Dixie"), and at renaissance fairs, Neopagan festivals, clubs and bars. His latest project, "Meet Me In The Shade of the Maple Tree", is arguably the world's first CD of Pagan Bluegrass Gospel music.

Neopagan activities

Through his interest in British music, Klein discovered the Wiccan and Neopagan communities. He learned a great deal about traditional Scottish Witchcraft from New York merchant Eileen Campbell Gordon, and then joined the Blue Star coven and tradition of Wicca, becoming a High Priest within that tradition in 1983. He helped steer the Tradition towards a more traditional British form, discarding Alexandrian and ceremonial rituals and replacing them with British folkloric Craft practices, including the 8 Paths of Power, the 7 Tenets of Faith, and the Drawing Down of the Moon and Sun. Between 1983 and 1992 he and High Priestess Tzipora Katz were largely responsible for transforming Blue Star from a local coven to a Wiccan tradition of its own [ [http://www.kennyklein.net/bluestarhistory.htm "An Opinionated Blue Star History" by Kenny Klein] ] . Touring the country during that period performing music, Kenny and Tzipora continued to teach Blue Star Wicca, initiating many people and founding many covens, at the same time recording and distributing lessons on cassette tapes [ [http://www.ravenstarcoven.org/bluestar Ravenstar Coven Website] ] [ [http://www.controverscial.com/Traditions.htm Controversial.com Website] ] , and Klein has continued to teach Traditional Wicca since then [ [http://www.witchvox.com/lx/dt_lx.html?a=usca&id=11472 Witchvox Website Profile] ] . In 1992 he established the Rose and Antler coven of Blue Star, through which he continues to practice and teach. He is the author of "The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality", a book on Wicca and Men's Mysteries.

Bibliography

* "The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality" (March 1993) Delphi Press ISBN 1878980076, ISBN 978-1878980076
* "Girls I Knew When I Was Twenty" (August 2004) Poetic Diversity [ [http://www.poeticdiversity.org/main/poemArchive.php?recordID=194 Poetic Diversity, Kenny Klein, Contributing Poets] ]
* "Legba in the French Market" [http://www.strangeroad.com/Poetry/KennyKlein.php Strange Road Website]
* "Touring Italy Through New York City" (January 2002) [http://www.thelongtriphome.com/archives2spot101.html The Long Trip Home Website]
* "Pirates!" [http://www.enrichmentworks.org/pdfs/pirates.pdf Study Guide for the play "Pirates!", written & performed by Kenny Klein]

Discography

With Tzipora Katz

* 1983 - "Worn Out Threads and Tire Treads" (Live Album) - Kicking Mule Records
* 1983 - "Moon Hooves in the Sand" - Blue Star Records (Cassette)
* 1985 - "Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears" - Kicking Mule Records (LP)
* 1989 - "Kenny & Tzipora: Live & Kickin' at A.C.E." - A.C.E. (Cassette)
* 1990 - "Enchantress" - Gypsy (Kenny & Tzipora guest artists) - White Light Pentacles (Cassette) (CD release 2001)
* 2004 - "Best of Pagan Song" (compilation CD) - Serpentine Music Productions

olo

* 1994 - "Gold of the Autumn" - Blackthorn Records
* 1995 - "High Grows the Barley" - Blackthorn Records
* 1998 - "Muses" - Brewers' Witch Productions
* 2004 - "The Fairy Queen" (Kenny Klein & Lori Watley) - Blackthorn Records
* 2005 - "Little Birds Of Desire" - Blackthorn Records
* 2005 - "Barley Moon" - Blackthorn Records
* 2007 - "Meet Me In The Shade Of The Maple Tree" - Blackthorn Records
* ???? - "Oak & Ash" - Blackthorn Records
* ???? - "On The Fourteenth Of May" - Blackthorn Records

References

* [http://www.gencon.com/2008/indy/events/ETSpotlight/kklein.aspx GenCon Indi 2008 Spotlight]
* [http://www.veoh.com/videos/v7613366w7xFHBJf VEOH Video Network - Kenny the Fiddler: Kenny Klein at the Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Casa de Fruta, Hollister, Ca October 2006]

External links

* [http://www.kennyklein.net Kenny Klein's homepage]