New Orleans based Ivor Simpson Kennedy (IVOR S K) is one of a new generation of exciting blues talents to emerge in Australia, born and bred on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. After a number of years performing with his own blues band, Mad Dog, and other Northern Beaches blues acts, cutting his teeth on the classic blues song book, 2015 saw Ivor put down the electric guitar for an acoustic, as he buried himself in the styles of the pre and post war blues masters, leading to two critically acclaimed releases, the 2016 EP Delta Pines*, and the 2017 LP Montserrat**. Both broke into the top of the Australian Blues and Roots Charts (2 & 4) , and the top of the North American Acoustic Charts (3 & 4) , receiving glowing reviews around the world from leading publications such as No Depression and American Blues Scene. The albums were also critically acclaimed in the UK and Europe, making his first guess appearance at the Grey Horse in London at 19 years of age. The title track  ‘Delta Pines’, from his debut EP, also reached the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) in early 2017.

A ten year career in Australia saw Ivor perform with and support artists such as Diesel, Rick Price, Fiona Boyes, Ray Beadle, Truckstop Honeymoon and Warren ‘Pig’ Morgan (including recording sessions for Ivor’s songs with the Aztecs) among many others, while also performing at The Sydney Blues Festival, the Rising Tide Festival, and venues such as The Basement, Lizottes, The Camelot Lounge, The Lansdowne Hotel, Baha Tacos, The Vanguard, The Brass Monkey, Brighton Up Bar, Old Manly Boatshed and the Spotted Mallard, to name a few.

In 2013, on one of his earlier sorties to New Orleans, and on arrival at Louis Armstrong International Airport, a chance meeting with the late Del Long (involved in the management of BB King for many years) saw him receive a helping hand integrating into the New Orleans music scene. Then in 2017 

(on the strength of the positive reception of his first two CDs), Ivor headed back permanently to New Orleans, where he now lives and works in this spiritual homeland of the blues, bringing his unmistakable brand of song writing and guitar playing to fresh sets of ears and eyes. 

Early on Ivor was lucky enough to fall under the mentorship of the late Dale Triguero, owner/manager of the venerable Chickie Wah Wah on Canal Street. Their friendship resulted in Ivor gaining a regular weekly residency at Chickies, and consequential appearances at a number of prestigious blues festivals and clubs, including the New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival (2018) and the Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival in Mississippi These gigs have provided Ivor the opportunity to support a wide spectrum of artists such as Jon Cleary, Alvin Youngblood Heart, Smoky Greenwell, John Fohl, Meschiya Lake, Tom McDermott, Ian Moore and others.

Ivor was invited again to open at the 2019 New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival at the famous New Orleans Jazz Museum, headed by Samantha Fish and was a guest artist at the Australian Thredbo Blues Festival, while American tours followed through the heartland of the Mississippi Delta – including stints at the Morgan Freeman’s legendary Ground Zero Blues Club, the Australian owned Levon’s Bar & Grill, and the Julep Room in Ocean Springs – firmly entrenching him in the culture of Deep South blues.   Ivor also performed several shows (two annual tours) at Canadian blues venues in Ottawa and Toronto (including The Cove Country Inn in Westport and the Source in Toronto), and was Artist in Residence at the Canadian Winking Rosebud Resort – while he continued to build his musical reputation at such New Orleans clubs as Lucky’s Bar and Grill on St Charles and Sidney’s Saloon.  

The start of 2020 saw Ivor take the honour of being the opening act for the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival at Chickie Wah Wah’s, and performing, amongst other venues, at The Starlight, the Carnival Lounge,  Checkpoint Charlies, and a sortie into the bars down in Baton Rouge. He continued his weekly residency at Chickie Wah Wah’s, regularly supporting the performances of the legendary Jon Cleary. Ivor continued to build performances in the south, including shows at the Little Gem Saloon on Rampart, the Flora-Bama Lounge on the Florida/Alabama border, the South Bound Tavern in Helena/Arkansas, Bamboula’s on Frenchman’s, the Frenchman Theatre, the Blue Biscuit, Indianola/Mississippi and the performing arts venue of Café Istanbul on St. Claude.

When the coronavirus pandemic closed the New Orleans (and Chickee Wah Wah) music scene down almost completely in 2020/21, Ivor became ensconced in his studio flat recording his much anticipated third CD, a 15 track blues album entitled “Mississippi Bound”, dedicated to, and recognizing his debt to, Del Long and Dale Triguero. In 2021 Ivor was once again invited to open the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival, this time broadcast through a live feed for global distribution, and for which Ivor produced a new song clip. He was then re-invited to appear at the 2022 Festival, which was later cancelled due to Covid 19, but was also asked by the Festival organisers to be a Judge of public entries for the Cigar Box Guitar Video Competition.

In 2021 Ivor received an unexpected accolade, when the highly respected online US music publication “Vivascene” published its `Great Rock and Blues Instrumentals Playlist’, which included `Pelican’ from Ivor’s first CD, Delta Pines. His track was among 16 other works chosen, including those by Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Freddie King, Jeff Beck, Santana and Booker T. All of these blues greats were, and are, heroes to Ivor, and his place among them in this playlist bears testament to his evolving musicianship. 

Ivor’s single “Sweet ‘N’ low” from his album “Mississippi Bound” was released in the US, UK, Europe and Australia in July, 2022. Launched at the Julep Room in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, the single gained great air play (and media) across the world, including on the prestigious BB King’s Bluesville station, after being selected by Sirius/XM for national rotation.

During the year Ivor continued to play acoustic blues at his favourite venues, including returning as a regular guest at the Julep Room in Oceans Springs, at the Murky Waters BBQ & Blues (in Gulfport, Hattiesburg and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi), at The Flagpole nola, Bourree at Boucherie, Carrollton Station, Neutral Ground Coffeehouse and others in New Orleans, plying his trade and paying his dues and homage to the blues. 

The Australian press maintained its keen interest in Ivor, including regular interviews throughout the year with Frazer Coast FM, playing tracks from his new album and discussing the music scene in New Orleans, while Ivor has long-sessions in Sydney with Ross Fear at Alive 90.5 on the Australian Spectrum Show, featuring music from all his three albums. Back in the US saw Ivor take part in podcasts about his new music, including those with Scott Haskin out of Las Vegas, for his HaskinCast Podcast, and Shaun Ratches at the Laughing Monkey Music Show.

Ivor’s most recent CD, “Mississippi Bound’ was finally launched in October 2022 with another short tour of Mississippi, including a guest appearance at the Mississippi Songwriters Festival in Ocean Spring and a performance at one of his favourite blues venues, Levon’s Bar & Grill in Clarksdale MS. Again the media coverage praised Ivor’s new music, and he was particularly stoked to appear on “the greatest radio station in the world”, WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans, for a chat and a play with Big D on his “Sittin’ at the Crossroad Show”.

Post Covid, Ivor travelled back home in early November 2022 for a very successful 20 gig tour of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, promoting his new album. Blues venues included Jimmy Hornets, Baxter’s Lot, Bar Open and Pistol Pete’s in Melbourne; Hippo Co and P.J. O’Reilly’s in Canberra; and the Northern Beaches Music Festival, Modus Operandi, Bucketty’s, Avalon Bowling Club and The Shack in Sydney (garnering much good media along the way). Ivor particularly enjoys playing blues society events where he can, and performs at the big RSL Clubs, headlining Dee Why RSL Club in Sydney on New Year’s Eve.

“Mississippi Bound” has been critically acclaimed around the world by many publications, including the legendary US Goldmine Mag, gaining 5 star reviews in Australia, the US, Canada and Europe, spending 6 months on the Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Australia Album Chart and 3 months in the top 10, peaking at #2 and #1 one the Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Australia Song Chart with the track “Tomorrow Night”.  The album also had the honour of debuting at #1 and #2 on the Roots Music Report’s Australian Album Chart and Acoustic Blues Chart respectively. The album hit #5 on the US Blues and Roots Chart (in top 20 most played blues albums in the US in 2022). The track “Tomorrow Night” was #1 on the Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Australian Song Chart. Mississippi Bound hit the RMR Top 50 Acoustic Blues Album Chart for 2023. Ivor also continues gaining wide recognition in Europe (for example reaching #8 on the Collectif des Radio Blues – French Blues Charts). see ***.

Ivor arrived back in the US in January of 2023 in time to appear at the Annual New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival, held this year at the famous New Orleans Jazz Museum and starring Little Freddie King (This was Ivor’s sixth annual invitation to open/appear at the Festival). During the year “Mississippi Bound” continued to receive five star reviews around the world, while he still plays guitar in his favourite blues hotspots in Mississippi and Louisiana, including the Julep Room, Levon’s Bar & Grill, the Mississippi Songwriters Festival, The Flagpole nola and the Carrollton Station (with blues man Justin Howl). Ivor also appeared in a number of new venues such as the New Orleans Art Bar, Carre’ R & B, Hyde New Orleans, and Lost Springs Brewing Co and Neon Moon in Oceans Springs, Mississippi.

Ivor flew back to Sydney in November 2023 to begin another 20 gig tour of Sydney and Melbourne, buoyed by continuing rave reviews of the “Mississippi Bound” album. Melbourne venues included the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (MBAS), Mr Boogie Man Bar and the Hume Blues Club, with Sydney performances at the Manly Fig (repeated on Northern Beaches Radio Podcast), Park House (Mona Vale Pub), 3 gigs at the Northern Beaches Music Festival, Cranzgots, Pittwater RSL and multiple gigs at great favourites of Ivor’s: Bookoccino, Avalon Brewery and Belgrave Cartel.

Ivor left Australia to return to New Orleans in January 2024, where he started his year with yet another opening performance at the prestigious New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. During 2024/25 and continued to travel between New Orleans/Louisiana and Ocean Springs/Mississippi, Bristol UK and Sydney and Melbourne, invited back to his favourite venues with lots of new gigs thrown in, including the Artisan Bar & Café, The Keg and Barrel Steakhouse Bar & Grill, Murky Waters BBQ & Blues {Ocean Springs), Knuckleheads, The Traveller in the US, The Bristol Thunderbolt and The Bristol Fringe in the UK, and the Racquet Club, The Hold, Mrs Robertson’s, Avalon Market on the Green, the Greek Street Love Food Café, Avalon Bowlo Blues Night and Sunset Diner in Australia. He continued to play at his favourite Festivals each year, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (multiple Flagpole Café gigs traditional “Porch” gigs), Ocean Springs Lost Fest and the Mississippi Songwriters Festival (including the infamous Julep Room where ‘Elvis’ once played and Ivor is a regular fixture).

Ivor will be back in Sydney and Melbourne at the end of 2025, where new gigs will include multiple appearances at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in Newport and a return to the Northern Beaches Music Festival and the Manly Fig. Ivor continues to work on his new music, hopefully with a new album to hit the charts in 2026.

Sample Ivor’s music at https://ivorsk.bandcamp.com/or on Spotify and Utube

*Delta Pines spent five months in the top 25 of the Australian Blues and Roots Charts, peaking at No. 2. 

In the US the album spent 12 weeks in the Acoustic Blues Charts, peaking at No. 3, and was the 12^th most played acoustic blues album of 2016 in the US.

** Montserrat also spent 5 months in the top 25 of the Australian Blues and Roots Charts, peaking at No. 4, and 15 weeks in the US Acoustic Blues Charts, peaking at No. 4. It was also the 12^th most played acoustic blues album of 2017 in the US.

*** Mississippi Bound received 5 star reviews in Australia, the US and UK, but was also lauded in Europe, for example: France, “To listen to him is to be teleported to a Juke Joint or a Bourbon Street club…excellent!”, Jack Beauregard, La Guitare Sèche Le Mag, France’s premier acoustic guitar magazine: Romain Decoret at Music Blog Du Cote de Chez, “To listen to him is to be teleported to a Juke Joint……his compositions are evocative of Robert Johnson”:  Spain, La Hora de Blues, “The song lyrics exude a great sense of humour and a remarkable deep message, but also undeniable fresh air and originality, which makes Ivor easy to connect with most listeners” : Belgium, “Let me start by saying that Mississippi Bound is one of the best CDs I’ve heard in years”, Back to the Roots – Magazine voor Blues an Aanverwanten. Other reviews included those by on-line community broadcasters Zicazic in France, Blues GR in Greece, Germany’s largest blues/rock magazine, Das Magazin fur Blues und Blues Rock, Concert Magazine in Austria, Two’J Blues in Poland, France’s Blues and Co Magazine (in which Ivor was also a featured artist), and others.