It’s unfair to characterize Keb’ Mo’ as mere guitar player. Yes, he’s a master at the blues guitar, and there are few bluesmen who can handle a slide as well as he can.

But Mo’ is clearly as much singer, songwriter and storyteller as he is an adept guitarist. And after eight albums and three Grammy Awards, it’s also difficult to say that Mo’ — born Kevin Moore — flies under the radar.

He’s just earned the right to be more firmly entrenched on it.

(photo courtesy of Earl E. Gibson III and www.earlgibson.com)

He’s won Grammys for Best Contemporary Blues Album three times: For Just Like You in 1997, Slow Down in 1999, and for Keep It Simple in 2005. His latest album, 2006’s Suitcase, is a continuation of the blues-based material that has earned him so much acclaim.

The album, he told NPR’s Michelle Norris in 2006, “signifies all the past experiences that we drag along with us — and sometimes allow us to control our present-day lives.”

Mo’ bills himself as a living link to Missippi delta blues, and it’s hard to argue. He may have been born in L.A., but his parents were natives of the deep South, and he carried that legacy into his music. And while he’s rooted in Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, he has developed his own style, one that flirts comfortably with folk, jazz and rock.

He is also no stranger to film: He has appeared on hit TV shows including West Wing and Touched By An Angel. Mo’ also portrayed Johnson in the 1998 documentary Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl and appeared in John Sayles’ 2007 film Honeydripper.

But rest assured, Keb’ Mo’ is at his best when he’s portraying himself — whether it’s on stage or in the studio. We hope he continues in that role for quite some time to come.

(NOTE: This is part of my ongoing series of reports on guitar players who fly under the mainstream radar. Keep checking The Listening Room for future installments of guitar players you should know – JF)