Kevin Yost

One Starry Night

Concert Review by: Katrina-Kasey Wheeler

Venue: Levende (San Francisco, California)

May 20th , 2006 -

Kevin Yost is a Waynesboro Pennsylvania native. At the age of eleven he developed an interest in House music and started DJing at school parties, dances, and the like. Kevin was a very musical child, his love for music specifically drums and piano was fostered during this time. Growing up in such a rural town with limited opportunities to further his ability both catapulted and compelled him to study at the Berklee College of Music. He later went on to study at the Shenandoah Conservatory. He focused on honing his skills in percussion and composition. Kevin is perhaps best revered for his various trail blazing works as a DJ which has garnered him much success. Kevin’s music can be best described as Jazz/Electronic fusion. Jazz is indeed his forte. His taste in music includes Classical, 80’s, and Classic Rock. Kevin has worked with such renowned artists as Eric Clapton, the Kodo Drummers, Cirque de Soleil, and Everything but the Girl, to name a few. His fan base is ever-increasing, and justifiably so.

It was an extraordinarily beautiful and temperate San Francisco evening where an eclectic crowd of individuals converged in the heart of the mission district at this particular navel of the city, that being the trendy restaurant and lounge, known as Levende. I had the pleasure of hearing one of the world’s most indisputably brilliant musicians spin a set of all original music. As I had anticipated, the stage was set for an evening filled with a profusion of musical enlightenment. The atmosphere at Levende was both convivial and intimate; undeniably a venue that will incite excitement in any bona fide Yost fan. Kevin began to play his set a few minutes after midnight. His songs are quintessentially Yost – a seamless marriage of percussion and piano which are soulful, and jazzy each song acting as the flawless segue into the next. Later on, two familiar songs were played during the course of two hours, Deep Inside My Soul, and Welcome Home. I might add the titles could not be more appropriate. Each song tells a story. He has the capability of creating a climax and release of emotion within each song that extinguishes your inhibitions and sets your spirit free. I could not help but ponder that we are all connected to each other by this superlative entity that we call music. Music truly is the vernacular of the soul. Where words falter music speaks.

I found his music to be a veritable treasury of vibrant, delightful sounds, offering profound insights and feeling very interconnected with an indisputable sense of kinship. His music was like an elixir which was made just for me, which could not possibly alleviate my thirst for more. I felt lit up from within as if from a sacred source in my spiritual center. I see Kevin as the seeker who upon setting out on his way, is shining bright over the world and universe. There is such intimacy in Kevin’s compositions that is so rarely translated into music, his expertise is unparalleled. He is a master of music and it is as natural as breathing, truly second nature. His melodies are absolutely inimitable and he presents his songs in such a way that they seduce one to their very core and envelops the soul, which leaves it in the space of stillness that reverberates continuously in their being. My soul was transported into a musical and spiritual delight. My mind’s inner ear was opened, and through these penetrative songs, he has captured – the joy of contemplative sweetness, and I am destined to follow this bliss.

To be certain, Kevin is a consummate musician who refuses to compromise when it relates to his art. I was able to speak with him at length and instantly I knew that I was not only speaking with a young and brilliant musical mastermind, but also a very forthright, unpretentious, multifaceted individual. Kevin is moving forward on his journey guided by his continually emblazoned path of success. His latest undertaking, that being the formation of his own jazz group - The Kevin Yost Group is very promising. I advise you to hear Kevin live whenever possible, until then his latest release entitled “The Jazz Influence” is worthy of your attention and deserves acknowledgment as is his entire collection of material. Remain vigilant since you will be hearing more from this young and gifted leading light.

For more information: www.KevinYost.com

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