Floyd Dixon has attracted millions of fans around the world with his signature piano style and original songs. He’s also influenced hundreds of fellow musicians and touched their lives in ways too numerous and diverse to count. Kid Ramos, a veteran blues and roots performer/musician/writer counts himself in both categories.

In one of life’s constantly occurring “coincidences”, Kid Ramos will have a chance to play with Floyd Dixon, one of his idols, when the two get together June 1 & 2 for the ultimate Blues Piano Summit—a series of four concerts on two nights featuring Dixon and fellow piano legends, Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray. Kid will contribute his signature guitar virtuosity and will also serve as producer for the musical portion of the live CD/DVD that HighJohn Records, LLC plans to release later in the year

Kid Ramos has been a fan of Floyd Dixon since he was a kid growing up in Anaheim, CA, but really began to take notice of Dixon’s extraordinary facility for creating entire blues environments with his piano, vocals and songs when he joined James Harman’s Blues Band as a twenty one year old local guitar wizard. “I learned almost everything I know about playing with James and he turned us on constantly with his incredible stacks of old 78s. The minute I heard Floyd’s records, I became a fan and admirer of his. He’s a pure player and there’s a real magic about the way he gets his piano to sound. He’s a natural. I feel blessed to get the opportunity to work with him on this project.”

The Phoenix shows will actually be the first of two memorable Dixon/Ramos pairings in 2006. When Floyd signed to perform at the Long Beach Blues Festival over Labor Day weekend, he did so knowing that Kid was going to be supporting him on stage with an all-star band. When the two got together informally with HighJohn founder Robert Auerbach at his home in Orange to discuss the possibility of making a live record together, they instantly clicked and within two weeks had firmed up plans to convene in Phoenix at Bob Corritore’s renowned blues venue, the Rhythm Room to execute that vision.

To understand the ties that bind Kid Ramos to Floyd and to the blues, R&B and soul that have informed his life, one has only to look back at the road Kid has traveled to this point. When he was fourteen he decided he wanted to become a professional guitar player, so he bought a Kay guitar and “…got serious. There were a bunch of neighborhood guys who I idolized who had a garage band. I really wanted to join them, but I wasn’t good enough to approach them.
I rehearsed every day.” A year later, Kid surprised them by pulling out his guitar and playing for them. He was immediately whisked into the band and the group proceeded to play (mostly house parties) all over Orange County. By the time he turned sixteen, kid played his first club gig and was writing and performing original material.

Kid grew up in a musical family, but not necessarily one steeped in the blues. His mother and step-father were professional opera singers who met while moonlighting as restaurant entertainers. They often brought kid to La Strada Restaurant where they performed. Their home was also a musical haven and fellow opera singers, actors, TV personalities and other showbiz types often gathered there for parties that went late into the night. Kid’s stepdad, who worked seasonally for the New York Metropolitan Opera Company, bought a gas station in Anaheim in a bid to settle down a bit. One day a customer brought in an electric guitar and amp he wanted to sell and Kid Ramos got his first guitar. He was eight years old.