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10 + WATFRLOO CHRONICLE * Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Feeling the blues Il’s one thing to be recogâ€" nized as a young guitar prodigy, but how do you build a musical legacy? That‘s something Waterloo‘s Shawn Kellerman asked himself while honing his guitar skills in famous local clubs like Pop the Gator that have succumbed to sands of time. How do you go about earning the honâ€" orific of being called a "bluesman" like his mentor Mel Brown, who helped build that local music scene. Hit the road young man was the advise given to a young Kellerman by his idol after trading licks with the blues legend on his stratocaster guitar. The road and its strugâ€" gles can be an unforgiving teacher, but Kellerman hoped it would provide him lesâ€" sons that would deepen the depth of underâ€" standing of his craft. Waterloo bluesman Kellerman comes home to find his muse So at 23 he left Waterloo and travelled to the birthplace of the blues â€" the U.S. south. He spent five years in places like Washingâ€" ton, D.C., and Mississippi, the birthplace of the Delta Blues, absorbing everything he could learmn. "After a couple of years I moved down to Mississippi and played with southern blues legend Bobby Rush," said Kellerman. "I got onto all these amazing festivals that travâ€" elled to 15 or 20 countries. "It was five or six hours of the best blues guitar playing and singing you could ever So does every blues guitarist have to trav el down to the crossroads for their disciple ship as a bluesman? Not necessarily. Kellerman soon learned that he didn‘t have to travel so far to study at the feet of a master, although it did help him sharpen his energetic performance style. And Kellerman, who comes from a musiâ€" cal family, was fortunate to have been inspired by the musical legend from an early age. He still remembers the day Brown chose to call Kitchener his home, and the first Christmas after the move when the "Everybody down there bowed down to Mel Brown," said Kellerman, "They said he was the guy. â€" e â€" "They told me how lucky I was to have him living right in our backyard." The Region of Waterloo has established a Landfill Liaison Committee for the Waterâ€" loo Landfill Site All members of the public are invited to attend the committee meetings. The goal of the Committee is to identify operational problems that affect local residents such as litter and noise and to resolve those issues in a cooperative manner. The next meeting of the Liaison Committce is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. &n Tuesday, August 7. 2007 at the Waterloo Landfill Administration Building, 925 Erb Street West, Waterloo. If you require any additional information on the Lisison Committee, please contact Jon Arsenault at 5§19â€"575â€"4777 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. By Bos VrBaNac Chronicle Staff WATERLOO LANDFILL LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING Region of Waterloo PUBLIC NOTICE T "We had Mel Brown right here," said Kellerman, who was 18 at the time. "I had four years of watching Mel play three or four times a week. "If you have that opportunity in your life, ARTS FOCUS an Awesome Hometown waTrerti CHitoman Hometown News CHRONIC In the end, there was no place like home. And like a young Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz, Kellerman came back to Waterloo to chase his musical muse. "I studied the music just watching these guys and trying to emulate it," LONG STAYS IN ALGARVE, PORTUGAL #MLICER beroon y ce uns w â€" ow LEGACY TRAVEL said Kellerman Now at 35 and branching off into music that he says moves him, he thinks he‘s finally found his voice with his guitar still doing much of that expression. "I feel comfortable where I‘m at," said Kellerman, who just released his first solo CD in five years called Land of 1,000 Dreams. "I‘ve been a side guy as a guitar player, and now I‘m pushing my own music. â€"_ "I don‘t know how to explain it â€" I‘m not scared to get on the road and do what I need to do." But he doesn‘t think of himself as a veterâ€" an of the genre quite yet. There are a few more miles and a few more experiences he hopes to have that will infuse his music. And he likes the direction it‘s taking him whether he‘s adding a little more melody or jazz playing to a set. He‘s even dabbling in elements of rock, soul and hip hap to create a crossover sound that is helping cross many traditional elements of the music he plays and connect with a wider audience. "It‘s everything I‘ve learned," said Kellerâ€" man. "I listen to everything, that‘s why there are so many different styles on there. Kellerman is being honoured for his conâ€" tribution to the local blues scene as the 2007 Mel Brown Award recipient, to be presented Aug. 9 during the annual Kitchener Blues Festival. Following the presentation there will be a special concert by international blues record artist Lucky Peterson. now The threeâ€"day Kitchener Blues Festival kicks off in earnest the next day, Aug. 10, and features a bill that includes Eric Burdon and the Aninaeis, the Jeff Healey Blues Band, David Wilcox and, of course, Mel Brown and the Homewreckers as well as a solo set by Kellerman. So what does Kellerman think about the award named in honour of his mentor? "It‘s pretty unbelievable," said Kellerman. "Besides my parents, everything I‘ve done I owe all to him." And no one could be prouder of his proâ€" tege than Brown. He was happy to serve as an inspiration. _ e Tickets are available at Twelfth Night Music Shoppe in Waterloo. _ _ _ "It‘s cool," said Brown, who helps define the word. "He‘s become a great guitar player. "He‘s vastly improved over the years, and become a master of the craft." For more information about the Kitchenâ€" er Blues Festival visit www.kitchenerbluesâ€" festival.com, or call 519â€"571â€"2555. This is who I am. It‘s an adventure right WiDE VARIETY OF 3 & 4 STAR QUALITY APARTMENTS IN POPULAR BEACH RESORTS. BALCONY, TV, PHONE, EQUIPPED KITCHENS. LINENS & CLEANING SERVICE INCLUDED. OTHER 2008 LEGACY TRAVEL TOURS April 148 Hawail a cruise and tand experience April 12â€"26 A river cruise in Germany May 20â€"30 Cheisee Flower Show & Scottand Aug 448 "In Steps of St. Paut" A tour of Greace Sapt 7â€"22 Port & Wihe Tour of Northern Portugal Oct 747 Casties, Cathedrals & Culture of Spain