Connecticut blues man K Caruso
A fixture on the Connecticut blues scene, K Caruso can often be found leading his band The Elegant Vagabonds on vocals and guitar at staples like Black Eyed Sally’s Southern Kitchen in Hartford and Richoni’s Bar in Groton. Caruso recently competed in what could turn out to be a game changer in his career.
Winning the solo portion of the Connecticut Blues Challenge at the Pine Loft Pizzeria in Berlin last June left him humble and proud. “I teared up a little. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity,” Caruso said.
Caruso isn’t exactly new to this competition. Before he relocated to Connecticut, he was an active member of the Las Vegas music scene. His band won a blues challenge in Vegas two years ago.
“It was fun,” he said.
Winners in the band and solo categories compete in the International Blues Competition in Memphis, Tennessee in January, 2027. Caruso said he has nothing special planned for the January competition. “Playing through my set just to make sure I don’t mess up the time rules. That’s the most nerve racking part.”
K Caruso
As for special songs, he has a few tricks up his sleeve, but he doesn’t want to give it away.
“I like to take songs that are as far away from the blues as one can get and then run it through the muddy water of the Mississippi and give it the Delta mojo,” the blues man said.
Caruso feels he didn’t have the best experience when he competed with his band two years ago. He is thrilled to get another swing at the bat.
“I was extremely ill the first time. I had walking pneumonia and probably should have sat it out,”he said. “I didn’t wanna let the fellas down so we played, but it wasn’t our best effort. They found me passed out under a table at BB Kings after our second night’s performance. I was in bad shape. This feels like redemption time.”
Caruso was inspired by competing with so many blues players from around the country and some from other countries, a wealth of talent from around the world.
“It was an education. I don’t approach this like a competition, I treat it like a celebration of all talent,” the blues man said.
Getting to this point in his blues career was half the fun for Caruso. He felt good about his solo performance at the Connecticut Blues Challenge last spring. The Connecticut blues scene always offers a good vibe, presenting Caruso with an enthusiastic audience.
“I felt fortunate to be on the stage with all the other talented folks from this Blues Society,” the blues guitarist-vocalist said. “It’s a great scene.”
Practice comes easy to Caruso. After spending years with a guitar in his hands, he’s always ready to jump right in. “I’ve been playing guitar since the age of seven,” he said.. “Been performing professionally since I was 16. So one could say I’ve had a lifetime to be ready.”
It’s the IBC’s structured competition that gives Caruso pause for concern. “The hardest part is the timing. You get 25 minutes. If you go over, they knock points off. If ya go under they knock ya. That’s the practice part. The running time.”
Caruso enjoys support from the national blues community, as he’s played all over the United States. From big cities to small towns, from fancy music halls to the most modest of dive bars, Caruso finds the best people are blues people.
“This music scene and the folks in it are the best,” he said. “They really care about live music. It’s invigorating.” He also got a charge out of playing in Memphis. “It was an honor to play two nights at BB Kings, to walk that hallowed ground of Beale Street. I felt the spirit of the blues. I had a profound spiritual experience on the sidewalk just outside the club. Someday I’ll tell that story. It was unreal.”
In his Connecticut blues scene, Caruso plays a good amount of gigs and has an expansive audience. That is the result of his participation in a tremendous amount of open jams.
“I met some real great cats, Fred Fallanca (drummer) and Nutmeg Slim (Harp). They introduced me to some key folks in the scene. Tom Crivellone, Peter Rost and Scott & Ellen Sebastian. They host two of the best jams for the Connecticut Blues Society and that put me in front of the people that love the blues. It was the fans of blues in this scene that made it possible, their support and enthusiasm. They show up. I’m grateful.”
K Caruso, up close and personal.
Currently, Caruso is putting the finishing touches on an album of original material and plans on releasing it in early 2027. He has two singles available on all streaming platforms under the band name K. Caruso & the Elegant Vagabonds.
“I hope to grow as a writer and as a performer. The scene here is challenging as well as inspiring. I hope to make the jump to bigger shows and stages and spread the gospel of the Blues to all that are in earshot. Can I get an Amen?
Connecticut Blues Society will host a Road To Memphis fundraiser for K Caruso at the Pine Loft in Berlin, Connecticut on Sunday, November 15 beginning at 1:00 pm Facebook
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