If Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited an interest in electric blues long after the form had been written off by Hip People, the same can be said of Keb' Mo' and the sort of acoustic, rural blues associated with the Mississippi Delta.

Like Vaughan, Mo' took a glorious art form, mastered its nuances and vocabulary - and then launched it into the modern world with his own spins and voice. The three-time Grammy winner, whose gracious and kind persona adds a warm quality to his terrific music, performs Saturday at the Garde Arts Center.

It's not Mo's first time at the Garde; those who saw him in an earlier appearance will attest to the greatness of his body of work and his onstage energy. He's also readying a new CD for release in April, so anticipate an advance sampling from that release.

- RICK KOSTER

Keb' Mo', 8 p.m. Saturday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $32-$46; (860) 444-7373, gardearts.org.