The Corn Cake Kings
Julian Mokhtar has been playing professionally since 1980 and is best known known as lead guitarist for the legendary Malaysian band Blues Gang which he joined in that year. Over the next 13 years he recorded 10 albums with the band, making numerous TV and concert appearances as well. Since 1993 he has been pursuing a solo career, two highlights of which were jamming with blues legend Buddy Guy at the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuala Lumpur in 1996, and taking the stage at the jam party after the 1997 annual Kansas City Jazz & Blues Festival held at the Grand Emporium, Kansas City, USA.
Julian self-produced and recorded an album, “About Time”, completed in 2000 with a limited run of 500 copies. Other activities include several stints in Akita, Japan performing with fellow Malaysian singer Karen Nunis Blackstone and session work. Besides performing, Julian is an accomplished guitar repairman and also custom designs and builds electric guitars.
The Corn cake kings was formed sometime in 2005. The two mainstays are Julian Mokhtar (guitar & vocals) and Aznan Aziz (guitar, vocals and harmonica). If required they take on additional musicians such as a percussionist, bassist etc. The group’s sound is primarily guitar driven, acoustic, electric or mix and match.
Julian had met Aznan Aziz aka. Nan Blues after seeing him perform. Aznan had himself been playing music for many years, sharpening his abilities by busking and performing gigs. The two discovered that they not only like the same music but are the same age (Nan is a day older). The band has performed at various venues in KL and PJ such as Little Havana, Finnegans Irish Pub, Noblacktie and Ol’ Skool bistro. Their longest running gig was at Malones Irish pub in KLCC, once a week for a year and a half.
Their repertoire of choice is Southern rock, Folk/country rock, classic rock and some reggae, all linked by a shared love and feel for and blues and R&B. However they are also able to do a good job on classic and contemporary popular songs as well.
