| Kipori 'Baby Wolf' Woods | |
| Birth Name: | Kipori Jermaine Woods |
| Birth Date: | 4 September 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Kipori Jermaine Woods (born September 4, 1971),[1] also known by stage name Kipori 'Baby Wolf' Woods, is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He has played gospel, blues, jazz, funk and rap music and plays a blend of these music genres. Woods is the grandson of band-leader and blues bass player 'Luscious' Lloyd Lambert. Woods began singing gospel and playing guitar as a young child, he has played professionally since the 1990s.
Born in Houston, Texas, Woods grew up in New Orleans, raised by his grandfather Lloyd Lambert (June 1928 – October 1995).[2] Woods performed with the gospel choirs the Zion Harmonizers and Raymond Miles aged 12.[3] He went on to learn about life as a musician on the road as a young teenager touring with his grandfather, Luscious Lloyd Lambert, bandleader to Ray Charles, Little Richard, Danny Barker, Doc Cheatham and Guitar Slim. In his twenties, Woods played guitar for the first time in his grandfather's band the Rudulph Brothers[4]
He played hip hop/jazz with Kipori Funk[5] and studied jazz at New Orleans University under Ellis Marsalis Jr. He began playing the blues after the death of his grandfather in 1995[6] and was named 'Baby Wolf' when working with Walter "Wolfman" Washington.[7]
Woods played in the 2004 movie Ray, the 2008 music video "Lately" and in 2007 he toured with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
He has toured the Americas, Europe and Japan several times, sharing the stage with artists such as The Neville Brothers, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis, Kermit Ruffins, Walter 'Wolfman' Washington, and Trombone Shorty.[8] Woods has won 'Best Emerging Blues Performer' twice.[9]
In 2012, Wood's album Blues Gone Wild was shortlisted for OffBeat 's Best Blues Album.[10]