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For one blues guitarist, the road less traveled took him from the East Coast to the dazzling sunsets of Utah and back again.

But even as he searched for answers and sought out a change in his life, one thing remained constant – his handmade guitar that stayed by his side.

Duffy Kane, a local boy who grew up near Pittsburgh and honed some of his skills among Frederick's own music scene, is coming back to the city and his old stomping ground, The Bentz Street Sports Bar, on Saturday.

Kicking off his rockin' and blues set around 9 p.m., Kane will enlist the help of a couple buddies – musicians he refers to as "The Freedom Train" and his best friends that have joined with him again as he begins touring the East Coast.

A regular at Bentz Street back when it was known as the Raw Bar under different ownership, the gravelly-voiced singer with the easygoing nature is looking forward to his return.

"I've been there many times for years," Kane said. "They always had super musicians there through the years."

Although it's been six years since the singer/songwriter has stepped foot in Frederick, locals say they're ready to welcome him home.

"The response has been really big. He has a huge following," said Michelle Hockenberry from the Bentz Street Sports Bar.

Hockenberry is expecting a large crowd, including many of Kane's contemporaries from Frederick's music scene.

For Kane, although things have changed immensely in his absence, he's just glad to be home.

"Once I got heavily back into playing, I knew I needed to go back East," he said of his return from Utah, when he settled in Fairfax, Va.

Utah first called to the musician when he was touring the West Coast back in the 1980s. He had gained popularity through several bands, before setting out on a solo tour.

"On my way to California, I stopped in Utah late one night. The next morning, as the sun was coming up I saw the desert that was so beautiful, I knew I wanted to live there," he said.

Years later, the musician had suffered personal tragedies, including the death of his fiancee, and felt disheartened toward his music. He says that's when he knew it was time for a change. He packed up and moved to Utah.

Kane knew he had to get a job, but did not want to rely on his music anymore. "I started doing woodworking and now I am the owner of the Hummingbird Guitar Company and build my own guitars," he said.

One of the benefits of coming home, Kane says, is focusing solely on his music. He's been studying under award-winning guitar and jazz players and learning new techniques that he says have brought more depth and a stronger melodic feel to his original music.

"I'm more involved harmonically and my voice has matured," he said. "My singing is coming along." Kane and the Freedom Train, made up of bassist Arn Helmick and drummer Bart Lay, often add improv to their shows, throwing in extra chords and spontaneity to the music that keeps it original. The trio is also releasing their first album together in March.

It's not surprising that the lifelong musician is still adding to his repertoire at 48. Kane grew up in a musical and cultural household, headed by his dad, a prominent artist whose work is featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his mother, a dancer trained in classical ballet.

Some of his earliest memories include playing with his Matchbox cars under the grand piano as his father composed classical music, he said, adding that he is grateful for his upbringing that encouraged music.

In fact, Kane first learned to play the violin as a child and his father resisted when the young boy wanted to pick up the guitar. But Kane persisted.

"I couldn't wait to get my hands on that guitar and I didn't know why," he said of an old harmony guitar he ultimately refurbished as a teen. "I still feel that way about it. I love to pick it up."

For decades, music took him across the country, eventually finding him in Frederick for a while. Here, he released albums with bands and as a solo artist, before taking his break.

Although the road has since been a long and complicated one, Kane says he has no regrets.

"It hasn't been an easy road, but it's been a very rewarding one," he said.

Duffy Kane & The Freedom Train

When: 9 p.m. Saturday

Where: Bentz Street Sports Bar, 6 S. Bentz St., Frederick

For information: 301-620-2222

www.bentzstreetsportsbar.com

www.duffykane.com