Ask keyboardist Frankie Redding how he got his cool nickname  the Funkmaster  and hell tell you its because he never plays a song the same way twice. His partner Susan Lee believes its because he puts so much life into every melody.

The ability to give a unique groove to each song has helped Frankie reenergize his own life. In fact, his life-long love of music has sustained him through years of serious illness and kidney disease.

Frankie, who started playing in nightclubs at age 15, is one of Portland , Ore.s best loved musicians. Hes played the keyboard for 40 years with the regions top jazz, blues and R&B acts. He has played gigs with blues greats like Etta James, Tyrone Davis and Frankie Lee.

I just enjoy playing. I like to see people happy, says Frankie, who won the Cascades Blues Associations 2002 Muddy Waters Award for best keyboard player.

Frankie played frequently until a long battle with diabetes and a heart attack caused his kidneys to fail. Four years ago he started dialysis and waited for a transplant, which finally took place last December.

Frankies donor was Jan Bisconer, a promoter and organizer of local blues festivals. A generous supporter of the Portland area blues community, Jan has been friends with Frankie and Susan for 15 years. She is so involved in the musicians lives, Susan says. The minute she heard that Frank was having kidney trouble and needed a transplant, she asked him if he wanted one of her kidneys.

In November the Cascades Blues Association held a transplant recovery benefit for Jan and Frankie. So many great musicians came together, Frankie said. It was a wonderful night.

Not long after the operation, Frankie was playing his keyboard again. I really think music has healing powers, says Susan. The moment he was feeling better, he was at the keyboard. You can just tell that music is in his soul.

Still, Frankie admits getting well has been a lot of work. Its a tedious process. You have to listen to what the doctors say and stick to their plan.

Susan believes that the support of Frankies network of friends has helped him recover. His musician friends kept calling and checking on him. You need that kind of reinforcement to keep yourself moving.

Frankie is sometimes asked to give advice to others suffering from kidney disease. A guy going on dialysis called me, he says. "I told him to call Renal Care Group with any questions and then just keep doing what they tell you to do.