“The Blues are the true facts of life expressed in words and song, inspiration, feeling, and understanding.” – Willie Dixon
The perfect ingredients for the blues: a barn on an 80 acre farm and a winding river with mountain bluffs that stand tall above it. There is an energy and an allure that magically captures your heart your soul embraces you and never let's you go. Here sits a silo that has a natural echo and reverb. Through the years of countless parties, spontaneous blues jams, riding golf cars drunkenly through the moonlight, and time spent hooting and hollering in the silo itself, the magic of the mountain kept watch over all.
As Andy Kravitz renowned producer and recording engineer proclaimed "Wow what a great spot to record, the silo sounds like a natural echo/reverb chamber!"
And as Andy set up his residence on the farm and began to build the studio, the mountain began to smile, the river gurgled with symphonic approval, and the spirits of the Native Americans, whose music once thundered into the clouds above could be heard rustling amongst the trees throughout the roaming hills branches bending their approval.
Mikey's electrifying harmonica and his gruff and gritty vocals lead the group of well-seasoned players through true blues music from the heart, from the gut, emotionally charged without pretentious overdubs and countless retakes.
This is a true project of love that has brought friends together to record. Certainly the magic of the mountain came into play here. Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and Jimmy Rogers are all well represented here. Mikey Junior has several original tracks here. "321 Chelsea," "Silo Yo," and "Keep Moving My Way," with "Summertime" done in the style of Mikey Junior.
Mikey certainly plays with the depth of someone who has lived the blues. Mikey grew up in the wilds of Trenton, New Jersey dealing with those mean streets that certainly shaped his love for the blues. He is a self-taught musician who immersed himself in the world of blues music through his collection of vintage vinyl, tapes, videos, and CDs. By the age of 21, Mikey was astounding seasoned music veterans and blues purists with his eye-opening harp work.
The effortless styles of all the musicians here brings back the highly entertaining music that is vintage blues. This is the music of day to day life lounging on your front porch and the rowdy music of a wild house party. As Big Bill Broonzy once stated "Well a real blues you don't mix that with nothing. You just play the blues. Now a real blues a Mississippi blues you just change (chords) when you feel like it and you play what you feel."
Blues in the Barn Volume 1 is great fun and damn fine blues music. If you want to hear real deal blues then look no further. Well done! Highly recommended!
Produced by: Andy Kravitz and Mikey Junior
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered: Andy Kravitz ar Silo Studios in Finesville, New Jersey
Featuring: Mikey Junior - Harmonica and Vocals; Filthy Rick - Richard MacPherson - Guitar; Jimmy Pritchard - Bass; Scott Stump – Drums
Web: mikeyjunior.com
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