Michael Pickett

Massey Hall /April 1, 2005

"Pickett's performance at Massey Hall this night was flawless and engrossing throughout his entire time on stage. He played acoustic guitar throughout, as well as blues harp (on a rack) with rousing, forceful vocals that radiated the confidence and supreme talent that only a decades-long blues performer can muster up and deliver to an audience, with ease, like a blues angel flapping its wings.

Pickett kept his excitement at being Buddy Guy's opening act subdued. He said, "I haven't been on this stage since the time I backed Big Mama Thornton and John Lee Hooker 31 years ago." (with his then Canadian legendary blues band Wooden Teeth). How do I look?"

Pickett's harp playing and vocals along with his rousing rhythm and lead guitar parts sounded like a full orchestra at times. His mind-blowing performance had this writer reminiscing about B.B. King's blues orchestra. Pickett sounded like a full orchestra blues show all by himself! The acoustics at Massey Hall, built as a concert hall in 1894, showed off Pickett's musical subtleties to their very best.

His rousing finale "Can't Find My Way Back Home" on National Steel guitar was a masterpiece in which he played some wicked harp that only a 'disgruntled devil stubbing his toe on a rock at the crossroads' could muster up! Cheers and screams for "More!!!" were characteristic of Massey Hall's audience reaction to Pickett's's songs before and after each tune was performed. There was a decided din in the air after Pickett's incredible time on stage had ended. The audience was on its feet and they demanded an encore. Pickett politely declined out of respect for Buddy Guy who, after all, was the one they had all come to see.

He entertained Massey Hall in the way a Robert Johnson or Ledbelly could and did decades earlier. It was a great pleasure for this writer and I'm sure for most if not the entire audience (2500 strong) at Massey Hall this night, to witness perfection at its rootsiest and purest from a man who's style and delivery is as good as the blues ever gets!" J.Curtis
- J.Curtis (Toronto, Canada)

“As good as it gets,” is how Gary Topp introduced the quintessential Toronto bluesman Michael Pickett to open the second show of a spectacular doubleheader with U.K. soul sensation James Hunter; in front of two packed and hugely enthusiastic crowds at Lula Lounge. That said it all, both in terms of the individual artists and musical pairing. The delta blues and soul/R&B double was a journey right through the heart of American roots music, from their early days to their modern meaning.
I was struck immediately by Pickett’s uncanny resemblance to Democratic political strategist James Carville. Tonight he was cast perfectly in the role of the sage, right down to his road-worn and incredibly resonant hollow-body guitar. Sure enough, he took notice of my presence with a notebook at the table in front and said “We have a member of the press here,” which in front of such a busy room was cause for crimson turning. “Write that down,” he continued in his thunderous and gravelly voice. “The great thing about the press is that they’ll print whatever you say.” Or in this case, play.
It was the perfect thematic and metaphoric segue into his first song which rang out, “The President’s up in the White House / bombs dropping down like showers / CNN’s got that covered / no matter what I do, that image burnin’ in my mind.” Nothing captures the outrage of these wag-the-dog times like slow burning Delta blues.
The next offering had an Eric Clapton Tears in Heaven guitar sound, with a spoken-word rhythm to the lyrics. It was then time for the troubadour to play a song about a murder, with the chorus “Frankie Johnson needs killin’, I’m wearin’ a wicked grin.” Pickett completed the effect by clutching his guitar as though it were a weapon at the end of the tune. The blues stream of consciousness continued with the following tune’s hook “If you lose your money, please don’t lose your mind” which he sang with harmonica only.
His music moves effortlessly between guitar, harmonica, and song. He engaged the audience in a call-and-response, the crowd easing into a rhythmic clap along with Pickett’s harp and vocals that to me represented an entirely new sound of blues beat boxing.
The song was, I believe, entitled “Can’t Find My Way Home”. It featured the timeless line “All I got’s this ol’ guitar and a real good pair of walkin’ shoes.” One gets the feeling that’s more than enough for Michael Pickett. - The Live Report (Toronto, Canada)

On this follow-up to Pickett’s acclaimed 1998 CD, Blues Money (which was nominated for a Juno award), one senses the spirit of a man for whom the blues is a lifelong passion. Penning ten of the CD’s 12 songs himself, Pickett draws from a broad range of sub-genres, including horn-fueled funk (Big Train), gospel-tinged R&B (When I Lay My Burden Down), and Delta-flavored balladry (Cecil & Spadina).

Instrument-wise, Conversation With The Blues boasts an ace band that includes Shawn Kellerman (guitar), Steve Chadwick (bass), and Gary Craig (drums), as well as guest turns from some of Toronto’s most formidable players. Occupying center stage, however, is Pickett himself, whose talents on harmonica (which he treats as an ensemble, rather than a solo instrument) and resophonic guitar shine throughout. Perhaps most importantly, Pickett’s soulful voice (think a mix of John Hammond and John Hiatt) serves as the perfect vehicle with which to convey his roots-oriented musings. - Performing Songwriter (CO USA)

Michael Pickett must be one of Canada's top acoustic blues artists.
The well-recorded SOLO (Wooden Teeth 003) proves him to be a convincing singer, delivering standards by Robert Johnson and Sticks and Brownie McGhee between excellent originals. Harmonica flourishes dot the brooding, Skip James-derived "The 'hood," one of several harrowing, minor-key blues, but Pickett's guitar work, both fretted and bottleneck, is at the set's heart. In addition to deep Delta rhythms, Pickett hints at a more rolling, melodic style on the Brownie McGhee numbers and his own "Bill's Song," and he livens up the hip, heavily syncopated "Cecil & Spadina" with string-snapping and slaps to the face of his guitar. A keen sense of time and strong personality add to Pickett's effectiveness.
- Blues Revue (WV USA)

If one is searching for some tight, well presented Blues music by an artist who has experience and talent, Michael Pickett's "Conversation With The Blues" is the album to pick up. Pickett presents Blues music with the finesse and charisma which comes from years of study and soulful admiration of what the genre is all about. Blues music is a genre of music which contains a small percentage of composition and a large portion of emotional improvisational expression. Michael Pickett pours himself, body and soul, into each tune on the album, sending the listener on a unique refreshing journey within his conversation with the Blues. Each tune on the album, with the exception of one which is a solo effort from Pickett, finds Pickett's expressive and melodic vocals and mind-blowing harmonica complimented by Shawn Kellerman's extensive Blues guitar work. "Junk Thang", a Blues instrumental done in the key of E, is sure to hook many a Blues fan to Pickett's magnetic harmonica playing. Shawn Kellerman and Teddy Leonard shine on "Junk Thang" with some exhilarating electric lead guitar jamming. "Look Out At The Weather", gives one the impression that Pickett has experienced the Blues with the same force felt by Stevie Ray Vaughan and others who have gained the respect of Blues fans world wide.

Michael Pickett is a talented musician and an amazing artist who breathes a new life into the Blues by bringing it back with original energy and charisma. His style is very much his own, but one can hear and feel early influences in his music lending the comfortable quality and familiarity so often associated with true Blues at it's finest. So if in search for a real Blues sound, call on Michael Pickett and have a conversation with the Blues as never before. - Downeast (ME/USA)

On Solo (Wooden Teeth Records), Pickett plays as passionate and intense as the emotion-laden cover photo. The 11 tracks on this 40 minute disc were co-produced by Pickett and Alec Fraser. Michael handles vocals, guitar (Gibson 6-string, 12-string, 1931 National Steel Duolian, and Yanuziello resophonic) and rack harmonica (Lee Oskar). There is a pretty even split amongst songs featuring the guitar only versus tunes with guitar/harp. "Louise" is an autobiographical reflection upon the meeting of his wife and the deep love that he has for her. How appropriate to emanate this via a deep Delta blues tune. We are talking as thick as the mud in the Mississippi River here. "Blues Is A Friend Of Mine" is foot-stompin,’ brown-jug country blues. This is as up-tempo as acoustic blues can get and should get. His wandering harp notes shriek and his vocals get a workout on "Steady Rollin’ Man." "The ‘Hood" has an accompanying video which aired as part of Bravo’s Talkin’ Blues TV series. Here, the vocals briefly sound like Long John Baldry and Howlin’ Wolf. The tune’s attractive melody contrasts with its words about the desperate human condition along skid row. "Cecil & Spadina" reappears from the Conversation disc and is considered a bonus track. The song’s basic melody is established over a few notes; still, the riff created is memorable. Obviously, Pickett learned plenty at this landmark Toronto street corner where a live music club exists.
This CD clearly showcases Michael’s diversity as a performing artist and songwriter. The seven original songs mesh so tightly with the covers, many will think all the tunes are originals.
- Blues Bytes (AZ USA)

I'd call Blues Money a work of art, a life statement, if you will, of a man who's been around long enough to dismiss frills and frippery, who's learned from hard experience what matters, and who has the skill and experience to translate that into music that's honest and true. Yes, it's that good. Michael's a very fine guitarist, but he's known primarily as a harp player. And play he does, but with a restraint that could serve as a lesson in good taste. Sure, he's got the killer tone that most harp players (myself included) would give their right (insert body part) for, and when he feels like it, he can absolutely dazzle with his dexterity. But for all his skill, there's never an extraneous note to be found -- his solos serve the songs, not the other way around.

And ah, the songs! Michael wrote or co-wrote every tune on the disc, and while it would be easy just to call 'em all blues songs (they are!), one could just as well put them into a looser "roots" category. Better yet, if categorization is required -- there's Chicago blues, there's jump blues and Texas blues, etc . . . and now there's Pickett blues.

Anyone who's lasted as long as Michael has made a few friends over the years, and the guest list on this disc reads like a veritable who's who of Toronto's blues elite. But again, it's not about star turns or the prestige of having so-and-so make an appearance. One gets the sense that every contribution was carefully considered, and the guests were brought in precisely because of what they could bring to the song in question. The sound, too, is excellent. Like everything else about the disc, care and craft are evident at every turn. It may be an indie release, but there's nothing low-budget about the production values -- to my ears, it's the aural equivalent of any 'big label' release. My guess is that Michael would settle for nothing less than perfection. And that's just what he got, all the way 'round. This is one for the ages!
- Blues On Stage (MN USA)

"I had a vision that he was gonna be one of the best. In my book he is." Hubert Sumlin

"One of the finest harmonica players of all time." Lee Oskar

"An amazing artist who breathes a new life into the blues by bringing it back with original energy and charisma." Downeast (USA)

"His songs transcend the urban blues idiom... " Billboard (International)

"Acoustic, traditional blues at its best performed by a true bluesman!" Concerto (Austria)

"He's got it folks! A real student of the blues. If it's hard to get over as a singer/songwriter, it's exponentially harder to write good blues, and he does it." Sing Out! (USA)

"Pickett continues to amaze everyone with even more unexpected talents and creative dimensions. A world-class tunesmith. One of Canada's top acoustic blues artists!" Blues Revue (USA)

"Gives good chase to John Hammond on guitar and leaves him behind on harp." Blues Matters! (UK)

"A seasoned master on Guitar, brilliant Harp and Voice." WMPG (USA)

"Quite simply, when Michael sings it, we believe it. Mr. Pickett's work has that timeless quality that says we'll still be listening a long, long time from now." Blues On Stage (USA)

"How can one man sing with so much soul!?" KYNR (USA)
- QUOTES!

I'd call Blues Money a work of art, a life statement, if you will, of a man who's been around long enough to dismiss frills and frippery, who's learned from hard experience what matters, and who has the skill and experience to translate that into music that's honest and true. Yes, it's that good. Michael's a very fine guitarist, but he's known primarily as a harp player. And play he does, but with a restraint that could serve as a lesson in good taste. Sure, he's got the killer tone that most harp players (myself included) would give their right (insert body part) for, and when he feels like it, he can absolutely dazzle with his dexterity. But for all his skill, there's never an extraneous note to be found -- his solos serve the songs, not the other way around.

And ah, the songs! Michael wrote or co-wrote every tune on the disc, and while it would be easy just to call 'em all blues songs (they are!), one could just as well put them into a looser "roots" category. Better yet, if categorization is required -- there's Chicago blues, there's jump blues and Texas blues, etc . . . and now there's Pickett blues.

Anyone who's lasted as long as Michael has made a few friends over the years, and the guest list on this disc reads like a veritable who's who of Toronto's blues elite. But again, it's not about star turns or the prestige of having so-and-so make an appearance. One gets the sense that every contribution was carefully considered, and the guests were brought in precisely because of what they could bring to the song in question. The sound, too, is excellent. Like everything else about the disc, care and craft are evident at every turn. It may be an indie release, but there's nothing low-budget about the production values -- to my ears, it's the aural equivalent of any 'big label' release. My guess is that Michael would settle for nothing less than perfection. And that's just what he got, all the way 'round. This is one for the ages!
- Blues On Stage (MN USA)

February 1, 2008
The Daily Times
TN/USA

Michael Pickett
Pickett's charge: Blues man finds satisfaction in acoustic roots

By Steve Wildsmith

Michael Pickett is living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

To be fair, the “old dog” — Pickett, who was 51 at the time — taught himself a new trick. And it wasn’t so much a new trick as it was a refresher course in how he first started playing the blues.

It took a while, but what emerged was a complete reinvention of Pickett’s style, a full-circle return from the full-band sound he’s been a part of since the 1970s. And it all started when he sat down to play the blues on an acoustic guitar all by his lonesome.

“I had grown up listening to that stuff, and I sat down one afternoon to produce a tune where the guitar is strong throughout, the harmonica on the rack is strong, the singing is strong,” Pickett told The Daily Times this week. “At that point in my life, I was 51 years old, and I’d had a guitar kicking around in my house collecting dust forever. So I sat down to do it — and it sounded awful. I knew what it was supposed to sound like, and I wasn’t getting it.

“I played at it for about an hour and then took a break, because the concentration, the focus, was way too much. It takes a lot of focus to present a song as a solo player. But the next day, I did it again. And the next day, again. Pretty soon, I was practicing 10, 12 hours a day. And I just stayed at it, like a bulldog. At that point in my life, I had been on hundreds of recordings and played all kinds of tunes on stage — I knew how it was all put together.

“I thought, I should be able to do this — to just sit in my chair, play my guitar and sing a song,” he added. “I should be able to do that, shouldn’t I? It turned out that the answer was no.”

It had been a while since Pickett, who’s made quite a name for himself in the blues over the years, faced such a steep learning curve. As a kid, he started singing for his grandmother when he was 4; at 13, his mother bought him his first harmonica. Not long after, watching legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee on TV hooked him on the blues for the rest of his life.

Starting in the 1970s, he began to cut a swath through the genre with his monster chops on the harmonica. First with Whiskey Howl, he was the co-front man with the late John Witmer, one of Canada’s most revered R&B singers. The band signed to Warner Bros. in 1972 and toured across the country before Pickett moved on to Wooden Teeth, a new band, in 1976. His new project built on a foundation of blues and funk that covered everything from Little Feat to Tower of Power, with an occasional jazz-fusion number thrown in for good measure and an incomparable ability to improvise on stage. One of the band’s highlights was opening for Big Mama Thornton and John Lee Hooker.

In 1981, after a brief reunion with Whiskey Howl, Pickett put together the Michael Pickett Band, which included a rotating roster of musicians over the years (most notably Shawn Kellerman on guitar). Although his harmonica was strong enough to steal the show, he was content to layer his work in with the rest of the band, creating a crackerjack unit that never used a setlist.

In 1998, he released his debut album, “Blues Money,” which was nominated for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys) as well as several other awards. In 2000, he put out his second album, “Conversation With the Blues,” earning himself another Juno nomination and a Canadian Indie Music Award for Blues Album of the Year. It was during that time period that he felt the call of the acoustic blues once again.

“I sat down to write a third album under my own name, and it was all coming out solo acoustic,” he said. “I would come up with something and think, ‘This is a cool tune; it sounds like Lightnin’ Hopkins would play a tune like this, sitting there by himself. A lot of the songs that I wrote for the band actually came up out of that genre of music. But I would put bass and drums on them, even though it was essentially a tune I could play solo.”

When he attempted to stick strictly to acoustic blues, however, he learned his lesson. Undeterred, however, he put aside his ego and forced himself to go back to school. He went back and found the old acoustic blues he’d fallen in love with in the 1960s on CD. He went searching for contemporary acoustic blues players. He bought stacks of CDs, returning the ones he didn’t care for, and simply stayed with it.

“I was probably three years into it, maybe even more, before I actually sat down and played along with a record,” he said. “I’m one of those guys who will listen to a record and then go have something to eat before I pick up a guitar and play. That way, I might be trying to imitate what’s on the record, but I’ll end up coming up with a tune of my own. I’m not a guy who studies tunes and replicates them; mostly, I just make noise.”

In those early years, he was stil - Steve Wildsmith/DAILY TIMES

THE LIVE MUSIC REPORT
by Laila Boulos
photo by Mike Colyer

MICHAEL PICKETT at THE AFRIKAN MILLENNIUM and CULTURAL ARTS 'FEASTIVAL' October 26, 2007
Trane Studio
Toronto, ON Canada

Michael Pickett: The One Man Band

Many years ago, I was walking down Yonge Street, late at night, on my way home, when I heard an amazing harmonica solo whooshing out of the open window of a bar. I stood there mesmerized while the band performed their (ugh!) last song of the evening. That was the first time I heard Michael Pickett. Over the years, I have been making sure my timing is better when attending his gigs.

So, upon hearing that Mr. Pickett would be performing during the The Afrikan Millennium and Cultural Arts Feastival (presented by the Caliban Arts Theatre and The Trane Studio) I was elated. The Trane Studio is a wonderful intimate cozy venue with great sight lines, a tasty Caribbean-inspired menu and easy-going, accommodating staff. Owner Frank Francis has consistently put together eclectic mixes of entertainment attracting a diverse crowd to this popular venue for their many concerts and exhibits. As usual, during this 'Feastival', which runs until December 31, 2007, the lineup is impressive.

Although I was originally introduced to Pickett in his harmonica player guise, that was only the tip of the iceberg. This performer is multifaceted. For this evening's gig at the Trane, he did play a screeching (Lee Oskar rack) harmonica. He also played a Gibson 6-string. He played his National Steel-bodied Duolian. He also sang. And when his hands were free he was thunderously clapping. As an aside, his foot stomping and hand clapping were so skillfully evocative of an erupting volcano that they could be relegated to a separate percussion section!

Over the years, Pickett has received many awards such as: Blues With a Feeling 1999 and Harmonica Player of the Year 1999, 2000 and 2002 (both Maple Blues Awards); Album of the Year 2001 for Conversation With the Blues (Canadian Indie Music Awards); and, Blues Album of the Year 1999 for Blues Money (Jazz Report Awards). He has also been nominated for, and won, countless other awards from Junos to Real Blues Awards. He has been in a number of bands including Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth and the Michael Pickett Band. And yes, he did actually have other people playing with him in these bands, in case you were wondering!

Although he is all about the music, Michael Pickett has a great sense of humour and his easy banter with the crowd that evening was only upstaged by his amazing musical performance. At one point he joked that this was his first road gig in Toronto. He recently moved from Toronto to Crystal Beach, Ontario and voiced his tongue-in-cheek disappointment that the crowd did not applaud his decision. This was greeted with laughter. During his performance of "Blues is a Friend of Mine", when he changed a line to sing about the Trane Studio he, once again, had the crowd laughing. Pickett wowed his audience on this evening with many of his own compositions. Definitely not a typical blues crowd, it was a testament to Pickett's expertise that he kept them listening. Throughout the evening, images of trains barreling through sleepy towns and rolling hills covered with autumn sunshine kept flitting through one's mind, compliments of the vibe created by Pickett's own pieces and the covers he chose.

Watching Pickett play is akin to watching a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performance. His full-steam-ahead playing is awe-inspiring. Visibly, his whole body is thrown into his craft. He gives his all when performing. Yet, taking the stage, he had a relaxed sitting-in-a-comfy-chair-in-the-rec.-room persona, which was more deeply etched as he eased his body more comfortably into that chair for the second set. Although the first song was a jolt to the senses resulting from the juxtaposition of the unassuming musician who just took the stage with the 'who opened the fire hydrant?' power of his actual performance, it was definitely a nice surprise.

"Linin' Track", a work song, was powerfully and hauntingly sung by Pickett with only his thunderous clapping as stark accompaniment. And, Woody Guthrie's "Deportee" was a beautiful version in Pickett's competent hands. On many pieces, the howling of the harmonica contrasted hypnotically with his soulful strumming on the Duolian. On others, his plaintive, raw voice shone above the cradle-rock rhythms of his acoustic guitar. Pickett expertly traveled through many different styles during this concert. From pieces evocative of everyone from John Lee Hooker to Colin James, this talented musician provided many impressive guitar riffs and harmonica solos during the evening. Yet, along the way, he effectively created a gentle ebb and flow that was easy on the audience with nothing too irritating to the senses. He introduced himself and his dizzying musicianship to a number of unsuspecting fans on this evening. - Laila Boulos / The Live Music Report

February 1, 2008
The Daily Times
TN/USA

Michael Pickett
Pickett's charge: Blues man finds satisfaction in acoustic roots

By Steve Wildsmith

Michael Pickett is living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

To be fair, the “old dog” — Pickett, who was 51 at the time — taught himself a new trick. And it wasn’t so much a new trick as it was a refresher course in how he first started playing the blues.

It took a while, but what emerged was a complete reinvention of Pickett’s style, a full-circle return from the full-band sound he’s been a part of since the 1970s. And it all started when he sat down to play the blues on an acoustic guitar all by his lonesome.

“I had grown up listening to that stuff, and I sat down one afternoon to produce a tune where the guitar is strong throughout, the harmonica on the rack is strong, the singing is strong,” Pickett told The Daily Times this week. “At that point in my life, I was 51 years old, and I’d had a guitar kicking around in my house collecting dust forever. So I sat down to do it — and it sounded awful. I knew what it was supposed to sound like, and I wasn’t getting it.

“I played at it for about an hour and then took a break, because the concentration, the focus, was way too much. It takes a lot of focus to present a song as a solo player. But the next day, I did it again. And the next day, again. Pretty soon, I was practicing 10, 12 hours a day. And I just stayed at it, like a bulldog. At that point in my life, I had been on hundreds of recordings and played all kinds of tunes on stage — I knew how it was all put together.

“I thought, I should be able to do this — to just sit in my chair, play my guitar and sing a song,” he added. “I should be able to do that, shouldn’t I? It turned out that the answer was no.”

It had been a while since Pickett, who’s made quite a name for himself in the blues over the years, faced such a steep learning curve. As a kid, he started singing for his grandmother when he was 4; at 13, his mother bought him his first harmonica. Not long after, watching legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee on TV hooked him on the blues for the rest of his life.

Starting in the 1970s, he began to cut a swath through the genre with his monster chops on the harmonica. First with Whiskey Howl, he was the co-front man with the late John Witmer, one of Canada’s most revered R&B singers. The band signed to Warner Bros. in 1972 and toured across the country before Pickett moved on to Wooden Teeth, a new band, in 1976. His new project built on a foundation of blues and funk that covered everything from Little Feat to Tower of Power, with an occasional jazz-fusion number thrown in for good measure and an incomparable ability to improvise on stage. One of the band’s highlights was opening for Big Mama Thornton and John Lee Hooker.

In 1981, after a brief reunion with Whiskey Howl, Pickett put together the Michael Pickett Band, which included a rotating roster of musicians over the years (most notably Shawn Kellerman on guitar). Although his harmonica was strong enough to steal the show, he was content to layer his work in with the rest of the band, creating a crackerjack unit that never used a setlist.

In 1998, he released his debut album, “Blues Money,” which was nominated for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys) as well as several other awards. In 2000, he put out his second album, “Conversation With the Blues,” earning himself another Juno nomination and a Canadian Indie Music Award for Blues Album of the Year. It was during that time period that he felt the call of the acoustic blues once again.

“I sat down to write a third album under my own name, and it was all coming out solo acoustic,” he said. “I would come up with something and think, ‘This is a cool tune; it sounds like Lightnin’ Hopkins would play a tune like this, sitting there by himself. A lot of the songs that I wrote for the band actually came up out of that genre of music. But I would put bass and drums on them, even though it was essentially a tune I could play solo.”

When he attempted to stick strictly to acoustic blues, however, he learned his lesson. Undeterred, however, he put aside his ego and forced himself to go back to school. He went back and found the old acoustic blues he’d fallen in love with in the 1960s on CD. He went searching for contemporary acoustic blues players. He bought stacks of CDs, returning the ones he didn’t care for, and simply stayed with it.

“I was probably three years into it, maybe even more, before I actually sat down and played along with a record,” he said. “I’m one of those guys who will listen to a record and then go have something to eat before I pick up a guitar and play. That way, I might be trying to imitate what’s on the record, but I’ll end up coming up with a tune of my own. I’m not a guy who studies tunes and replicates them; mostly, I just make noise.”

In those early years, he was stil - Steve Wildsmith/DAILY TIMES