Blog

8/28/07 - There's a new CD coming out! Just Like It Is is my favorite record of my career. I feel like it's a natural step forward from Cryin' Hey, taking in everything I've learned in the two years since recording that CD. It's a blues record once again - I don't see myself making any drastic left turns from that in the immediate future - but it's just...more. I can't really articulate the differences right now, but I enjoyed making it, I'm enjoying hearing it, and I hope you'll enjoy it too! There are samples on Myspace. Check them out and let me know what you think!

We recorded it in June at Wellspring Sound in Acton, MA. Once again, the production team consisted of myself and Matt Malikowski, with Matt manning the board. The band was Anthony Geraci (Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Ronnie Earl) on piano and organ, Brad Hallen (Roomful Of Blues, Susan Tedeschi, Aimee Mann, Ministry) on electric and upright basses, and Mark Teixeira (The Duke Robillard Band) on drums. They kicked a ridiculous amount of ass without mercy. I came to the sessions with eleven new originals and a bunch of ideas for covers, of which two made the final cut. I wanted this CD to have a slightly more varied texture than the last one, so I used a couple of different guitars in addition to the Blue Strat (Matt's SG, which made the cover of the American release, and the studio's beautiful Gibson ES-330 of mid 60's vintage). The amp for the session was my blackface Pro Reverb. I had done some intense pre-production vocal training, so I felt in better shape than ever to deliver the songs.

I'm really proud of it. I think there's a slightly lighter tone to some of the songs that isn't in anyway light weight - there's a bit of early 60's rhythm and blues danceability sneaking in there at times - and we also played some deep blues that I'm very happy with.

It's coming out October 16 in North America from the VizzTone Label Group, a new venture started by Richard Rosenblatt (late of the mighty Tone-Cool Records) and Bob Margolin (late of the mighty Muddy Freakin' Waters Band). The European release date is yet to be announced, but it will be brought to you by the fine folks at DixieFrog records.

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7/28/06 - I'm going to be spending a little more time on this section of the site if I can. The last time I updated this section, I hadn't started all of my European touring for Cryin' Hey. Life takes a lot of interesting turns, I guess...I've been blessed with a second lease on life, musically. The response to Cryin' Hey has been just about overwhelming, and the audiences are the best a traveling bluesman could ever hope to sing and play for. I feel sorry for the hardcore American blues fans - who when you can get a bunch of them together in the same place, are as good as any audience anywhere - who just aren't being catered to in the same way. I've gotten a few e-mails from American fans who wonder when I'll be playing D.C. or Michigan or Oregon or L.A., and the answer is simply that I can't afford to. With gas prices, clubs closing, and no cost-of-living raise forthcoming (not to mention that I have no American label, agent, or support network), it's just too tough out there, and I know a more than a few other musicians who feel the same way. I miss you guys, seriously.

Cryin' Hey is now available in the U.S. from Pacific Blues (www.pacificblues.com). They're an importer/distributor out of California who do great work with people like James Harman. It should make it a lot easier to obtain if you're on this side of the pond.

There's also a lot of new music out there that I've been lucky to play on. Nick Moss is one of the best working blues guitarists in the world right now, and his playing on Cryin' Hey is one of my favorite things about that record. I returned the favor recently, and Live at Chan's features the result. My main gig at home these days is with the Soul Band, featuring Tim Pike, and our record, Certified, is out now and getting good reviews. Brian Templeton is one of my best friends and favorite singers, and I'm on his Bloozin' with an all-star cast of Kid Bangham, Greg Piccolo, David Maxwell, Mudcat Ward and Per Hanson. I talked about Chicago Bob Nelson's Flying Too High last time I posted, and I'm still in the planning stages of a raw blues record with Mr. Nick. I've also been talking with Philippe at Dixiefrog Records about a second CD for them.

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1/8/06 - From this distance, Cryin' Hey seems to be doing well with airplay and reviews. It will be very interesting to go play in France this month and see for myself, and besides, I love playing in France. Fatherhood has taken up most of my time recently, so there's not that much new to report- I'll be back with a report on the trip and any further news next month. In the meantime, watch for Chicago Bob Nelson's Flying Too High on 95North Records - Bob's great, the band is stellar, and I'm on about half of it doing what I do best.

See you in France!

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9/8/05 - Really? It's been this many months since my last Diary update? Fatherhood will do that to you, I guess.

I'm up for a Boston Music Award! It's a real honor. It is, however, a little strange to ask you to vote for me, but here goes: Vote for me! Click here to vote - I'm in the "Best Blues Act" category with some serious heavy hitters. You need to use a valid e-mail address and reply to the confirmation e-mail for your vote to count. I'd also recommend voting for Dennis Brennan in the Roots Rock category. He's great.

Cryin' Hey! Monster Mike Welch Plays the Blues (the admittedly unwieldy full title) will be out in France on October 28, and in the rest of Europe a little earlier - conceivably as early as Sept. 19. No luck securing an American label so far, but I imagine it shouldn't be too hard to order as an import.

There are a few other projects on my plate right now - both the Soul Band (the killer seven-piece R&B unit with Tim Pike singing) and the Hoodoo Men (the killer four-piece blues unit with Mr. Nick singing) have plans to record, and there's been some rumbling about an "East Coast Allstars" record with some of the best younger players around this area - so once again, we'll see what happens. Having a year-old son takes up a lot of time, too!

I will be in Europe early next year to promote the new CD. Plans are made to be changed, but right now, it looks like I'm in France for most of January backed up by Francis Campello and his band, and in May, I'll do Benelux and Germany with the amazing Backbones! I can't wait - playing blues in Europe is a time-honored tradition, and you'll never find more dedicated audiences, venues, and musicians than the ones you find overseas. I wish that this country would be friendlier to the dedicated audiences and musicians over here...

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4/13/05 - The blues CD is recorded and mostly mixed. I can't wait for all of you to hear it - it's the best record I've made so far. I've held off of making a blues record this straight for most of my career, preferring to concentrate on my original writing and consciously aiming for something different than the norm, partly because it's a scary proposition to play the same game as people like Muddy and the Wolf - if you love those guys like I do, there's nothing you can do to even come close. It's only been in the last couple of years or so that I've become relaxed and comfortable enough where I could even attempt this record, feel like it can stand on its own merits, and not have it be an incredibly daunting proposition. The blues aesthetic was incredibly liberating - this is by far my best singing and playing on record, and the recording process was different from any I've experienced in the studio.

All of my records in the past have involved a certain amount of "production" - the whole band plays the track together, and then parts are overdubbed, replaced or subtracted to get the definitive version of the song. Oftentimes, the only thing that survives from a basic track is the drum performance, as guitars, bass parts, and especially vocals are tweaked, punched in, and crafted to get an end result that's as close to perfect as possible. I think it's pretty common knowledge that this is how most modern recordings are made; I don't think I'm debunking anybody's major illusions here. This record was different, though - we set up the band in a nice big room, put a bunch of unbelievable microphones (you've never seen this many tube condenser and ribbon mics in a room - thank you Wellspring Sound) in strategic positions, pressed "play" and "record", and let her rip - and that's the record, rhythm section, solos, vocals and all. We did it in one day - setup started early in the morning, but we really only recorded from 3 pm to 10 pm. There's nothing on the record that I would dream of replacing.

Why was this one so different than all of the other CDs I've made? There were a few reasons.

1) It's the blues. The music we were making was about spontaneity, interplay, and feel rather than technical perfection. A CD like Adding Insight To Injury or Catch Me is designed to present the ideal version of each composition, as far as arrangement and production go. This record is more about capturing a magic moment in time, knowing fully well that each song might be played completely differently tomorrow. My guitar playing is much freer, more playful, and more soulful as a result.

2) The band. I've been lucky to work with fantastic musicians for my whole career. I can't look back at any edition of the Monster Mike Welch Band and regret any of my hiring choices. Having said that, this time around, I hired the best of the best. These guys have resumes that put mine to shame, and they show up ready to play. I surrounded myself with people who eat this kind of music for breakfast, and it showed in the work.

3) My voice. I'm fully aware that in the past, my singing was the weakest link in the whole package, especially early on in my career. But "now I'm a man, way past 21" as the song goes, and I think people who have my Tone-Cool records might be very surprised at what they hear on this CD. Besides the fact that I had a particularly good singing day last Monday, I had the luxury of a whole three-week European tour right before we recorded, during which I tested out every possible avenue I could take with these new songs, and trained my voice to be able to do a record like this. Whether you're a fan of my singing or not, the undeniable fact is that I'm a better singer than I've ever been, and I wasn't ready to sing a record like this until now.

I've got-ta give props to everyone who participated, too. Mudcat Ward and Anthony Geraci (the Bluetones contingent) added everything I could dream of to the session - fire, personality, and a depth that only comes with 30+ years of experience playing the blues. Mudcat's string bass and electric bass were the anchor of the session, and Anthony really gets that Chicago piano vibe - where the piano is full orchestra filling out the sound, soulful soloist singing the blues, and Greek chorus making a running commentary on all the action elsewhere in the scene. Nick Moss is the only guy I can imagine doing what he did, applying his first lesson from the great Jimmy Rogers ("just play what I'm not playing") and playing some of the coolest blues guitar I've heard in a long time. Warren Grant was the real hero of the session for me, though - Warren and I learned a lot about this music together in the seven years we had a band together, and he's just kept getting deeper and more mature with every gig and every session. I hope Warren gets the credit he deserves as one of the country's great blues drummers - he really is. Matt Malikowski outdid himself in getting the sounds he did - they're warm and real and fat without being self-consciously retro. I dig ribbon mics.

For those who care, I played the Blue Strat through the studio's Victoria 20112 amp (a clone of the late-50's Fender tweed Deluxe), and Nick played a Gibson ES-345 and a Fender Jaguar through the studio's Magnatone Custom 440 amp. I sang through a Russ Dooley recreation of the classic RCA 44 ribbon microphone. Just in case you care...

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3/30/05 - I went to Europe! The trip was fantastic; it dawned on me about halfway through that it was the first "Monster Mike" tour (as opposed to sideman road work) since 1999, and it was the best possible way to get back into the swing of things. The crowds were unbelievable - some nights were packed to the rafters, and some were...uh...not, but the audiences were always a blast to play to. The Backbones, the Dutch band whom I had the pleasure of playing with, are a trip - the rhythm section of El Guido and Lord Julius is solid and grooving, and Govert v/d Kolm on the piano, Rhodes and organ was brilliant and inspiring, getting better every night, and these are great guys as well as great players. On a few gigs, I was lucky enough to have Big Pete from the Backbones and the Strikes sing and play harp - kind of a Lester Butler vibe, but more traditional, at least on my gigs - and Martin Lewis added his sax to a couple of gigs, one of which had the full Backbone Horn section. Big thanks to Guido, Julius, Govert, Pete, Martin, Little Steven, Gerald, Alex, Mike Donkers, all the clubs and festivals, and especially all of the great Dutch, Belgian, German and Danish blues audiences for making this one of the best tours of my life.

Now that I'm home, I'm getting ready to make the blues CD - we're recording it next week, and it should be out in September or so on DixieFrog Records. The band I've got working with me is pretty jaw-dropping, as far as I'm concerned. Here's the lineup:

MICHAEL "MUDCAT" WARD - upright and Fender basses. I've talked a lot about Mudcat in my diary entries from my Bluetones days. He's possibly my favorite living blues player on any instrument; the guy just lives and breathes the Son House Ingredient, and he's been one of my best friends for thirteen years or so. Mudcat will make sure the record stays blue, and he's contributed a great song to the proceedings too. You can hear Mudcat on records by Sugar Ray, Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, etc...

"LITTLE" ANTHONY GERACI - piano. Anthony is another guy that I've known for twelve or thirteen years, and I've learned a lot about the blues from him. One of my only regrets about my days with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones is that my tenure as a Bluetone occurred after Anthony had already left - so much of the sound of that band that I loved growing up was Anthony's two-fisted piano. There will be a lot of piano on this record...

NICK MOSS - second guitar. Nick is kind of the unknown factor in this band - he and I have crossed paths a few times, but we've never actually played together. He happened to be swinging through the Northeast with a couple of days off when I had my recording plans, so the opportunity was simply too good to be true. I'm a huge fan of Nick's - he's played with Jimmy Rogers and Willie Smith, but anyone lamenting the state of Chicago blues today NEEDS to pick up the CDs that Nick makes as Nick Moss and the Flip Tops.

WARREN GRANT - drums. My big brother! Warren is, of course, the longest serving member of my band over the years, full-time between 1994 and 2000, and a ton of gigs after that. Having Warren on this CD is going to be great for a few reasons. First of all, Warren and I have total telepathy at this point, and I never have to second guess myself when Warren's on drums - making the right decision feels effortless. Second of all, Warren has a slightly different vibe than the rest of the musicians on the CD - while Mudcat, Anthony and Nick are pretty straight-up Delta to Chicago in their blues playing (as a generalization - they all do other things brilliantly as well), Warren comes straight out of the Houston shuffle and R&B tradition of Jabo Starks and Sonny Freeman, which automatically creates kind of a hybrid with the Chicago vibe of the rest of the band. Third of all, Warren's just so unbelievably great.

We're making it at Wellspring Sound in Acton, MA with my copilot Matt Malikowski engineering with a ton of great old microphones and outboard gear - we're not trying to go retro, just warm and real, you know? I'll let you know how the recording goes...

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3/06/05 - I'm going to Europe! Last year, I got an e-mail from "El" Guido Willemsen, a man whom I had met years earlier as the drummer in Holland's great Texas-styled blues band Mike and the Mellotones. It turned out that the Mellotones' rhythm section had put together a pool of like-minded European bluesmen on all instruments, and were offering their services for a three-week tour of Europe. How could I say no?

I'll be in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Germany for most of this month, doing mostly clubs with a festival and a couple of days of live-in-the-studio recordings thrown in for good measure. I love the European blues fans, and I can't wait to play for them. We'll be doing straight, hard blues, with some of the bluesier material from all four records as well as some choice covers and new originals, and I can't wait to hear the Backbones put their stamp on it.

The lineup for most gigs will be:

"Monster" Mike Welch - guitar, vocals
Govert van der Kolm - piano, organ
"Lord" Julius Van Brakel - bass
"El" Guido Willemsen - drums

On selected gigs, we will be featuring other Backbones members - most often "Big" Pete on harp and vocals for that real lowdown Chicago thing, and Martin Lewis and the Backbones Horns. I'm hoping that we can coerce some other musicians into sitting in - I'd love to play with the Backbones' guitarist Little Steven, and the fabulous Mike Donkers from the Mellotones expressed an interest in playing some, so you never know what might happen!

We will be selling Adding Insight To Injury as well as the Backbones' promo CD and Backbones Featuring MMW shirts at all shows.

I miss playing for my European fans!

M

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1/17/05 - Wow - I haven't updated this in a while, have I? There are a lot of great things happening here in Monsterland...

First and foremost, my son Joaquin Riley Ocampo Welch (or "Quin" for short) was born on August 26 at 7:39pm. He weighed 8 lb 12.5 oz, and he's the most beautiful thing I've ever known.

Also, thank you to everyone who has supported Adding Insight to Injury. According to the record label, it's selling well, and I can't tell you how much that means to me. This CD was a genuine labor of love, and the fact that you're hearing it is a real thrill. We signed to 95North Records in August, and the CD came out nationally on October 25, which means it's currently available at most major stores and at Amazon.com.

There are a couple of local things going on these days that are taking up most of my time (well, Joaquin's taking up most of my time, but as far as my musical time is concerned...) I've been really proud to be part of Instant Soul for the past few months, and it looks like it's turning into something really special. Tim Pike is a seriously badass soul singer, the rhythm section is phenomenal, and the horns are cooking - it's just up to me to fit somewhere in the pocket, you know?

Also, Nick David from Mr. Nick's Blues Mafia and I have formed a band called the Hoodoo Men, with the great rhythm section from Roomful of Blues, and we're hosting the world famous Johnny D's Blues Jam every Sunday afternoon. I got my start at the Johnny D's blues jam, as did a lot of Boston-based blues types (Susan Tedeschi being only the most famous), and it's great to be home. The jam is a nice mix of the professional (Brian Templeton and Timo Arthur have graced us with their presence a few times), the semi-professional, and the talented unknowns. If you have a voice or instrument and want to play some blues, the invitation is open!

The other big news is that I'm currently planning the next CD. I get a lot of requests to make a straight, deep blues CD, and it feels like the time is right to do it now. I'm looking forward to the chance to play the music I've loved so much for so long, but never really play in the Monster Mike Band (although that's changing, too - we're playing much more of a mix of originals and traditional blues these days when we do get a chance to go out and play). This is going to be straight-up Chicago-style blues, and the band I've tentatively assembled is pretty killing. If all goes according to plan, we're recording it in April for a September release.

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7/21/04 - Adding Insight To Injury is OUT NOW!!!!! You can read about it, listen to it, and purchase it here. It's everything I hoped it would be, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

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6/28/04 - After five years, The Repeat Offenders EP The Best Defense is available online, and for only $10 at that! Check it out - www.cdbaby.com/repeatoffenders

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6/23/04 - It looks like Adding Insight To Injury will be out in time for our July 9 gig at the Sea Note (CD RELEASE PARTY!!!!!) and online shortly after that. As a teaser, we invite you to pick up a copy of the Repeat Offenders EP for only $10 at www.cdbaby.com.

I'm intensely proud of AI2I. Of all the recordings I've made (and there have been a lot that have never seen the light of day), this CD feels like the most personal statement I've made yet, and the closest thing I've made to my goal of a really original blues record. Where the songs on Catch Me sometimes left the blues behind to explore other genres and influences (the Beatle-pop of the title track, the Memphis soul of "Make Up Your Mind," the melodic rock of "As Good As Gone"), the songs on AI2I feel to me like I've begun to find my own personal blues, a subgenre that never leaves the traditional blues behind at all, but encompasses everything else I would want to express.

Some of the songs might be familiar to long-time fans. "Get Over Me" and "Tomorrow Morning" are both drastically rearranged versions of songs I wrote for the Sugar Ray and the Bluetones album. I'm not normally a big fan of artists re-recording songs, but I get a lot of requests for "Get Over Me," and the new Howlin' Wolf-meets-hip-hop arrangement of "Tomorrow Morning" simply wouldn't be denied. "Into Thin Air" was played on shows as early as 1998 (now it is among other things a feature for Barrie Anderson's stinging lead guitar), while "Good At Goodbye" was debuted at Monster Mondays at Jake and Earl's in Waltham and became a crowd favorite. That's my beautiful wife Jeannette singing the harmony on that one.

Of the newer songs, "But For The Grace Of You," which opens the album, feels the most to me like an older MMWB song; it could have fit on These Blues Are Mine with no major problems. I even dialed up a guitar sound that I haven't used much since the days of These Blues and Axe to Grind. I thought it was appropriate to start off with a nod to the familiar.

"Lose You" is a lot of people's favorite song on the album, and probably best illustrates my feeling that I've started to find my own style of blues to sing and play. The lyrics, melody, changes and arrangement are not in any way classic blues, but the groove and playing are, which gives the song a bit of an Elvis Costello-meets-Otis Rush vibe, to me at least.

"Slapback" makes it clear how big the melting pot is, with punk-rock guitars and a Beach Boys bridge on a blues shuffle. It also has some of the lyrics I'm proudest of. The Theremin in the middle eight is actually a lap steel with an E-Bow.

"Thunder in the Distance" is the blues; I was going for mid-period Buddy and Junior here.

"I Don't Want to Come Down" is a song that's been through a few different incarnations before settling into the pulsating, dynamic jungle stew of blues-pop it is now. Amidst all the bad relationship songs on the record, I thought it was nice to have one about my wife - a little shot of verbal sunshine after "Thunder in the Distance".

"Do You Know Who You Are" was written by myself and Jack Hamilton when he was in the band ('98? '99?) but never fully worked up until the sessions for this record. We were going for Sly or Prince, but the rhythm section groove is a little more Tower of Power. I recorded a bunch of vocal tracks on this one - Sly Stone croak, Prince falsetto, and Lennon scream (well, my approximations thereof) - and Matt Malikowski sorted them out during the mix. It's an attack song, a little like "How Do You Sleep" or "Like a Rolling Stone", but the character being attacked is a composite of some ex-girlfriends and an ex-colleague or two, so it's not directed at any one person - I don't think I could be that cruel.

There are two covers on this CD, both selected for very personal and specific reasons. The first, Dylan's "Masters Of War," should be self-explanatory to anyone with a brain. I've been incensed at the casual evil of the Bush administration since he took office, and we need to get him out in November. Please, please, please vote.

The second, Johnny Copeland's "Flying High," was included in loving tribute. Possibly more was made in the blues press of my friendship with Johnny than was actually there - in the whole time I knew him, I saw him maybe five times - but we did get to know each other and play together, and he was one of the warmest, most gracious men I've ever had the pleasure to know. Another local musician influenced and graced by friendship with Johnny was Matt Woodburn, my first mentor and one of my best friends. Matt is the kind of musician who likes to play sideman, but when he steps up to the mic or tears into a passionate guitar solo, you wonder where the hell this guy came from and why you don't have all of his records. I wanted to record Matt the way I first heard him, heart-wrenching and in-your-face, and that's exactly what he delivered. Matt and I trade vocal verses (I sing the first two and the last one, he sings the middle two), and in true Showdown fashion, Matt, Barrie and I all take guitar solos. Wherever you are, we love you, Johnny.

The album comes to a close with Pat Christman's surreal ballad "Kings and Pawns." Pat plays the bass like a piano on this one, fingertapping chords and bass counterpoint, to which Travis Colby adds Rhodes and I'm playing lap steel and singing. For some reason, I'm reminded of Christopher Walken reading "Goodnight Moon."

I'll let you know when you can buy it online, okay?

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6/15/04 - Adding Insight to Injury and the Repeat Offenders' The Best Defense to be released online soon! The AI2I page will be updated as the release date gets closer. Two pages of new pictures are up. The Gear section has been updated.

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3/20/04 - New sections on the site: Booking Info, What I'm Listening To, and Guitar Lessons. Also included is a link to the brand-new MonsterWear Online Store. Also, the Links, FAQ and Gear sections have been completely overhauled.

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3/11/04 - I've just been hired as the newest member of the teaching staff at Cambridge Music Center in Porter Square (Cambridge, MA)! This is really big for me, as my first guitar teacher was Rick Harris at Cambridge Music back in 1988. I've always wanted to teach, and this feels like the best place in the world to do it. I'll be teaching all levels, with an obvious focus on blues and blues-based styles, but I'll be teaching a lot of other things, too. I'll let you know the specific info next week.

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3/08/04 - We've got samples of the new CD up and running! The songs are "Lose You" and "Get Over Me," and I'm really proud of both of them. We've been talking to some important people about the possibility of releasing this stuff, so we'll let you know if anything comes of that. For your listening pleasure, we've also put up a rare outtake from 1997's Axe to Grind. For the moment, they're just lo-fi MP3 files, but I think you'll get the idea. Enjoy!

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1/14/04 - The website's finally getting an update to reflect all of the incredible things that are happening. Our gigging schedule has been somewhat sparser of late because we've been focusing our energies on recording the new CD, which we're currently shopping to labels and should have copies of available soon. If 2003 was officially the "Year of the Blues," we're going to try to make 2004 the "Year of Monster Mike," with the new CD and hopefully increased touring.

I think you'll really like this CD - it's by far the most me of anything I've released, with strong songs, a lot of heavy blues guitar, and the band playing their asses off. Keep an eye on the site for CD updates.

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8/11/03 - Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Monster Mike Welch Band! The new lineup is myself on vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, Barrie Anderson on rhythm and lead guitars, Pat Christman on the bass, and Ephraim Lowell on the drums. 

Barrie is my right hand man in this group, and he and I share a two-guitar chemistry unlike any I've ever experienced before. I've written here about Barrie before; he's an incredibly soulful person with great musical instincts who grows by leaps and bounds with every passing show. On some of the older material, Barrie plays rich Leslie-soaked chords in the tradition of MMWB founding member George Lewis, but Barrie brings his own personality to everything he plays. Barrie and I have also started to develop an intertwining simultaneous rhythm and lead approach on some songs that feels to me like our personal updating of the Muddy Waters/Jimmy Rogers or Eric Clapton/Duane Allman pairings. Barrie and I also do acoustic duo gigs playing the DEEP blues - Son House, Skip James, Robert Johnson - so that dynamic creeps into our own songs as well.

Ephraim is a drummer I've had my eye on for a while - I first heard him play behind KD Bell and Jerry Portnoy and thought, "this guy is special." And so he turned out to be; besides having an incredible deep blues shuffle and wide-ranging experience from original rock to metal to funk, Ephraim is an intense listener to every nuance of what's going on stage, which makes this new band feel like it has years of chemistry behind it.

Which brings me to Pat, as he and Ephraim have played in bands together for ten years or more. As of today, I've only played one gig with Pat, but his brilliance and ability to balance incredible technical prowess with a deep musicality and funk were obvious from the first note. Pat has a very different approach than any bass player I've worked with, which opens up all kinds of exciting new horizons on the low end. When I asked Pat what he'd like me to say in this posting, he demurred apart from reminding people to VOTE...it's the only way to effect the change we so desperately need in this country...

I can't think of a better group of guys to be playing my blues (and our blues as we start to collaborate and grow). It's exciting to be playing with a group of young musicians bursting with ideas (Barrie's 20, Pat and I are 24, and Eph's 28). We're going to start by aiming low...trying to change the world and make history and mess some people up is all...

I should also mention that you'll occasionally be seeing Travis Colby on the keys. Travis is yet another young genius who I met through Ronnie Earl. He's quite simply my favorite keyboardist on the scene (he plays brilliant dirty blues guitar and sings great, too, but that's another story), and when schedules and finances allow, we're going to expand the group to a five-piece; having Travis in reserve as our resident Fifth Rutle Leppo is too good to pass up.

We start full-time in September. Come see us. It's a lot of fun. Love you all.

Who is the Monster Mike Welch Band, you ask? Well, that remains to be seen - the core of the band is myself and Barrie Anderson on guitars, and most of the gigs so far have seen the return of the classic MMWB rhythm secion of David Hull and Warren Grant. Unfortunately, both David and Warren have other commitments that prevent them from doing all the gigs, so we've been lucky enough to have great players like Ephraim Lowell, Forrest Padgett, Rod Carey, and Brad Hallen agree to fill in, and we've been able to keep the vibe and energy of the band consistent from night to night. Hopefully, Barrie and I will be able to sort out a permanent rhythm section this fall.

Want to know where we're going to be this fall? You can always check the Upcoming Gigs page, but you can also drop me a line at monstermikewelch@yahoo.com to get on our list!

3/25/03 - Today, almost exactly one year after it was recorded, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Featuring Monster Mike Welch is out on store shelves. The malaise of the record industry has been painful to watch as it has impacted our record, but now we can sing our blues for the whole world to hear. Please buy it at www.severnrecords.com or your local store (I know Borders has been very enthusiastic about carrying it, which is great, but don't overlook your local underground or mom-and-pop record shop - these places are beautiful and need all the help they can get).

I'm proud of this record. I was very involved in the production and arranging, and of course my guitar is all over the place, so I feel as strongly about this record as I did about my own records for Tone-Cool. I'm going to get gear questions about this record (I always do) so I've posted the gear used on this record track-by-track below.

1. I Believe (Welch) – The Blue Strat – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1958 Fender Pro

2. Get Over Me (Welch) – The Blue Strat – 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket & 1966 Fender Pro Reverb

3. And the Angels Sing (Ellman/Mercer) – The Blue Strat – 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket & 1966 Fender Pro Reverb

4. Love and Trouble (Welch) – The Blue Strat – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1958 Fender Pro

5. Feeling Blue (Norcia) – 1994 National Polychrome Tricone

6. Tell Me What’s Going On (Norcia) – 1958 Sunburst Fender Telecaster – 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket & 1966 Fender Pro Reverb

7. Burial Season (Ward) – The Blue Strat - 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket & 1966 Fender Pro Reverb

8. Why The Sun Sets Red and Low (Ward/Ward) – The Blue Strat – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1958 Fender Pro

9. I Asked My Baby (Welch) – 2000 Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe – 1958 Fender Pro

10. Funk-Shun (King) – The Blue Strat – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1958 Fender Pro

11. Linda Lou (Norcia) – The Blue Strat – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1961 Fender Concert

12. Tomorrow Morning (Welch) – 1958 Sunburst Fender Telecaster – 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket & 1966 Fender Pro Reverb

13. From Now On This Morning (Ward) – 1990’s Fender '52 Reissue Blonde Telecaster – Electroharmonix Holy Grail Reverb – 1958 Fender Pro

What would I change about this record after listening to it for a year? I probably wouldn't have made the Albert King (Funk-Shun) and T-Bone Walker (I Asked My Baby) "tributes" quite so direct; I'm proud of my playing on those tracks, but it is more reflective of my influences than my own style. The rest of the record, however, is a very accurate reflection my own personal style in April of 2002, so I really don't think I have much to apologize for.

On to the next one...

M

12/03/02 - Happy holidays, everybody!  Over the past week, I've had a couple of great gigs with the new Monster Mike Welch Band, including a last-minute gig at Cambridge's House of Blues that had real significance for me.  House of Blues celebrated its 10th anniversary last month, and my professional career effectively started at the opening of the club in November of 1992.  During HOB's opening week, I got to play with my heroes Junior Wells, Steve Cropper, Matt Murphy, and Duck Dunn, and the actor Dan Aykroyd gave me that "Monster" name that keeps following me around.  Being on stage with people of that caliber convinced me to start my own band and look for work beyond the blues-jam circuit, and started what has been an amazing ride.  With this in mind, last Saturday was a great way to celebrate my ten years in the business.  Playing with my own band is a completely different feeling than the Bluetones - the Monster Mike Welch Band is all about intensity and raw passion, where the Bluetones have a much more controlled emotional impact.  I'm glad to have both opportunities in my life right now.  Anyway, new band sounds great, and we're going to try to work as much as possible without interfering with the Bluetones' schedule.  Look for MMW Band gigs in the Upcoming Gigs section of the site. 

On the Bluetones front, our record is officially coming out March 18, and will probably be self-titled (which bothers me a little - I really loved And The Angels Sing as a title - but it's not my record company, is it?).  Wintertime's a little slow for us, but we'll be hitting Canada a couple of times in March, and it looks like there's a Europe trip taking shape for April.  Come see us!  Love to you all from me and Jeannette...may you have nothing but joy in the holiday season...war is over (if you want it)...

10/08/02 - November will be a big month for me - I'm getting married, and I'm reintroducing the Monster Mike Welch Band to the world.  My fiancee, Jeannette, is the most wonderful woman in the world, and the three years I've spent with her have been the best of my life so far.  I can't wait to marry her. 

The Monster Mike Welch Band, on the other hand, is a concept that has lain dormant for a while; even when I've done my own gigs, I've avoided most of my original material from that period and concentrated on older blues songs.  I've been feeling the need to play that material and work on new material, so when Brian Templeton called with the idea of a benefit for Rosie's Place (which does great work - it's a sanctuary for homeless women and children), I knew what I had to do. 

The lineup for the November 25 benefit at Harper's Ferry will be myself on lead guitar and vocals, Barrie Anderson on second guitar, and the longest-standing Monster Mike Welch Band rhythm section: David Hull on bass, and Warren Grant on drums.  It will be great to return to the passionate original blues of that band, and I look forward to doing more, whether that means more gigs or recordings of new material. 

Of course, this doesn't affect my schedule with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones - I have the time to do both, especially seeing as how the MMW Band has one gig to its name so far, and I love being a Bluetone full-time.  In Bluetones news, the new record has officially been pushed back to a March 18 release date, and the projected title (And The Angels Sing) is up in the air again.  It's a bummer, but at least it looks like it might come out.  I just want everybody to hear it already!

9/07/02 - Have I explained the concept of "the Son House Ingredient" yet?  It's an idea that I developed with the help of fellow Bluetone Mudcat Ward and sometime MMW bandmate Barrie Anderson (both musicians who understand the Son House Ingredient).  There's a fantastic video available (Devil Got My Woman) from the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, with Howlin' Wolf, Bukka White, Skip James, and deepest of all, Son House.  If someone were to judge Son's performance solely on technical rather than emotional criteria, he might fall short; his time and pitch are idiosyncratic to say the least, and his guitar playing in the song is primarily composed of beating the hell out of one chord.  If you step back from all that, though (assuming you had the misfortune to see those things in the first place), the emotional and spiritual effect are devastating.  All bulging veins and clenched muscles, Son gives everything he has to every note, and the music is solely an expressive vehicle for the pain and joy inside his soul.  Somewhere in there lies the Son House Ingredient; it's the indefinable, unknown element that makes his every note transcendent, and it's something that all music needs more of, regardless of genre.  It's the Son House Ingredient that first turned me on to John Lennon's voice, and I've heard it recently in everything from Charlie Haden to Radiohead. 

I've been listening to a lot of music recently - Barrie turned me on to Son House's 1969 home recordings, which are as intense as anything I've ever heard.  I've been excited by the back-to-basics movement in rock music, with the Strokes and especially the White Stripes - these are the first modern rock records (save the recent Dylan and Costello efforts) that I've been this excited about in years.  I'm still obsessed with D'Angelo's Voodoo, which is hands down my favorite record of the last five years, chock-full of The Son House Ingredient, and a drastic redefinition of rhythm that I've been trying to incorporate in my own playing. Also - if you can, track down the Ace box set on B.B. King, The Vintage Years - it's among my favorite music of all time, and it's the best concentrated example (especially if you also grab Live at the Regal at the same time) of why B. matters. 

I've also got-ta mention the local musicians that are impressing me these days (and this is just the few I'm remembering to write about - everyone else knows who they are, I think).  Nicole Nelson is probably the strongest singer on the Boston scene right now - she's the real deal when it comes to singing soul music. The Racky Thomas band is playing the hell out of the old Chicago blues and T-Bone jump (and I get the feeling that there's a lot of contemporary West Coast in there - I'm just not that familiar with those guys, so I hear Sonny Boy and T-Bone).  Lydia Warren is what would have happened if Magic Sam were a 19-year old girl from Franklin, MA, and she mixes gritty West Side blues with great original songs that owe as much to contemporary R&B.  My friend Barrie Anderson, who I mentioned earlier, is the guitar player who reminds me to keep reaching for the Son House Ingredient.  Barrie and I have been playing a lot together around the house, working on new and old music - maybe at some point I'll let people hear it.

6/19/02 - Completely overhauled the Gear Page and the Links Page.  A Merchandise Page is coming soon.

06/17/02 - Hello there!  I realize it's been a while since the last post, but life has been sooooo busy...between one week in the studio, three weeks in Europe, a couple of days in Tampa to see Paul McCartney (I was on the road when he hit Boston), and a steady flow of gigs since then, I don't even know where I am sometimes.  Europe was great, by the way. A bit of a profound beating when you consider the single day we had off in the middle of a three-weeker, but that's what we signed up for.

The record is complete, save for mastering and artwork.  It's tentatively entitled And the Angels Sing, it should be released in September, and it's possibly the crowning achievement of my short career to date.  Most of it was laid down first-take and live in the studio (vocals included - Sugar Ray doesn't tend to miss notes), and I've never played better on a record.  I can't wait to play it for all of you.

We're finally committing to a Merchandise page - sorry that we can't accommodate credit card/online ordering at this point, but that's the way it is...Until we get it up and running, you can get CDs by contacting me at monstermikewelch@yahoo.com.

Big news on the Gear front - I'm now an Epiphone endorser.  I've always loved the Epiphone line of instruments (especially their budget-minded reissues of drastically expensive Gibsons), and I'm proud to be associated with that company.  I have a new Riviera on order, which I've wanted ever since I saw pictures of Magic Sam when I was little, but I've used Epiphones for a long time.  The solo on Catch Me's "As Good As Gone" is a Casino, which I also used a bit on Brian Templeton's CD Home, and I played a Zephyr Blues Deluxe archtop on "I Asked My Baby" on the upcoming Bluetones CD.  You can ogle Epiphone's products at - where else? - www.epiphone.com

I get to play with James Cotton again this weekend. If you're in the Northampton area, come say hi - I miss the loyal Northampton crowd.

04/02/02 - There's a short video clip of the Bluetones at http://www.mp3blues4u.com - on my computer, it was a little grainy and (more annoying) the sound skipped a little bit (which interfered with our groove - I don't mind video problems, but anything that messes with the music bugs me), but Sugar plays great on it, and it's the only video of us out there.  Check it out.

03/31/02 - Where were we?  Let's see...We just got back from a short Canadian tour.  Unfortunately, snow followed us around, but that didn't seem to hurt the experience of playing much.  All of the shows were good, with Quebec a definite standout; the performance, environment, acoustics, and crowd response were all unusually close to perfect.  It's not that unusual for one or two of those things to be great, but to have them all great is a thing to be treasured. 

We've been rehearsing for the next Bluetones record, to be recorded next week and hopefully released in the fall on Severn Records (www.severnrecords.com).  So far, Mudcat, Sugar and myself have written about four tunes each, and there's an Albert King cover ("Funk-Shun") on the list, although who knows what could happen once we get in the studio.  I'm excited about this record - every song is deep blues, but the stylistic range is wider than any Bluetone record to date.  So far, the material hangs together really well - we'll see what ends up on the record.  I have a feeling it's going to be the strongest work I've ever done; these guys push me to play my best, and I'm proud of the writing I've done.  It's a thrill to have a voice like Ray's sing your words... 

So far, these are the tunes in alphabetical order.  Of course, they're likely to change: 

BURIAL SEASON (Mudcat Ward) - This might be my favorite tune on the list.  It's like an old folk death ballad as interpreted by Muddy Waters, Big Crawford, and Little Walter. 

FEELING BLUE (Sugar Ray Norcia) - Inspired by Jelly Roll Morton, this tune allows Sugar to croon as only he can, and play some great Big Walter-like harp.  I'm looking forward to recording it - the plan is to play a National Steel in kind of a Lonnie Johnson style. 

FROM NOW ON THIS MORNING (Ward) - This is a beautiful instrumental that Mudcat wrote in response to the horrors of last September.  Musically, it's along the lines of late-night Blue Note jazz, but with the harp carrying the melody instead of a horn. 

FUNK-SHUN (King) - We've been playing this number at shows for a while now.  It's the perfect Albert King slow blues, with hollering and stinging guitar way out front, and it's a nice chance for me to step out. Sugar takes a couple of great choruses on harp, too. 

GET OVER ME (Welch) - One of my tunes, this is an 8-bar blues stroll with biting Freddy King-inspired guitar.  I wrote this song with Ray in mind, and he sings it unbelievably well.  I get to sing harmony, too. 

I ASKED MY BABY (Welch) - Another breakup song on my part.  You'd think with my getting married and all, I'd be less inclined to write these, but let's face it, they're just more fun to write.  Lyrically, this is obtusely inspired by a line in Woody Allen's "Bananas". Don't laugh - one of the most popular Monster Mike Band tunes ("Cold Poison") was built from a throwaway line in "Monty Python at the Hollywood Bowl".  Musically, it's a chance for me to play T-Bone Walker over Gouvin's flat tire groove. 

LINDA LOU (Norcia) - Sugar's tune.  Warm and direct, with a country inspired melody over a heavy Neil Gouvin double shuffle and great Mudcat blues bass line.  The lyrics refreshingly have a lot of love and warmth.  Ray's the only guy I know who can write these things. 

LOVE AND TROUBLE (Welch) - West Side Chicago blues.  I can say no more. 

TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON (Norcia) - This is the classic Bluetone march sound.  It's got a great melody from Ray. 

TOMORROW MORNING (Welch) - I've had these lyrics hanging around for a while, so this song may be partially familiar to die-hard fans who used to see the Monster Mike band, but I was never happy with any music I put those lyrics to.  I've always wanted to find a way to write a blues waltz - you get bluesy waltzes in jazz all the time, but actual blues waltzes are rare enough where I'm not sure I've ever heard one.  I combined a Howlin' Wolf-like Delta drone with a bass idea I'd heard on a Kenny Burrell record to create a brand new groove that sounded like neither. The "Tomorrow Morning" lyrics fit this new groove like a hand into a glove.  Ironically, I used to do this song with the Monster Mike band as a Bluetone-inspired march. 

WHY THE SUN SETS RED AND LOW (Ward/Ward) - Mudcat wrote this Cajun dance number with his son Clay. Sugar plays phenomenal harp on this one - it's like a Cajun squeezebox run through a cranked Fender amp. 

Can you tell I'm excited about this record? 

In other news: 

Local blues scribe Art Simas has just released his first book, "Boston's Blues."   It's a series of articles about local blues musicians, and guess who made the cover?  (Yeah, of course, Ronnie Earl, but me too...really!)  The piece on me is a nice snapshot of where I was prior to joining the Bluetones: reassessing where I'd been, but definitely searching for something new.  There's a nice piece on Sugar Ray in there, too.  It's available at www.1stbooks.com. The only major flaw with it is the lack of a feature about Mudcat Ward; surely no other Boston bluesman has as many great stories of playing with the greats, and his recording resume more than backs that up. 

We're going to Europe in two or three weeks.  Most of the shows are in Norway, which I've only briefly visited in the past.  Some of the Europe dates in the Upcoming Gigs section may be inaccurate - unfortunately, I don't really have better information at this point.

02/05/02 - The Bluetones are scheduled to go into the studio at the beginning of April.  It will be the fourth Bluetones album (if you don't include Ronnie Earl's "They Call Me Mr. Earl" or Big Walter Horton's "Little Boy Blue") and the first to feature the current lineup with yours truly on guitar.  No definitive word on a release date from Severn Records, but this fall seems like a good bet.  (And things as always are subject to change...) Check out what Severn has to offer in the meantime: www.severnrecords.com. See you at the shows!

1/15/02 - Happy New Year!  To paraphrase an old friend, let's make 2002 a good one without any tears.... 

Over the past few weeks, I've been blessed to play with Duke Robillard a few times.  Duke is possibly the most gracious guitar player I've ever played with. Our first gig together was with an expanded 11-piece band (the Bluetones, Duke, piano and five horns), performing music that traditionally includes one guitar at the most.  With most players, this would be a recipe for disaster; the guitarist's inclination is to fill space, and in an 11-piece band, there simply isn't space to fill.  I knew Duke's astounding talent, touch, depth of knowledge, and versatility; what I didn't know was his incredible sensitivity to the needs of the music. 

The Gear section, of course, needs updating again - this time with new pictures.  The Blue Strat is still the main guitar, and I bring the Les Paul out to gigs where I want a fatter sound, but I've returned the Telecaster to George Lewis, all but retired the Parker NiteFly (great guitar - not really right for all of this roots music I'm playing.  Still play it at home, though), and returned the Exploding Puppy to Ron Auclair to get work done.  I've added a sunburst Fender 50's reissue Stratocaster as a backup to the Blue one, found a Kay archtop in Michigan, and received a beautifully beat-up no-name small acoustic guitar from Jeannette for Christmas.  Amps?  The Ampeg and Holland are non-issues until I get them back from their respective shops; 9 times out of 9 1/2, you'll see the Fender Pro onstage with me.  The only effect I've been using is a tuner, and I'm playing as much with my fingers (as opposed to a pick) as I can. Also, I've rediscovered the Strat's whammy bar; I've been exploring its range from Sammy Lawhorn shimmer to Ike Turner nervous twitch. 

We've got some Monster Mondays this month and next; I'm trying to book as many as I can with my schedule. This weekend is also the debut of the Monster Mike Welch Blues and Rhythm Combo at House of Blues; these guys are among my favorite players around town, and it gives me a chance to sing and play the organ- and horn-driven blues I've never really had an extended chance to.  Hope to see you there!

12/06/01 - Updated most of the answers in the FAQ section.

10/11/01 - Greetings from the road!  I'm currently in Middleton, WI with the Bluetones, and things are good. I'd be lying if I said we weren't feeling the effects of the Great Blues-Band Depression of 2001 (only made worse by the uncertain nature of the world these days), but we've all been through worse, and it's up to bands like us (and great audiences like those who have shown up at these gigs) to keep this music alive. And the gigs have been great - it's a wonderful thing to be able to go out and play the blues for people who could use it right about now. 

The band has been blowing my mind every night.  Neil's groove is an amazing thing - it's deep and precise, with every backbeat just far enough behind to make it swing.  Also, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the shuffle in all its forms, so each song is given a life distinct from the other tunes in the repertoire. Mudcat is great at rawness-with-finesse - he can make the groove a little old and rickety sounding without ever losing the stability or sexiness.  This creates an incredible push-and-pull with Neil's precision that makes the band rock like a bastard.  He also brings an unbridled enthusiasm to this music, and a passion for interaction that pulls the band in all sorts of exciting directions. 

And then there's Sugar Ray.  In my lifetime, I've been blessed to have some wonderfully telepathic musical relationships, where it feels like my musical partner and I are completing each other's thoughts.  In this list I would include Warren Grant (the drummer in the Monster Mike Welch Band), singer Shemekia Copeland (check out "Ghetto Child" on her first record), pianist David Maxwell ("Worried Life Blues" on my "Catch Me" CD), and of course, my songwriting partnership with George Lewis.  I very strongly feel that I've developed this with Ray. 

Ray Norcia is remarkable because he manages to combine two talents that most people can only develop one of if they're lucky.  On the one hand, Ray is a raw Chicago-styled bluesman.  In a world of harp-playing Little Walter students, Ray is a disciple of Big Walter Horton.  Even when Ray is playing licks and sounds that Big Walter never played (the Cajun melodies of "No Good Woman," the divergent styles of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson), the influence of Big Walter's simplicity and huge tone shines through.  His voice is well suited for the raw Chicago blues, too, evoking Jimmy Rogers, Muddy, Magic Sam, and others. 

On the other hand, he's also a master of the uptown blues.  As a member of Roomful of Blues, he showed this all the time, especially on tunes like the Jimmy Rushing-associated "I Left My Baby."  In the smaller, more blues-oriented Bluetones, this incredible control and smoothness seasons everything Sugar sings, and gives a dimension to his storytelling and self expression (did I mention he's also a great songwriter?) that is inspiring to play behind. Now I'm fired up to go play tonight!  See you at the next show...

09/18/01 - As you all know, the world has changed a lot since the last post. Our beloved country has been at the receiving end of a lot of hatred, and I implore all of us not to respond in kind. Our leaders are presently searching for appropriate responses to this horror, and I pray that they are successful rather than merely vengeful. May God (or whoever/whatever brings you comfort, safety, and joy) bless you and your loved ones, and keep you safe.

Sigh. Out of respect to all of those suffering, the Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Canadian tour was cancelled last week. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to get up to see you soon.

There are a couple of news points - Monster Mondays are making a brief reappearance on September 24th and October 1. As you can see, the Bluetones' schedule is too crazy to allow for a consistent Monday-night presence on my part, but we'll be booking as many Monday nights at Jake and Earl's as we can.

Keep your eye out for a merchandise page on this site - we've had enough requests for the old Monster Mike
Welch Band CD's, the Repeat Offenders EP, and other merchandise that it seems the time is right to institute a mail-order section. There could even be T-Shirts and video cassettes involved, if I can get my act together.

Also, the Gear page is in need of an overhaul - since I've joined the Bluetones, I've all but stopped using the Line 6 amp in favor of my old Pro Reverb, and I have a Holland amp on order that should be arriving next week or so. If the Holland lives up to its incredible reputation, I get the feeling it could become a primary source of amplification.

For our New England fans, the Bluetones are playing a couple of big festivals next week - the White Mountain Jazz and Blues Fest in North Conway, NH (with our friends Toni Lynn Washington, the Love Dogs and others), and the Boston Blues Festival on the Hatch Shell (with Ronnie and Lydia and a whole bunch of good people). Both should be great - I hope to see you there.

Take care. We love you all.
M

8/1/01 - I just got back from Toronto with the Bluetones - we had a chance to play in front of a big crowd, and the response was fantastic.  The schedule seems to be picking up, and we are going on the road more frequently.  A Midwestern tour is shaping up nicely for October, we're going to Philly in November, and we've got a European trip in the works for spring of next year.  Ray is playing and singing brilliantly, and the band is maturing into a fearsome live unit, pushing me to play better than I ever have.

7/30/01 - Hey everybody!  Sorry about the SERIOUS delay with this site.  The big news is that Monster Mondays have gone on hiatus until the fall - hope to see you out in droves after September 3 (and at all of the gigs between now and then - check the Upcoming Gigs page). I've been having a blast playing with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, and we're starting to hit the road a little more, so make sure you check us out if we hit anywhere within 100 miles of your town - it's worth it, trust me.  Hopefully, we'll be making the next record in the fall or winter, but in the interim, you can check out the current Bluetones record - I'm not on it, but believe me, it's really good. 

What else have I been doing?  Well, there are more gigs with Tom Hambridge, and I'm going to be participating in a session for basic tracks on the next Johnny Winter record, which T.H. is producing - hopefully, that will pan out and I'll be on the record!  Cross your fingers.  Also, I've been playing around town with Dennis Brennan a bit - Dennis is an incredible performer and a brilliant singer/songwriter.  There have been murmurings about me playing on his next record, as well, but even if I don't, he's still more than worth seeing - a genius musician with a great band (Monster Mondays' own Brad Hallen on bass) and great, great songs.

5/14/01 - It's been a hectic first half of May, what with trying to finish school and all. Unfortunately, the Bluetones' schedule is fairly light this month (although, as you can see in the Upcoming Gigs page, it picks right up in the summer), but there are still some exciting things happening.  

To start off the month, the Bluetones had a phenomenal  gig at the Regattabar (see the Pictures page), with surprise visits by Ronnie Earl and David Maxwell.  Ronnie Earl is possibly my favorite guitar player around these days, and it's always a treat to see him happy and healthy and playing well. David Maxwell is Boston's resident piano genius; he's James Cotton's right hand man, but his resume includes everything from Freddie King to Jimmy Rogers to Otis Rush to Bonnie Raitt to John Lee Hooker...you get the idea.  I'm playing a special show (again at the Regattabar) on May 30 with Maxwell, Mudcat, and Per Hanson (and Ronnie has made some hints about showing up and wanting to play), so that will be a special show.

The other really exciting thing this month is the return of Tom Hambridge. I haven't played with Tom for a couple of months, and I miss it; it fills my need to be part of a stellar rock and roll band. Tom is a great songwriter and brilliant performer, and the band includes incendiary Boston rock legend (he'll love this) Sal Baglio, so those aren't shows to miss.  Check out the Upcoming Gigs page.

My baby - the Blue Strat - is currently undergoing a major overhaul, and I miss it. I've been playing all the other guitars I have laying around, and none of them are that close to me. When I get her back, I'll update the Gear page with the specifics of what I've done.

Can't wait to play with the Bluetones again...June 8 at Gilrein's...

4/30/01 - Hey everybody! Sorry about the long time between updates. The biggest news is Monster Monday's new summer hours. FROM NOW UNTIL THE FALL, MONSTER MONDAYS ARE ONE SHOW STARTING AT 9pm. Now that that's out of the way... The Bluetones are sounding better and better with every gig. We completely slayed 'em in Canada this month, which bodes well for upcoming road work. Ray's record, "Rockin' Sugar Daddy" (recorded before I joined) will be out at the end of May, so the schedule should be picking up considerably after that. You have to go see this show if you like the blues! 

3/27/01 - Playing with Sugar Ray and the Bluetones is like Blues Band 101. Ray is one of the best singers in the blues, mixing convincing deep blues grit with a crooner's dynamics and control, and his harp playing is beautiful. Michael "Mudcat" Ward is on upright bass and bass guitar, and he's always been one of my favorite blues players on any instrument - the guy just lives and breathes the blues, and plays with a lot of personality and soul. The drummer, Neil Gouvin, is a double-shuffle machine, and makes sure the whole band swings with authority. The repertoire runs the entire gamut of the blues, and was a model for what I've been trying to do with Monster Mondays, mixing a great cross-section of old blues and R&B with powerful originals. These guys are some of the best I know at playing "in the tradition" without ever sacrificing their own personalities. This is a hard thing to do - most people think they're doing the job if they can recreate the notes on old blues records.  That isn't the real tradition, though - it's not what Muddy did, it's not what T-Bone did, and it's not what B.B. did. The real blues players play themselves, and their own voices never fail to come through. The Bluetones were always heroes of mine because their personalities were so strong. I'm proud to be part of it, and I get to play a lot of guitar. Apart from a couple of shows that I can't make, it looks like I'm going to spend a lot of time on stage with these guys (Ray's even talking about taking promo pictures with me in them), so be sure to drop by if we're in your town.

Monster Mondays continue to grow into something more and more beautiful. The audiences are some of the best I've ever played for, and even if you don't like us or the blues (which raises the question of why you're reading this), the food is beyond amazing and the vibe is a really great, intimate, grass-roots kind of thing. Again, a sincere thanks to everyone who's made this thing so great. Hope to see you next week.

3/20/01 - Added "Down on Bending Knees" full MP3 audio file to Multimedia section.

3/15/01: Just got back from Seattle, where I was filming a TV commercial (believe it or not) for Umpqua Bank up in Oregon. So if anyone reading this is in the Oregon area, watch for that commercial – I’m the one playing the guitar. Seriously, everyone involved was really great, and I got a chance to sing and play some deep, old-sounding blues.

But I suppose you want to know about James Cotton and Monster Mondays, right?

For anyone who doesn’t know about James, he’s one of the greatest harmonica players in history, and his story goes roughly like this: He learned to play harmonica from Sonny Boy Williamson (the second one) and Howlin’ Wolf in West Helena, Arkansas in the forties. He moved to Chicago and replaced Little Walter in Muddy Waters’ band in the late fifties (that’s him on Muddy Waters Live at Newport and countless classic Muddy singles), holding the most respected harp gig in the world for longer than any other musician. He made an mark of his own in the sixties; he was one of the pivotal figures in the introduction of soul-revue or rock-band style energy into deep Chicago blues.

These days, James has reverted back to a more traditional sound reminiscent of his days in Muddy’s band. Unfortunately, he recently lost his voice to throat cancer, but his harp playing is better than ever, and Darrell Nulisch handles the vocal chores brilliantly. Friday night at House of Blues was one of the deepest musical experiences I’ve ever had – the whole band felt tapped-in to the well of tradition that Cotton represents, and he was in soaring form.  I’ve never heard a harmonica sound that huge (James uses a standard full-range mic right into the PA, so I knew the sound was coming from him and not an amp – as much as I love distorted amplified harmonica), and I’ve rarely been part of a band that was that elastic and grooving and inspired. Saturday night in New York was a little more ragged, primarily because of the horrible sounding monitors that fed back incessantly (which, thank God, was only a problem on stage – the audience barely noticed it), but a good time was had by all. Hopefully, we’ll have pictures up soon.

Monster Mondays got off to a great start this week.  The crowd was great (a big thank-you to everyone who showed up – the more you come out, the longer we can keep this going…), Jake and Earl’s is a great little place, and I love playing with Brad and Warren. It looks like we may have some special guests next week (and, I assume, in the weeks to come), so drop in and check it out!

3/7/01:  Pictures added to the Gear section.

3/5/01: What a great weekend! On Friday night, I had the honor of playing Berklee’s Guitar Night with two other students, both of whom were great players.  Sebastian Muller played a set of contemporary jazz, Eduardo Faiella played a set of progressive rock instrumentals, and I played a set of blues and rock.  I had Warren Grant and Brad Hallen playing with me (which was a nice trial run for Monster Mondays starting next week). We played a short set consisting of “Freezer Burn,” “Jessie’s Blues,” and the Band of Gypsys’ “Power of Soul” – as the night was about the guitar, I thought a nod in Jimi’s direction was only appropriate. On Saturday, I went on a short road trip with Tom Hambridge and his band. We opened for Johnny Winter at the Vanderbilt in Long Island – great venue, great crowd – and then we played a stripped down, semi-unplugged set on Sunday at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Manhattan. Tom has been getting great responses every time we’ve played – he’s a wonderful writer (he wrote Susan Tedeschi’s big hits), and it’s fun to be part of such a slamming little rock and roll band. I wish I could do all of his gigs. On a strange side note, Tom’s friend Billy J. Kramer (of British Invasion fame) was at the Vanderbilt show – I wish we had more time to play, so we could have brought him up for “Bad to Me” or “Do You Want to Know A Secret.” I’m only half kidding.

Next week, I’m back to the blues with James Cotton and his dream band – David Maxwell on piano, Darrell Nulisch on vocals, Michael “Mudcat” Ward on bass (both upright and downright), and Per Hanson on drums. I don’t know of any people better at playing the blues.  Check the Upcoming Gigs section for the dates, and check this section for a full report. Also, check out the Boston Globe’s Living/Arts section on Friday for an article on what I’ve been up to.