MIKEY JR. AND MATT DANIELS - Pocket Full of Money
Mikey Jr. seems like an unlikely name for a blues guy. Don’t let the name put you off, this guy’s got the goods. He convinced me at last year’s Heritage Blues Festival in Wheeling. Backed by a crack band, he put on a great performance, wailing out chorus after chorus of harp licks, jumping off the stage and into the crowd with his wireless rig. The point was driven home at the after jam, when I went outside for a smoke. Out comes Mikey Jr., soaked with sweat from the August heat, fueled by some liquid refreshment, still blowing away on his chromatic. The guy loves to play and entertain
That brings me to this CD, Pocket Full of Money. It is subtitled “the acoustic recordings." It’s stripped down, “old school” blues, just acoustic guitar, stand-up bass and Mikey Jr., singing and blowing acoustic harp. The opening title cut grabs you by the lapels and gets your attention. Driven by his soulful, passionate vocals, accompanied only by acoustic guitar and of course Mikey’s harp. He lets guitarist Matt Daniels stretch out solo on “North Country Blues,” a nice finger picked showcase for him. He covers four Robert Johnson songs and two Muddy Waters’ tunes. That’s my only (minor) complaint about this CD- I would have liked to hear more original songs, or at least some more obscure covers. Still, it’s a good CD. Mikey Jr. is a very talented harp player and singer. If you ever get a chance to see him in person, jump on it. He puts on a great show!
~Tuck Majeran
