Mike Zito
NewMusicForOldFolks says …
Mike Zito was one of the founders of The Royal Southern Brotherhood. He and Devon Allman only stuck around for one album and a couple of tours before essentially leaving the band to Cyril Neville. But there was a reason RSB was considered a Southern Blues supergroup. Zito is a top-notch guitar player and songwriter and has put together an impressive list of albums. He's touring most of the U.S. this summer to back-up his newest release, First Class Life, before heading to Europe with Ruf Records label mate Bernard Allison. Check the tour schedule and check him out.
Artist's Info
Website: mikezito.com
See him live: Tour dates
Record company: Ruf Records
Genre: Blues
If you like this, look into: Tommy Castro, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Coco Montoya
Bio (From the artist's website)
As is fitting for a man with the word “Blues” tattooed across his picking hand, Mike Zito's First Class Life focuses squarely on blues with heart and chops to spare, not to mention wit and openness. The punchy “Time For A Change” conjures the tension in the world today while the exquisite Memphis-style song, “The World We Live In,” which recalls BB King in its world-weariness. The electrified blues bounce of “Dying Day” finds Zito swearing lifelong allegiance to his wife. “Old Black Graveyard” sets the scene of a bluesman’s final resting place and its disrepair, along with some possible supernatural influences, with Zito’s masterful slide guitar flourishes driving it home. (more)
Spotify sampler
Recordings
FIRST CLASS LIFE (2018): There may not be a more honest bluesman than Mike Zito, whose 15th album First Class Life dropped May 11 on Ruf Records. The rocking yet poignant title track explores his journey from addiction to sobriety and then musical recognition; he is a two-time 2017 Blues Music Award nominee. “Second chance at a first class life,” he sings, recalling the hard times. The Texas-based musician smiles and continues, “I grew up poor in St. Louis, and now I'm travelling the world to sing my songs.”
OTHER RECORDINGS
Today (2008)
Pearl River (2009)
Greyhound (2011)
Songs From The Road (2014)
Keep Coming Back (2015)
Make Blues Not War (2016)
