Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Last Nite at the Bluebird Live , from Mike Henderson and it's a super live recording. Opening with Weepin' and Moanin' , Mike Henderson wastes no time diggin' in deep on his guitar, squeezing the blues out of the neck. With Kevin McKendree playing impeccable rhythm on piano, Steve Mackey on bass and Pat O'Connor on drums Henderson sings the blues bringing to mind the vocals of Johnny Winter . Excellent opener. JB Hutto 's Too Much Alcohol   is up next and Henderson slips on his slide and puts it to work. This is a tasty shuffle with great vocals and with Henderson and McKendree both really rolling. Smoking!  Mercy Dee Walton 's One Room Country Shack is a strong, slow blues, giving Henderson to show his soulful vocals. McKendree plays some great piano lead. Henderson slide in with authority showing excellent blues style slide work giving this track real grit. Big Walter Horton's Have A G...

I just received the newest release, If You Think It's Hot Here.. ., from The Mike Henderson Band and it's quite good! Opening with I Wanna Know Why , a creeping blues number with some great Fender guitar tones. Michael Rhodes lays down a real serious bass lead and Henderson has a voice that is just right for this type of blues rock music. Kevin McKendree really hammers the piano and Henderson gets down serious with some tasty blues riffs making this a great opener. Send You Back To Georgia is a great rock and roller with a serious rocking beat (Pat O'Connor - drums) and McKendree really takes the opportunity to bring this baby to it's knees. Henderson whips out the slide and rides the lower fretboard with some deep grinding grooves. Excellent! On shuffle track, Houndog Taylor's It's Alright is a great 12 bar number with a serious lope. McKendree takes the first leg and Henderson the second on slide for a super romp in blues land. Title R&B style track, ...

Mike Henderson was born in Independence, Missouri, just outside Kansas City. He grew up in a household humming with music and he’s grateful to his mother for spinning the records of everyone from bluesman John Lee Hooker to big band leader Tommy Dorsey as she did her housework. Listening to Top 40 radio in the 60’s opened Mike’s ears, too. “That was the old Top 40,” says Mike, “there was Slim Harpo, Ray Price, Ray Charles, and The Beatles and everybody was on one station. That’s what you heard. So, I grew up hearing a really wide variety.” Beginning with the harmonica at the age of five and graduating to guitar at around the age of twelve or thirteen, Henderson dove head first into music. During his years in high school he played rock & roll in garage bands but rock music soon wore thin for the teenage musician and that’s when he discovered country music. Mike put away his electric guitar and got hold of a flat top acoustic while listening more and more to folk and bluegr...