Mikey Junior: Products

CD BABY:  http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MikeyJunior

LINER NOTES by Thomas J. Cullen...

Singer/songwriter/harmonica wizard Mikey Junior is a native of Trenton, NJ who grew up across the Delaware River in Bucks County, PA. He came to the blues via his musician father’s record collection and by his early twenties (he just turned 30) he was a full time musician leading his own band up and down the East Coast. Three of his most important harmonica influences are Steve Guyger (Jimmy Rogers’ former harmonica player is native Bucks Countian), William Clarke, and Clarke’s mentor George "Harmonica" Smith. Mikey combines Clarke’s visceral lyricism, Guyger’s dynamic subtlety, and Smith’s muscular thunder (on chromatic) in his ever developing style. The impetus for Mikey’s sixth album was his desire to measure his progress as a musician with a combination of originals and personal favorites like Jimmy Roger’s "What Have I Done" (a long time staple of Steve Guyger’s repertoire) and George Smith’s signature slow blues "Telephone Blues," one of Mikey’s most dramatic performance pieces, for covers. (Smith is also the source for the funky instrumental "Hawaiian Eye," an obscure detective show of the early Sixties and the precursor to "Hawaii Five-O" and "Magnum P.I."). Mikey is no one trick pony as a songwriter either as evinced by the rollicking "Cheapskate" with its witty self-deprecation, the brawny Berryesque rocker "You All Alone," the wry grinder "Pocket Full of Money," and the fire and fury of burning love with the sinewy title track. Mikey Junior has talent, taste, and plenty of soul – it ain’t hard to tell! -Thomas J. Cullen; Bucks County Blues Society Director and Blues Revue Contributing Editor

To blues fans in the Northeast United States, it's a special treat to see Mikey Jr. and his sidekick Matt Daniels at one of their many acoustic shows. Now, for the first time, you can hear these two tremendous bluesmen do what they do best.This full length album features many of the crowds favorites. Get it today!

“…He attacks his diatonic with a demonic vengeance and is smooth as southern comfort on ice when playing the chromatic,Mikey Junior is a rapidly rising blue harp performer, and rightfully so…”Jeff Silverman, Harmonica 411.com 2010 www.Harmonica411.com

 "…Mikey Jr. and the Stone Cold Blues -- remember that name -- laid down some serious, tough, old-fashioned blues last night at the Thunderbird Cafe.A lot of young bluesmen just pay tribute to the music -- Mikey Jr. has become the music he loves."
Pittsburgh Post Gazette 2009

 “…If he keeps Blowing Harmonica like that , people gonna find out who Mikey Junior is real soon”
Sonny Rhodes 2009

 “… As a rising star of the blues scene, I expect to see much more of Mikey Jr. making his way around the blues festival circuits in the near future”
Cobbler John Bolen, President of The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society in Marietta, OHIO 2008

 “… I have never seen a crowd keep to their seats when Mikey Jr. & The Stone Cold Blues are on the stage”
Kelli Tome “Bluesgirl”  www.fullmoonblues.com 2008

 “… It’s nice to see young people playing some Real Blues”
Debbie Davies 2008

 “… We’ve had Mikey in-doors, and we’ve had Mikey out-doors, and he’s blown our audience away each time.He’s a great harp player, a killer showman, and he’s got a real hot band.
Steve Tanzer Promoter-Arden Concert Gild www.ardenclub.com 2008

 “… I would highly recommend Mikey Jr. & Stone Cold Blues for any type of event. You will not be disappointed!”
Gene Fontana / Director Diamond State Blues Society www.diamondstateblues.com 2008

“… Each member of the band compliments the other with their talents and at the end of the night all you can say is “WOW”
Marko Wellbank President Bucks County Motorcycle Association. www.bcma1996.net  2008

“… Mikey Junior is exactly what blues needs today — talented, engaging and young.He bridges the gap between generations of music lovers and makes it cool to love something old-school.At the same time, he has gained the respectability of his blues peers and contemporaries, by stayingtrue to the genre — all the while, remaining true to Mikey Junior, as well.”
Lori Donovan Contributing Writer, Blues Revue Magazine 2008

“… The legacy of immortals like Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Big Walter Horton lives  on in the infectious harmonica blues of Mikey Jr., a true apostle of joy.”
Thomas J. Cullen - contributing editor for Blues Revue and director/co-founder of the acclaimed Bucks County Blues Society 2007
www.bucksbluessociety.com

“ ...blues is in his Soul, the kid is a harmonica wizard.”
Tim Marshall, Rhythm & Blues Showcase WBZC 88.9/99.5FM 2006

“… Mikey does it his way, and that’s the best way. This guy rules on the harp.”
Mike Vagnoni, Out On The Town Magazine 2005

 “ ...his Knowledge of Traditional Blues Harp is impressive and his high endwork on the instrument is as clean and as strong as players twice his age.”
Phillyblues.com 2004

 “ ...This young man plays with a lot of soul.”
Larry Cotton, In The Basement Magazine 2003

 “ ...Mikey Jr. rocks into the future guided by the wisdom of the harmonica greats, a real harmonica prodigy.”
John Francis, Best Lil’ Harp House 2003

“ ...At the not-so-grizzled age of 22 Mikey Junior is one of the areas more coveted blues musicians, playing Traditional Classic Blues in a warm gritty style that belies his inexperience, truly a master in the making.”
Andy Vineberg, Bucks County Courier Times 2002