Hear The Track Here
Although tracks from Mike Kohlgraf (aka Mike-K) are not rare - the man is a virtual tune machine - tracks with just him on it are extremely rare these days. Not that I am complaining, mind. Even when I have to get through one of Mike's 'middle of the road' specials, the experience is never that daunting. I suspect one of the reasons Mike gets the whole world and his brother (Ed: albeit a very select whole world etc) to play on his tracks is because of that quality. No matter what genre the man works in, you can bet it will sound clean enough to eat your dinner off it. I must admit that I have enjoyed the latest series of tracks from this source, and I can't always say that with this musician. When he's in his element IMHO is when he's deep in the blues....Like this one...
I've been into the blues since I was a spotty faced teen (Ed: and that was when Queen Victoria was on the throne blah blah yadda yadda...) and I'm a bit of a stickler (Ed: meaning he crucifies those who transgress) for the blues proprieties; it has to sound right. Now I know for a fact that Mike has a well developed sense of what the blues is so I had no trepidation about stepping straight into this tune, especially seeing as it has a guest appearance from Mack Sanders on guitar lead. For those who remember that Mike can be a bit of a musical smoothie at times, then Mack Sanders is the Brylcreem Man. Mind you, the outcome of all that schmooze is that he is adored by flocks of women everywhere. The chatroom of a Saturday night can get well steamy when Mr Saunders is about..but that's another story and one he'll no doubt pay me to keep quiet.
Another of my life's great loves sprawls all over this track like some wanton hussy (Ed: OK Gilmore, get off this kick right now), spraying aural honey in every direction. For electric blues to really work properly the one OTHER essential ingredient besides guitar is the legendary Hammond B3 and Moonlight Shuffle features a beauty. No doubt about it, the last sequence of tracks from Mike-K has shown that his style has undergone some major changes - culminating in something as wonderful as this. This is a 'smoky, dimly light bar' blues of the grand style, complete with some of the smoothest vocals you are likely to hear this side of nirvana (the heavenly abode, not the band). Grab this wherever you can because the combination of these two talents is very special indeed.
First class blues. MUST HAVE.
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