Mike Zito and the Wheel’s latest album Gone to Texas was released on Ruf Records back in June of this year, and has occupied a spot at the top of the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart for most of the summer. For the last two weeks it has held steady at No. 7! From Mike’s biography at his website:
Mike Zito couldn’t help but be great. It was either that, probably, or end up on a wanted poster in the post office. There is something deep down in Zito’s soul that will not stop screaming, pushing him to take life to the limit and worry about the tab later. Before he found music and really let it become the guiding force in his world, the young man ran in all the wrong directions. Sometimes people were chasing him, but just as often Mike Zito was running from himself. Finally there was nowhere to run. It was time to literally face the music. And what Zito found was that he had a sound buried inside, something that was trying to get out and share itself with the world.
That’s where the Greyhound bus enters the picture — in a big way, because the singing guitarist grabbed one out of town with a ticket to anywhere else. When he got there, Zito started playing like his life depended on it, because it actually did. He put his shoulders and heart into it with everything he had, and worked his way up the mountain to where he stands today. Read More
Mike Zito was nominated in 2011 for the Blues Music Foundation’s ‘Best Blues Rock’ award, and winner of 2010′s Blues Music Award! In conjunction with his solo career, Mike is also a member of the Royal Southern Brotherhood whose other members include: Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooten (bass) and Yonrico Scott(drums)
I first heard Mike’s music back in 2010, when I started this blog. Pearl River was his first release that I discovered. I wasn’t as thrilled with his follow-up album Greyhound but after listening and enjoying Mike’s guitar work as well as his vocals today, I just may have to give Greyhound another listen and while I’m at it maybe I’ll go for the triple play and listen to Pearl River, too
So how about we go “into the night” with “Don’t Break A Leg” from Gone to Texas!!