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MITCH WOODS BIOGRAPHY
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Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s have been the torchbearers of a great American blues musical heritage, not for two years but two decades. Taking their inspiration from the great jump n' boogie outfits of the late 40s and early 50s, they breathe fresh life into the music that gave birth to rock n' roll. Woods styled his group after the jumpin' n' jivin', shoutin' n' honkin', pumpin' n' poundin' bands of Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Joe and Jimmy Liggins, Amos Milburn, and Roy Milton. Adding a healthy dose of New Orleans rhythm and blues, piledrivin' piano, and some of his own contemporary playful lyrics, Woods and His Rocket 88s forge their own brand of music they call "rock-a-boogie." Born in Brooklyn in 1951, Mitch Woods began playing classical piano at eleven, but his real initiation into blues and boogie piano had already been assured at age eight. "My mom would hire this superintendent of the building, a black man, Mr. Brown, to take me to school, and we stopped off at his cousin's house, where somebody was playing boogie-woogie piano. It really hit me." Woods was putting together bands in Greenwich Village by his mid-teens. By the time he entered the University of Buffalo, Woods was sitting in at local clubs and discovering records by boogie woogie pioneers Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson. It was during a class on Afro-American music taught by noted jazz sax player Archie Shepp in 1970 that Woods finally realized he was bound to be a pianoman. Perhaps it was Shepp, a known curmudgeon, who cemented his resolve in an offhand way, Woods remembers. "I was very interested in learning about this music, but it turned out to be reverse racism, he was putting down white people a lot, and I was one of about three white kids there, but I had a love for black music, I wanted to learn about it. Blues and jazz, I wanted to learn about that culture, where this music came out of, and he said, 'There's no white guy that can play the blues,' and I said 'Hey, I don't agree with you.'" "He said, 'Well go ahead and name me one white guy who can play the blues,' and I named guys like Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, he says 'They're not so great,' and I said 'Well, I can play.'" As if to say "oh yeah?," Shepp challenged Woods to attend a local jam session. "I steeled my nerves, I went down to the session, and fortunately for me there was no piano there, but at that point he respected the fact that I came down." That broke the ice - Shepp gruffly accepted Woods and they became close. "He started telling me about who to listen to, but he still kept his opinions." Woods came to San Francisco in 1970, and for the next five years performed as Mitch Woods and His Red Hot Mama (with singer Gracie Glassman). One night Oakland guitarist Hi Tide Harris heard Woods opening for Charlie Musselwhite and was reminded of the sound and theatrics of early R&B pioneer Louis Jordan. Indeed, Jordan has always been a primary influence on Woods. "I actually did see Louie Jordan in Oakland. He was the bridge between swing and rock and roll. He would do a five or six piece band, get a lot of power out of that." That kind of power was to become rallying cry for Mitch's next project, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s, which started in 1980 and quickly rose to the top of the Northern California club circuit. Their first album, Steady Date (Blind Pig Records) got hot reviews in 1984 and led to appearances at two San Francisco Blues Festivals, openings for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Blasters, The Neville Brothers, and James Brown. By 1987, Woods was doing a six-country Europe tour highlighted by a rousing performance at the Belgium Rhythm and Blues Festival. In 1988, the 88s released Mr. Boogie's Back In Town (Blind Pig Records) and music pundits started to acknowledge Woods' place in the ranks of American music: "Woods lays down an authentic 50s-vintage rock piano groove, comparable in power and and rhythmic nuance to classic recordings by the young Jerry Lee Lewis," said Keyboard Magazine. On 1991 album Solid Gold Cadillac, Woods and his band were joined by Ronnie Earl, Charlie Musselwhite and the Roomful of Blues Horns. Woods himself was starting to become a guest star, appearing on that year's new releases by John Lee Hooker and John Hammond, and the boogie pianist headlined both the Amsterdam Blues Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Woods was developing his passion for bandleading and discovering the power of being a strong singer. "I'll always consider myself a piano player, but my voice has developed over the last few years. It's an incredible release, when you can sing, it's like blowing an axe, and it's great to entertain an audience," he says. Another interest was taking hold, too - the funky piano-driven music of New Orleans. Woods had long been infatuated with the music of the Big Easy. "I'm a boogie woogie and blues piano player for the most part, but I also incorporate other styles within that, like the New Orleans influence. New Orleans R&B piano playing, like Dr. John, of course Professor Longhair. "New Orleans has been a really great source of inspiration, it's a piano town. New Orleans reveres the piano player. People respect me and I appreciate that. I've always been able to feel a real sense of music there; if you're a good player, you get in. For the past 25 years it has become my second home, " Woods says. "I've gotten to play with all the great players who live there, and I just hire them, guys from Fats Domino's band, like Red Tyler, sax player, Johnny Vidakovich, drummer with the Professor, and George Porter on bass.
Jump For Joy, Mitch’s fifth release for Blind Pig Records continues
Woods' spin down the boogie road. He had
always followed the boogie greats like Louie Jordan and Louie Prima,
but Jump For
Joy keyed off a new influence. "I started to listen to Cab Calloway,
and
this new one has lots of Cab influence; six horns, eleven-piece band
with
doubled horn lines. He (Calloway) had a great entertainment style,
very On his latest CD/DVD project, Big Easy Boogie, Mitch brings together the inner circle of Rock’n’ Roll royalty. Featuring some of New Orleans’ legends including original members of the Fats Domino band, Herb Hardesty and the Blue Monday Horns, and Jimmy Moliere on guitar, the sound is true to the roots New Orleans R&B. It is vintage rock’n’roll and boogie inspired by New Orleans piano greats Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and Little Richard, performed in Mitch’s joyous entertaining style that makes you feel like you are not only in the audience but on stage with him having a ball! Whether it is a pounding piano pumper, a Mardi Gras mambo, or a moody late night blues with cascading piano and sultry sax, Mitch Woods’ Big Easy Boogie will delight all lovers of New Orleans music. After spending more than twenty five years soaking up the New Orleans sound and performing with many of the Crescent City’s musical elite, Mitch has finally realized his dream of recording his latest project with the founding fathers of New Orleans R&B including Earl Palmer, Dave Bartholomew, and Herb Hardesty. Woods reunited the surviving members of Fats Domino’s original band, played a live show in New Orleans during the Jazz & Heritage Festival, took them into the studio, and filmed the whole shebang. The results are plenty of good-time, rock’n’roll boogie, played by the originators of the style, fronted by one of their star pupils. The CD/DVD, Big Easy Boogie is available worldwide on Club 88 Records. It has been garnering airplay on all the major satellite and cable radio stations, including XM (#3 on picks to click-Bluesville), Sirius, Music Choice, as well as BBC 2 and blues programs worldwide. Here are what the critics are saying about Big Easy Boogie: "A two-fisted love letter to Fats Domino and Professor Longhair" – Blues Revue "if it's legitimate roots and Soul music from N'awlins that's your passion, step right up for here it is,...by Woods and company." -- Blues Wax "Vintage rock ‘n’ roll inspired by New Orleans piano great Fats Domino and Professor Longhair" --San Francisco Chronicle "Three Stars! Mitch Woods' Big Easy Boogie is a loving tribute to the vintage New Orleans sounds of Fats Domino, Little Richard and Professor Longhair" --Philadelphia Inquirer "Top shelf from beginning to end" – Big City Blues In 2007 Mitch was nominated for Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award at the Blues Awards in Memphis. Presented by the Blues Foundation this is one of the highest achievements a blues musician can earn. Mitch continues to tour worldwide with both his Rocket 88’s and Big Easy Boogie. In 2007-2008 he will be appearing at some of the world’s most prestigious music festivals, including Jazz A Vienne - France, San Javier International Jazz Festival - Spain, International Boogie Woogie Festival - Lugano, Switzerland, Lionel Hampton Jazz Club at Le Meridien - Paris, Edmonton Blues Festival - Canada, The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise - Caribbean , Taiwan Blues Bash - Taiwan, and many, many more. Bookings & Questions To Mitch Woods:
Mitch Woods
& his Rocket 88's Visit newsdane.com
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