Mike Wheeler: Self Made Man

Blues & Rock/Rythm & Blues
premiera polska: 2012-11-13
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Jewelcaseowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com
Od trzydziestu lat na scenie, niezliczona ilość koncertów z gwiazdami bluesa jak Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Shemekia Copeland, Jimmy Johnson, Son Seals, Willie Kent i wieloma innymi, tak w telegraficznym skrócie przedstawić można sylwetkę Mike'a Wheelera, chicagowskiego bluesowego gitarzysty i wokalisty.
Uchodzi za najciekawszego kontynuatora Alberta Kinga, choć dość dawno temu wypracował już swój własny, oryginalny styl.
Otoczony bluesowymi znakomitościami w osobach Briana Jamesa na el. pianie, Larry'ego Williamsa na basie, Cleo Cole'a na perkusji i znakomitego harmonijkarza, Omara Colemana wypada dynamicznie i soczyście. Radosna, pełna przyjemnego bujania ale także bluesowo-rockowych brzmieniowych "brudów" płyta doskonale nadaje się do pobudzenia krążenia krwi, odreagowanie smutków dnia codziennego

Płyta została wyprodukowana przez doskonale znanego Steve'a Wagnera, rejestracji dokonano w Riverside Studio, Chicago, gdzie nagrano wiele delmarkowskich rarytasów.
Mike Wheeler dostarczył prawie całość materiału na płytę, co potwierdza tytuł krążka "Self Made Man" i tytułowej kompozycji, w której śpiewa wiele mówiącą frazę "I'm a self made man and I made myself have the blues".
Trzynaście klasycznych bluesowych kompozycji podanych w dynamicznych, nowoczesnych wersjach. Niby nic nowego ani specjalnie odkrywczego, ale słucha się tego bardzo przyjemnie, przede wszystkim z powodu sprawności i doświadczenia instrumentalistów. Słychać, że z niejednego pieca jedli chleb i wiedzą jak właściwie podać bluesowe klimaty.
autor: Marek Dębski

Editor's info
Mike Wheeler has been playing the blues for almost 30 years and has played with Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Shemekia Copeland, Jimmy Johnson, Son Seals, Willie Kent and a who's who of today's Chicago Blues!!. Mike is an extraordinary blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He wrote most of the material on Self Made Man including the title track where he sings "I'm a self made man and I made myself have the blues". Mike is accompanied by his regular group including Brian James, keyboards; Larry Williams, bass; Cleo Cole, drums and special guest Omar Coleman, harmonica on three songs. Others songs include "Get Your Mind Right", "Movin' Forward", "I Don't like It Like That", "Here I Am", "Join Hands"....

chicagobluesguide.com
If Mike Wheeler starred in a cowboy movie, he’d be the one leading the posse up over the hill, to the rescue just in the nick of time. That’s how his new Delmark CD, Self Made Man, breaks into song, with the rollicking “Here I Am,” a veritable stampede of good-time music, from one of the good-time champions of the blues. Once those good times start to roll, they don’t let up until thirteen groovin’, bluesin’, feel-good tracks later, guaranteed to leave you feeling better than before.

A lot of blues guys pride themselves on their badass image, gunslingers out to prove they are faster, meaner and badder than any of the rest. Mike Wheeler isn’t out to prove he’s the fastest, though his fingers fly on tracks like “Moving Forward”; or that he’s the meanest guy around, even though he tells it like it is on the closing track “I’m Working,” a rocking blues number about the trials and tribulations of the working bluesman’s reality (while keeping in mind what it takes to make it out there).

Mike Wheeler just wants you to hear his stories, through not just words, but also through the intense emotions he squeezes out of every note he plays on guitar. It may be funky, it may be jazzy, it may be fast or slow, but like all great artists, Mike’s style is immediately recognizable, and his guitar can sure do some talking too.

Mike is one of those guys who has paid his dues (for 30 years he’s worked with bands like Big James & the Chicago Playboys, Big Ray & Chicago’s Most Wanted, Peaches Staten & the Grooveshakers and more) , but has maintained a positive attitude and uplifting energy in his music all along the way. That kind of perseverance takes a lot of determination, and it helps that Mike has such a great crew of musicians on his team, to get that job done right. Brian James floats some sweet notes on keyboard, the rhythm section is anchored tight between Larry Williams on bass and solid-sender Cleo Cole on drums, and some tasty harp stylings from youngblood Omar Coleman.

Omar Coleman’s harp is featured on the classic “Chicago Blues,” in which Mike tells the story of how he first heard the blues at the age of ten, then went through periods of rock, jazz, and all the rest. But he sings about coming back to the Chicago blues, and then taking those roots abroad, touring Europe to rave reviews. Mike gives the young harp player plenty of room to play on this classic Chicago blues-grind, and Omar shows why he’s such a part of the conversation when it comes to the blues carrying on with the younger generation.

Larry Williams, one of Mike’s friends from childhood, lays down the bass lines with aplomb, always solid in the pocket, and he stands out on “Join Hands,” with his signature thumb-slapping style. “The world ain’t what it used to be…we rise above it all to see…it’s getting better every day…no matter what you hear or say…” It’s great to hear some positive messages in the blues, and stories that uplift people, about getting through the hard times together, towards a better day.

Stories are what Mike Wheeler weaves throughout all of his blues. He shares that skill with contemporaries like Toronzo Cannon, Quintus McCormick and others breaking through on the blues scene today; stories about…well, just the “stuff” we all have to go through in life. “I would say that the blues is about everyday life, the dealings that people go through in relationships and work…you know, just everyday living,” goes the quote leading off the liner notes. In the words of the immortal Pogo, “Truer words was never spake.”

Mike and the band cover one of my favorite blues tunes, Willie Dixon’s “Let Me Love You Baby,” a song that Koko Taylor made famous. Stevie Ray Vaughan took a rock-blues approach to his version of the song, but Mike’s more faithful arrangement returns us to the original funky little riff that was Willie Dixon’s signature style.

Kudos to Steve Wagner, at Delmark Records, who brought Mike Wheeler and band into the studio, after hearing him play out live. The Delmark sound, still led by founder Bob Koester, is always clean and faithful to the blues the way it is meant to be heard, a live-ensemble sound that preserves the intentions of the artists, without being intrusive or over-produced.

I remember seeing Mike Wheeler playing back in the day, with cats like Lovie Lee, an old time piano player from Muddy Waters’ band, at Lilly’s on Lincoln. I lived right around the corner from Lilly’s, and could often just listen out my window to hear the blues streaming out of the club. A lot of us musicians got our first chance to sit in at Lilly’s, with the likes of Sunnyland Slim, Aaron Burton, or Detroit Junior. It is a shame that the club no longer caters to the blues, but when it did, it was a place where you could find the blues veterans, but also the up and comers like Mike Wheeler too.

Mike soaked up the sounds of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and all the rest from a young age, when his mother would play blues, R&B and soul records around the house. How fitting that Mike should end up sharing the stage with some of his very early influences, and now is able to pay tribute to them in his own music. You can hear strains of those early blues greats echoed throughout each of the CD’s tunes.

So if you want to feel better in just under an hour, slide Mike Wheeler’s new CD Self Made Man into the machine, and let the positive power of the music work the magic. It’s cheaper than a trip to the doctor, and who knows, maybe the blues is just the cure you need!
By Brian K. Read


bmansblueslibrary.blogspot.com
I just received a copy of the newest release, Self Made Man, from Mike Wheeler and it literally does have it all! Wheeler is a first rate soul style singer who can hold his own with just about anyone. The first track out of the gate is Here I Am, a funky blues track where Wheeler not only excels on vocal but rips out some awesome guitar riffs. This is a R&B style blues/dance track and it is a mover. Wheeler is backed by an extremely tight band of Brian James (keys), Larry Williams (bass), Cleo Cole (drums) and Omar Coleman (harp). Big Mistake is a great swing blues with a great tempo, well placed guitar riffs and strong key work from James. The title track, Self Made Man, another track based in R&B but with a funk edge really highlights Wheelers voice and guitar playing with harp by Coleman. It's really noticeable the similarities from Albert King in both guitar and singing styles. Wheeler has his own voice and guitar style but there are some of Albert's qualities present in the recordings. I'm Missing You has a cool shuffle rhythm and again Wheelers voice is sweet. James plays a nice organ bottom and solo on this track and Wheeler steps up again with a rippin guitar solo. Join Hands is a R&B track with some really heavy funk bass by Williams. Wheeler shows his versatility on guitar playing riffs that have a more jazz phrasing. Next up is Willie Dixon's Let Me Love You Baby with a modern jazz blues twist. James plays the Rhodes with a Ramsey Lewis flair adding great depth to this track. Wheeler comes back with some fleet foot guitar riffs and keeps the track sounding fresh. You're Doing Wrong is a terrific blues track to allow Wheeler the base to sing over but also a great basis to squeeze some really hot riffs from his Les Paul. This is a hot track and is the highlight of the package for me. Walkin' Out The Door is a light BB King phrased blues track. It has that happy rhythm and Wheeler of course taking his own route on guitar. On Get Your Mind Right, Cole sets the pace with a strong lead hi-hat rhythm and Wheelers singing style is a perfect compliment for this R&B style blues track. Coleman plays some nice back side harp on this track as well leaving plenty of room for Wheeler to stretch out on guitar. On I Don't Like It Like That, we got some funky blues and Wheeler get's right into the slot. Wheeler is best known as a guitar slinger (which he absolutely is)but his man could be lead vocalist for just about any band he would choose. Vocals are great. On Moving Forward Williams leads the way with some cosmic bass lines and we got us a progressive funk/blues track. Wheeler demonstrates that he knows what to do with any bottom presented to him flaming everything in his path with his searing solos. Wrapping up the recording is I'm Working which is an uptempo R&B style blues again with a funk bottom and well phrased guitars galore. This is a cool finish for this great cd. I think anyone but hard core delta blues enthusiasts would find this a terrific recording.
by Bman

muzycy:
Mike Wheeler: vocals, guitar
Brian James: keyboards
Larry Williams: bass
Cleo Cole: drums
Omar Coleman: harmonica

utwory:
1. Here I Am
2. Big Mistake
3. Self Made Man
4. I'm Missing You
5. Join Hands
6. Let Me Love You Baby
7. You're Doing Wrong
8. Walkin' Out The Door
9. Get Your Mind Right
10. I Don't Like It Like That
11. Moving Forward
12. Chicago Blues
13. I'm Working

total time - 66:33
wydano: 2012-10
more info: www.delmark.com
more info2: www.mikewheelerband.com