01/06/2022
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข-๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ
With numerous Blues Music Award honors under his belt, Mike Zito, co-owner of Texas-based Gulf Coast Records (which has birthed a number of critically-acclaimed blues/rock albums since its 2018 inception), announces a February 18th release date for his new double live album set, Blues for the Southside. ๐ ๐๐ซ๐-๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐! https://bit.ly/3FZCZ9e
Recorded on November 26, 2021 at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced by Mike Zito, Blues for the Southside showcases Zito (guitar and vocals) and his stellar band in full fury: Matthew R. Johnson - vocals/drums; Lewis Stephens - piano/organ; Doug Byrkit โ vocals/ bass, with special guests including label mate guitarists Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz plus guitar wizard Eric Gale.
The song list for that special night included tunes from Mikeโs earlier albums such as First Class Life, Gone to Texas, Make Blues Not War and his Tribute to Chuck Berry, plus his takes on songs popularized by Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Tampa Red, as well as a new song, the albumโs title track.
Now based in Nederland, Texas, Mike Zito states that "Blues for the Southside is a special album for me. I have wanted to do a live blues album playing songs from my catalog with my current band for a while now. I wanted to go back to my old neighborhood in South St. Louis to make the recording. That's where it all began for me, where I fell in love with music. I knew friends and family would fill the Old Rock House and bring the energy I was looking for in this recording. I wanted Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz to join me as guests. I grew up with both of these guys playing in the scene in St. Louis in the 1990s. They are also both Gulf Coast Records artists. I was surprised by my dear friend Eric Gales who happened to be in town for a rehearsal. He showed up and I got him onstage to do an impromptu version of the original โVoodoo Chile,โ which turned out to be 12 minutes of pure guitar bliss. I am proud of this album and my band. Iโm most proud of my hometown and my neighborhood, South St. Louis."
1. Intro
2. Mississippi Nights
3. First Class Life
4. Blues For The Southside
5. Texas Flood
6. Mike Speaks
7. Hell On Me
8. Back Problems
9. Make Blues Not War
10. Highway Mama featuring Tony Campanella
11. Love Her With A Feeling
12. Wasted Time
13. Voodoo Chile featuring Eric Gales
14. Dying Day
15. Life Is Hard
16. The Road Never Ends featuring Dave Kalz
17. Johnny B Goode
