Mike Henderson – Last Nite At The Bluebird Live
Qualified Records
9 songs – 45 minutes
When Mike Henderson unexpectedly passed away in his sleep in 2023 at the age of 70, the world lost a beloved guitarist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Equally comfortable playing blues, country, bluegrass and rock’n’roll, his songs have been recorded by the likes of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Rogers, Soloman Burke and Adele. He was Chris Stapleton’s songwriting partner for years. He played on albums with legends such as Emmylou Harris, Albert King, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings and John Hiatt. He was a Grammy and CMA award winner. He also, starting in 1984, held the Monday-night blues slot at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Cafe, a fixture only ended by his untimely death.
Last Nite At The BlueBird Live is a collection of nine multitrack recordings captured during Henderson’s residency at the Bluebird and is a glorious celebration of a multi-talented musician.
Henderson is backed by a crack band, featuring Henderson himself on guitar and vocals, Kevin McKendree on piano, Steve Mackey on bass and Pat O’Conner on drums, with fine recording by David Jeffries and mixing and production by McKendree. The set opens with Henderson’s own “Weepin’ & Moanin'”, in which his hilarious spoken-word introduction to the crowd perfectly sets the scene for a Blue Monday in an intimate setting. Blind Lemon’s Jefferson’s “Matchbox” is played à la Carl Perkins and highlight’s McKendree’s fleet-fingered piano playing before Henderson’s ferocious slide guitar playing lights up JB Hutto’s “Too Much Alcohol”. This is dirty, grimy, gritty roadhouse blues, played with the intention to get people dancing and drinking.
“One Room Country Shack” again highlights McKendree’s superb keyboard work and also contains a fine slide solo from Henderson, while Eddie Burns’ “When I Get Drunk” is a rollicking upbeat tune. Henderson whips out his harmonica on Big Walter’s “Have A Good Time” and it is obvious from audience reaction that everyone in the Bluebird is having exactly that.
There is an irresistible drive to “Pay Bo Diddley”, which poses the perfectly reasonable question of whatever happened to the money Bo Diddley earned for various record labels with very little of it ending up with the man himself. Henderson encourages the audience to join him in demanding that we should pay Bo Diddley. The set closes with a wild version of Hound Dog Taylor’s “Gimme Back My Wig”, which must have left the crowd as exhausted as the band.
Last Nite At The Bluebird Live is an honest recording, probably not originally intended for release. It expertly captures the joy of Henderson and his band playing live, but there are occasional minor flubs and the album may appeal primarily to existing fans as a result of the slightly rough recording quality and the stage patter (query whether we need the band introduction, for example). That would be a shame, however, because it is also an uplifting celebration of a hugely talented man who threw himself whole-heartedly into his music and who entertained thousands of music lovers over the years. Definitely worth checking out.
