Mikey Junior – Traveling North
8th Train Records
10 songs – 43 minutes
A fixture in the fertile blues scene of Philadelphia, harp player Mikey Junior has made a name for himself by delivering some of the deepest azure music in the Northeast for more than a decade. And he hits it out of the park with backing from a rotating roster of top talent on this disk – the 12th in his arsenal.
The son of a professional musician, Mikey grew up on the mean streets of Trenton, N.J., a stone’s throw across the Delaware River from the City of Brotherly Love. By age 18, he was already a veteran of the local music scene, making a name for himself both for his infectious personality and self-taught prowess on the reeds as well as his polished, emotive and honeyed mid-range vocal delivery.
Now in his 30s, he’s been releasing quality albums for about half his life. This one was produced, recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by BMA-nominated multi-instrumentalist/longtime friend Dave Gross at his Fat Rabbit Studios in Franklin Lakes, N.J. Dave contributes lead guitar on three cuts, rhythm on another, keys on three tunes and percussion on two.
The album features Greg Gumpel on guitar and is anchored by Matt Raymond and Michael Bram on bass and drums throughout with Josh Roberts and Matt Daniels taking turns on six-string and Victor Wainwright on piano and organ. Michael Hudak Sr., Robin Hudak – Mikey’s dad and stepmom — and Francesca Milazzo drop in to provide backing vocals, too. It’s a gritty, but slick set of urban blues. And despite a couple of familiar covers from the American songbook, Mikey has refashioned them in a way that’s truly made them his own.
Gumpel’s haunting fretwork sets up the original opener, “Old Enough to Know,” which finds Mikey coming to terms with having stayed by the side of a lady who was “too young to care.” Their relationship went from right to wrong in an instant before she split. The singer expresses his pain with short, but powerful harp runs after spotting her out and about with other man.
The message continues in “Taboo Love,” which was penned by Philly guitar legend Danny DeGennaro. This time, Mikey’s still longing for her and struggling with himself to stop calling her on the phone even though there’s someone else who wants him. Gross’ six-string drives the tune and enhanced by Victor on the organ. “You Hurt Me,” a languorous ballad, revisits the pain and longing of the opener before Mikey finds some solace in DeGennaro’s “I’m Still Crazy Over You.” Instead of chasing the woman and trying to make the relationship last, he realizes he’s got to slow down.
A solitary drumbeat opens “Brown Derby Liquor,” which was penned by Gary Primich, the beloved Austin-based harp player who left us far too soon. The booze, Mikey notes, provides some “peace of mind.” He finally achieves some resolution from his troubles with a poignant redo of Bruce Springsteen’s “Cover Me” and the plea for a woman who’ll help him escape his past.
The tempo quickens for the sprightly original, “She Can Do What She Wants To.” The issues continue. The woman can burn the dinner and leave dishes in the sink or run the street, but Mikey announces: “She’s alright with me.” His joy comes through every note of his reeds. A funky remake of Percy Mayfield’s “Hit the Road Jack” before the disc closes with Willie Dixon’s “Sittin’ & Cryin’ the Blues.”
Sure, there’s plenty of misery in the messages, but all of the songs sing in this cohesive package. In true blues fashion, there’s plenty of celebration within the pain. Strongly recommended.
