Hi there,

Here's my review of a recent gig/cd.

I discovered Mike & Nick at the Bluefront Bluesroom Guy Davies concert last week. Mike & Nick played the support slot and were a total surprise for me, and judging by the overwhelming response - the whole audience. They tore through six songs (at the bluefront, support acts have a 25 minute slot) ranging from searing dirty slide guitar blues, bittersweet bluegrass, along with some wonderful inuendo ridden amusing ragtime - and left me wanting more. A whole gig at the Bluefront maybe?

Both of these fine musicians were keen to talk and I discovered that their highly polished performance is down to them both having quite a prolific background in the music scene covering many genres and styles....So I bought their debut CD 'Heads of the Valleys'.

We start with 'Let me squeeze your lemons'. The title here speaks for itself launching the album with a raucous and refreshing variation of the 'Walkin' Blues' tune. It features some wonderful vocals and aggressive harp accompanied by Nick's intricate picking and solid basslines. Fishin' Blues is a blatant cover version of the original 1920's tune..as opposed to the diluted Taj Mahal song..worthy of note here is the tight solo that Mike & Nick play together so well it's as if they were Siamese twins! The album continues with more syncopated rhythms that are a genuine 'shot in the arm'. Yes this is pre-war blues/ragtime/bluegrass, but it is so beautifully executed and modernised that nearly every song has Mike & Nick's stamp all over it.

Gems amongst the tracks on this CD are 'Back to California' with it's driving rhythm and wailing harmonica and 'Too much alcohol', a bottleneck guitar Rory Gallagher tune. Let's hope we don't have to wait too long for their second album.

Information on Mike & Nick can be found at their website www.mikemarkeyandnickjones.com

Elina Everson
Music Critic/Reviewer
UK