Michael Pickett

Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Secondary Genre: Acoustic Crystal Beach, Ontario Canada Contact

Compelling, brilliant, unique! An eclectic and captivating 'Roots' songwriter a la Delta Blues, Country, Americana, Folk, delivered with muscular guitar riffs, virtuoso award winning harmonica, a voice dripping with sly insights. Awards. Standing ovations. A must see!!!" B.Pulford

Artist Information

Biography

At the age of four he sang for his grandmother who tossed him nickels and dimes while she sat at the kitchen table sipping her whiskey-laced tea. His mother bought him a harmonica when he was about 13. Shortly after that he saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee on tv and he was hooked for life. The soul of this timeless genre is deeply rooted in his psyche and he continues to nurture this passion.

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s he established himself as a musically ground-breaking, electrifying singer/songwriter/harmonica player, leading seminal bands Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band. Musically profound, they pushed the envelope for Blues and funky Roots music. He provided the direction for all three projects and surrounded himself with some of the top musicians in the country.

Whiskey Howl was signed by Warner Bros. in '72. The band toured coast to coast, from the late 60s to the early 80s, venturing into New York City to perform at The Village Gate and disbanded in '81 following their high profile reunion gig at the El Mocambo in Toronto. A recording of that night has been released on CD - 'Whiskey Howl Big Band / Live at the El Mocambo'.

Wooden Teeth ('76-'79) was a group of diverse musical talents coming together to create a raw, exciting, extremely tight progressive Blues/Funk sound covering material from Little Feat to Tower of Power as well as several excellent originals and occasionally introducing the odd Jazz/Fusion instrumental. The band was contemporary, knocking out a class of rocking, infectious Soul that was tight enough to be called professional and improvisational enough to take it to the edge. The roster turned over until the core band took root with Pickett (vocals/harp), John Tilden (guitar), Omar Tunnoch (bass), and Vito Rezza (drums). One of the highlights of this band was opening for Papa John Creach, and backing up Big Mama Thornton, and John Lee Hooker at Massey Hall. (Hooker was late to arrive, trouble with a flight or something, and Michael met him for the first time on stage that night.)

Michael Pickett Band ('81-'02) clearly documented Pickett's profound musical journey and his constant search for the 'truth' in the song, be it his own or a cover. The core band consisted of vocal/harp (Pickett), bass (Steve Chadwick), guitar (notably Shawn Kellerman), and drums (often Gary Craig). It was a rotating roster of exemplary musicians occasionally ballooning into a big band with keys, backup singers, and horns. Pickett was the one constant - the source of inspiration, imagination, and fearlessness. He worked without a net which meant no set list. He was all about establishing a groove and seeing where it would take him... and the band. Pickett often layered his harmonica into the background. As a result, his arrangements were unique and highlighted the genius in his songwriting.

1998 was a banner year when he released his long anticipated debut CD Blues Money. This all original recording was nominated for a JUNO and received the Jazz Report and Real Blues awards for ‘Blues Album of the Year’. Michael was also presented with the coveted Maple Blues ‘Blues With A Feeling Award’ in recognition of his passion and lifetime commitment to the Blues.

2000 saw the release of his second CD Conversation With The Blues which earned him another JUNO nomination and won the Canadian Indie Music Award for ‘Blues Album of the Year’. This extraordinary recording, described by Billboard as “transcend[ing] the urban Blues idiom”, is an eclectic mix of ten original compositions comprised of Blues, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Delta, and Gospel.

PICKETT RE-INVENTS HIMSELF

It’s worth mentioning here that Pickett laid down an acoustic resophonic guitar track on Blues Money... he hadn't taken his guitar out of the box for over 20 years. He laid down another one for Conversation With The Blues. His focus was still on the band but he found himself steadily being drawn back into the realm of acoustic Blues which was how it all began for him when that 13 year old discovered Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. In 2001, he immersed himself in the guitar and was soon practicing up to 14 hours a day. With focus and diligence, this musical transition transformed him into a formidable guitarist on the six-string, twelve-string, and National Steel-Bodied Duolian. In the fall of 2002, the metamorphosis was complete. Leaving the band behind, he re-emerged revealing yet another layer of his seemingly endless reservoir of musical talents.

With exceptional award winning rack harmonica skills and powerful vocals, he delivers charismatic, compelling, and passionate performances that are charged with electricity and filled with authenticity and a unique style. He puts his own spin on obscure tunes of legendary icons such as Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and showcases his own potently eclectic material. This songwriter has evolved into a charismatic and captivating storyteller through Delta Blues, Country, Folk, and Americana, revealing a profound understanding of where this music comes from and why it stands the test of time.

Pickett performs almost exclusively as a solo acoustic artist touring throughout North America, the UK, and Europe, appearing in Blues, Folk, and Jazz clubs, coffee houses, house concerts, theatres, jazz, folk, and blues festivals and is no stranger to standing ovations.

He hosts and participates in harmonica and acoustic guitar workshops in schools as well as independently and is a professional, private instructor. His presence in songwriting circles has proven to be extremely valuable because of his authentic representation/interpretation of acoustic Roots/Blues.

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Has played with and/or shared the stage with James Cotton . Jeff Healey . Bo Diddley . Koko Taylor . Downchild Blues Band . John Hammond . Matt "Guitar" Murphy . Doug Kershaw . Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith . Snooky Pryor . Sunnyland Slim . Lazy Lester . Tom Rush . Josh White Jr . Rory Block . Matt Minglewood . T.Graham Brown . Kentucky Headhunters . Hubert Sumlin . Taj Mahal . Muddy Waters . Son Seals . Big Bill Morganfield . Robert Cray . Buddy Guy . Jon Cleary . Tea Party . Anthony Gomes . Lee Oskar. Gary Nicholson . The Players . Fortunate Sons . Colin Linden . Brian Stoltz . George Porter Jr . Watermelon Slim, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Levon Helm, Jerry Portnoy, Magic Dick, and more.
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In 1988, Michael's voice was chosen to be The Budman in an unprecedented seven year Budweiser 'Blues' campaign which aired nationwide on radio and tv. In addition to his sings and voiceovers, his distinctive harmonica sounds were also used. A healthy jingle career was born out of that campaign and Michael's voice/sings/harp were used in countless commercials across Canada and into the US.
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BOOKING CONTACT:

Mother Earth Management
P.O. Box 346
Crystal Beach, ON Canada L0S 1B0
www.michaelpickett.com
mem@michaelpickett.com
289.876.9202 office
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Instrumentation

Michael Pickett:
Vocal
Rack harmonica
Guitars: National Steel Duolian
Six-string Gibson

Discography

2010
COCO MONTOYA / I Want It All Back / Coco Montoya / Ruffhouse
*song* "As Close As I Have Come"
Gary Nicholson, Gary Nicholson Music, ASCAP
Michael Pickett, Sweetest Gal Music, SOCAN

2008
DVD:
MICHAEL PICKETT: Live at the Loft
includes interview with CBC's Laurie Brown
All new and original material.***

2006
DAVID GOGO: Bootleg Series, Volume 1 / David Gogo

2005
LIVE AT THE EL MOCAMBO '81 / Whiskey Howl / Solid Gold Records / EMI
NARROW HOUSE / Doc MacLean / Independent
THE STORY / Matt Minglewood / Norton Records
RIO / Darren Arsenault / Independent

2004
LIVE AT WINTERFOLK! / Michael Pickett / Wooden Teeth Records

2002
SOLO / Michael Pickett / Wooden Teeth Records
COLOR ME GONE / Charlie A'Court / Independent

2000
CONVERSATION WITH THE BLUES / Michael Pickett / Solid Gold Records / EMI
GET ME SOME / Jeff Healey / Forte Records

1998
BLUES MONEY / Michael Pickett / Wooden Teeth Records
RARE & BEAUTIFUL / Alan MacGregor / Independent
HARD DAYS GONE / Vito Alvaro / Saverio Records

1994
JUST GETTING STARTED / Rita Chiarelli / Stoney Plain Records
RISQUE / Terez Montcalm / BMG Records

1993
SOME OTHER TIME / Tim Thorney / Epic Records

1992
LONESOME & HURTING / Vern Cheechoo / Denon Records
SHAKE YOUR SPIRIT / Frozen Ghost / Capitol Records

1991
FIRE ME BACK / Rita Coolidge / Attic Records

1989
IN HER DREAM / Bobby Wiseman / WEA Records

1988
GROSSMAN'S LIVE 2 / Michael Pickett, Exec. Prod. / Spadina Beat Records

1987
GROSSMAN'S LIVE / Michael Pickett, Prod. / Spadina Beat Records
THE JITTERS / The Jitters / Capitol Records

1982
GHOST CULTURE / Robbie Rox / Rosehill Records

1981
FAMILY REUNION '74 / Whiskey Howl / Rosehill Records

1978
CHRIS HALL / Chriss Hall / Warner Bros.

1976
BIG BAD BO / Bo Diddley / Warner Bros.

1975
DIARY OF A SINNER / Movie Soundtrack w. Bo Diddley

1972
WHISKEY HOWL / Whiskey Howl / Warner Bros.

Official Website

http://www.michaelpickett.com

Links

Audio

Lyrics

Video

'PARCHMAN FARM' / Bamboo Room / Lake Worth, FLA USA / 2007

Photo Gallery

Press

  • AMAZING [+ Show ]

    "I had a vision that he was gonna be one of the best. In my book he is." Hubert Sumlin "One of t...

  • MASSEY HALL / Live Performance Review [+ Show ]

    Massey Hall /April 1, 2005 "Pickett's performance at Massey Hall this night was flawless and eng...

  • THE ONE MAN BAND / Live Performance Review [+ Show ]

    THE LIVE MUSIC REPORT by Laila Boulos photo by Mike Colyer MICHAEL PICKETT at THE AFRIKAN MILLE...

  • PICKETT'S CHARGE: Blues man finds satisfaction in acoustic roots / Interview [+ Show ]

    February 1, 2008 The Daily Times TN/USA Michael Pickett Pickett's charge: Blues man finds sati...

  • AS GOOD AS IT GETS / Live Performance Review [+ Show ]

    “As good as it gets,” is how Gary Topp introduced the quintessential Toronto bluesman Michael Picket...

  • SOLO / CD Review [+ Show ]

    Michael Pickett must be one of Canada's top acoustic blues artists. The well-recorded SOLO (Wooden ...

  • SOLO CD review [+ Show ]

    On Solo (Wooden Teeth Records), Pickett plays as passionate and intense as the emotion-laden cover p...

  • Conversation With The Blues review [+ Show ]

    On this follow-up to Pickett’s acclaimed 1998 CD, Blues Money (which was nominated for a Juno award...

  • Conversation With The Blues review [+ Show ]

    If one is searching for some tight, well presented Blues music by an artist who has experience and t...

  • Blues Money review [+ Show ]

    I'd call Blues Money a work of art, a life statement, if you will, of a man who's been around long ...


Setlist

Typically 2 x 50 minute sets but has enough material to play all night long!

*original

Daddy Where You Been*
Ammo In The Icebox*
What Do You Think About That*
Bill's Song*
World In An Uproar*
Deportee
Ain't Going To Be Here Long*
Parchman Farm
Blues Is A Friend of Mine*
I Got Fooled
Louise*
Cherry Hill*
Wang Dang Doodle
As Close As I Have Come*
Statesboro Blues
Shake That Thing*
Lining Track
Terraplane Blues
When Rita Leaves
Wicked Grin*
Rollin' On*
Rosalie*
If You Lose Your Money
What'd I Come Here For*
Lowcountry Cooking*
Can't Find My Way Back Home*

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

STAGE PLOT AND RIDER

Calendar

DateTimeVenueCity
Sep 1, 2013 Sunday 2:00 PM CONCERT FOR PEACE V Crystal Beach, ON, CA