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. Pickett embraces the Blues with style, substance and musical integrity. 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 always a great live band but what truly made it stand out were the undeniable abilities of the band’s two lead vocalists: Pickett, one of the world’s most accomplished ‘harp players’ and the late John Witmer, arguably one of Canada’s most gifted R&B singers.  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.  Instead of being in the spotlight, as most harmonica work is presented, Pickett often layered his 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 and eagerly awaited 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 as that 13 year old discovering 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 now performs 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, festivals and is no stranger to standing ovations and calls for encores. He has hosted and participated in harmonica and acoustic guitar workshops over the years and is a professional, private instructor of these instruments. His presence in songwriting circles has proven to be extremely valuable because of his authentic representation/interpretation of acoustic Roots/Blues. ----------------------------- He has played with and/or shared the stage with Big Mama THORNTON . John Lee HOOKER . 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 . Brooks WILLIAMS . 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 . Gary NICHOLSON . The Players . Fortunate Sons . Colin LINDEN . Brian STOLTZ . George PORTER Jr .  Rev. Billy C. Wirtz . The Nighthawks . WATERMELON Slim . Lee OSKAR . Jerry PORTNOY . MAGIC Dick . and more. ----------------------------- 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 a vast number commercials across Canada and into the US. ------------------------ BOOKING CONTACT: Mother Earth Management P.O. Box 346 Crystal Beach, ON  Canada  L0S 1B0 www.michaelpickett.com mail@michaelpickett.com 289.876.9202  office 647.293.3949  cell ------------------------ Instrumentation Michael Pickett: Vocal Rack harmonica Guitars: National Steel Duolian               Six-string Gibson Discography 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. Links http://www.michaelpickett.com Official Website MySpace You Tube Daily Motion