Mark May Band
Houston, Texas, United States
Music
Press
"Mark May's Telephone Road had me so captivated that it almost didn't get reviewed in Blues Revue-I was holding it hostage in my car! May is a lead guitarist with a Southern-Fried sound and jazzy technique that expands beyond the workday blues, this 12-song disc bursts with tons of musical talent." - BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
"Mark May's gutsy tone, feisty pull-off licks and ground-glass vocals invite comparison to any number of Texas bluesmen. But the twin guitar leads, wah rhythm spanks, and occasional burst of fusionesque melodic complexity that pepper his second release Telephone Road, Houston, TX, make May something much more than just another traditionalist." - GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE
"Mark plunges into an Albert Collins song called 'Lights Are On But Nobody's Home'. Just when you think this sweet and powerful rendition of the blues song has been interpreted as well as is possible, Mark slides in with a lead that not only blew me away, he brought the feel to a level that quite frankly probably transcends what anyone could do with it." - REAL BLUES MAGAZINE
"When I heard the first CD, Call on the Blues, I was blown away! Mark is one of the best blues-rock artists to come along in years. With great singing/song-writing and guitar playing, he reminds me of everyone from Albert Collins to Stevie Ray to Carlos Santana. Hell, I even heard a couple of my licks in there!" - DICKEY BETTS
Discography
The Mark May Band, formerly Mark May & the Agitators, was formed in 1992. Original members included Mark May (guitar/vocals), Dan Cooper (bass), Danny Goza (drums), and Dave Nevling (harmonica, vocals). With that lineup, the band recorded it's first cd, Call on the Blues (Icehouse Records, 1995), featuring special guests Joe Guitar Hughes and Eric Demmer (sax). Soonafter, the band implemented a second guitar format, which it has retained up to the present. Billy Wells and Greg Grubbs joined the band for the second cd, Telephone Road-Houston, Texas (Icehouse Records, 1997), featuring special guests Larry McCray, Eric Demmer (Clarence Gatemouth Brown), Alan Haynes, Memphis Horns and Travis Doyle. On Doll Maker (Textone Records, 2003), guitarist/vocalist John Zuliger "JZ", along with special guests Dickey Betts, Jr. Ortiz and Skip Nalia, joined Mark, Greg and Dan for the 3rd cd.
Photos
Bio
MARK MAY BAND RELEASES "IN TEXAS LIVE" CD
Flyindog Records, Houston, Texas, Official Press Release, Jan. 12, 2010
The Mark May Band has officially released its 4th cd, "In Texas Live" (Flyindog Records, 2009). The new cd is the band's first live album and presents a compilation of live songs recorded during 2002-2009. The cd features Mark's smooth vocals, along with the dynamic twin leads and dual electric harmony guitar work the band is known for. The Texas-based blues rock band's new cd includes Mark's original songs, classic blues, and even steps into the jam band territory on this outing with their versions of "Ohio" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". The cd spotlights the current band members, Dan Cooper (bass), Paul Ramirez (guitar) and Clyde Dempsey (drums), in addition to former guitarists including Kirk McKim (Pat Travers Band), Kenny Cordray, and Matt Johnson. This cd finally gives the people a taste of what the band's live show is all about!
Mark May was guitarist, vocalist, member of Dickey Betts and Great Southern from 2000-2001 and recorded "Collectors II/Let's Get Together" (Dickey Betts and Great Southern), which features 2 songs written by Mark May. Mark has been featured in Guitar Player, Guitar World, Blues Revue Magazine and Vintage Guitar. The band is currently getting heavy rotation on Sirius/XM Radio BB King's Bluesville.
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