Medicine Crow

Going back to the earliest human communities events, history and traditions were preserved in song. The Gilgamesh epic, the Song of Miriam from Exodus, the stories preserved by the Navajo Singers all the way to the songs written and sung by such giants as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger represent a long tradition of preserving our stories and traditions in song. In that same spirit Michael Iott, known as Medicine Crow, writes and performs topical songs that are observations and commentary on contemporary cultural traditions.

Mike began playing guitar in the 1960’s on a Gibson LG0 acoustic that was passed down to him from his older sister. Over the intervening years he has played many styles of music; folk, blues, rock and light jazz . In the 1980’s he worked with harmonica virtuoso Bill Price in the Iott & Price Band, with bassist Don Diamond in the Sentinels and, during the 1990’s, with Thom Burke and the Last Hippy Band.

Over the years he has shared stages with Tommy Chong, Dr. Hook, Bad Finger, and Bonnie Raitt and with regionally known artists Ghetto Gas John, Miko Fossum, Phil Winterdmute, Stargrazer, Harmonica Buzz, Jeff Baldori, Frog & The Beeftones, Seth Bernard and Daisy May, Jen Sygit, Chara Love, Eric Blades, Perry McDonald and Nicole Good Pierce.

His original songs feature rhythmically driven folk/rock/Acoustic Blues, 12 bar finger style blues, some intricate instrumentals and gentle folk ballads. His songs tend toward the topical rather than the romantic and cover all of those political, religious and social issues we are told to avoid when in polite company.

Medicine Crow currently has six CD releases with Lansing Michigan based Illegible Records: “A much Better Reality” (2006), “Nahnah’s Garden” (2007), Live! (2007), Hymn For Gaia (2008), Logan Street (2009) and Circles 'Round The Sun (2010).