Mr Black and Blues
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Music
Press
after suffering a near fatal surfing accident, michael pollitt, aka mr black and blues, spent his recovery time writing and recording this startling debut in london's legendary toerag studios. a driving, foot-stomping album of traditional blues, propelled by pollitt's immaculate guitar and lap steel playing as well as some exquisite backing from a crack band, this is a fantastic essay in re-working traditional forms into something vital, original and honest. on legendary london venue the spitz' own imprint, spitz records. - Rough Trade
“Awesome ...awesome! That sound is amazing! That was just fantastic. ..It's very gratifying to have you come in here and play the real deal... Some sensational live music from Mr Black & Blues,
beautiful stuff. ” - RRR - Max Crawdaddy
“Yeah! How good’s that? Nice mate, ripping it up! That sounds great! This is a raw old school blues gig here in Studio One at PBS with that beautiful old National. Alright! I’m loving your CD mate…” - PBS - Hugo T. Armstrong
This Mr Black & Blues (aka Michael Pollitt) sure is an interesting fellow. After
breaking his neck in a freak surfing accident and spending a year in a neck brace the
docs told him he would never play guitar again. Defying the odds he not only got
back to spanking his axe but wrote a bunch of songs inspired by his experiences and
recorded them at London's famous Toe Rag Studios. The time in Toe Rag
was time well spent - the first thing you notice about this record is the fantastic
sound. With just the right mix of dirt and clarity The Morning Light creates a sonic
atmosphere that sets it apart from its contemporaries. Of course, the sound would
be nothing if it didn't have songs and performances to do it justice and Mr Black &
Blues thankfully comes to the table with a mix of originals and standards all
performed with talent and heart. Currently spending his time in Melbourne and with
a host of gig s on the horizon The Morning Light is the opening chapter on what
should prove to be a very interesting career. - Matthew Fredericks - Melbourne Blues Apreciation Society (MBAS)
I once had the great pleasure of meeting the great Don Burrows...A man best
described as one of nature’s gentlemen...I have now had the pleasure of meeting
Michael Pollitt (Mr Black & Blues)...Another of nature’s gentlemen... A man of great
talent tempered with humbleness and a real desire to support blues music in all its
forms...Having arrived back in Australia less than a week before after headlining the
Spitz blues festival in the U.K....Playing as guest artist at the Melbourne blues
festival...then playing Newcastle before traveling back down to play at Blues on the
Hill and the Roxbury in Glebe on the Sunday, Michael played the small audience with
no less professionalism or energy than he did any of the major gigs he had recently
finished... The man impressed me with his music no less the he did his personality
and his desire to help a humble blues night in western Sydney present a world class
talent to a small but very appreciative audience...No prima donna this man...We sat
and chatted pre show and he expressed his desire to see small shows such as Blues
on the hill succeed in its aim of taking music to the people whom love the
genre...Words backed by actions...They are the only words that count... He took to
the stage and delighted the audience and other muso's on the night with his playing
and vocals...Shared his stories of recovering from a broken neck and his journeys
around the world...That this man has a great and abiding love of music cannot be
doubted...It shines thru' in his music...Blues delivered with a truckload of feel and
talent...I very much look forward to his return to the Mars Hill stage...If you should
have the opportunity to hear this man...Take it...You won't be disappointed... - Mo Defoe - Mars Hill Cafe, Sydney
Miracles do happen. The Morning Light is proof of that.
In 2006, Michael Pollitt aka Mr Black and Blues, broke his neck and lost the use of his left hand when Mother Nature showed him who was boss and hurled him from his surfboard in an unfortunate accident. Tenacity and temerity shone through as Michael worked at recovering what he had lost, and eventually learnt how to play again. The Morning Light is testimony to his recovery and achievements in the face of such a major setback.
Recorded in London's Toe Rag Studios, with a little help from a few friends, The Morning Light is a charming collection of blues numbers that smoothly roll off the CD. From the sounds of opener Corrina Corrina, I fell in love with Mr Black and Blues' crisp yet honey-smooth voice, with a little growling thrown in, combined an amazing foot-tapping, knee-slapping arrangement. I always love a good harmonica.
The blues get down and dirty on Two Forty Two with some driving guitar riffs and some very cool percussion. I love my rhythm and blues too, Mr Black and Blues..... howl at that moon!
The toe-tapping eases off a little as the tempo lets up a bit on Going Down Slow. I'm loving Michael's vocals, and that amazing harmonica that keeps rearing its beautiful head. Yes, here we go, Fill Me Up works that harmonica again, with Michael crooning and growling his way through this song. This was one of my favourites. Title track The Morning Light rounds off this beautiful little collection of blues numbers. A beautiful, slow ballad, and a fitting end to a great EP. The back-up vocals are great on this number.
The tempo changes enough throughout these songs to make sure your interest never wanes; the arrangments are mesmerising, Michael's vocals are amazing and I think you know by now that I love a good harmonica!
Even without a good story behind it, this would be a fine little EP to add to my collection, with Michael's adventure to death's door and back again thrown in just making me appreciate it even more.
Mr Black and Blues describes himself as someone who's been through hell and made it back to tell us his story. And we are mighty glad you did, Mr Pollitt, mighty glad... - Kaysea - The Dwarf.com
Discography
Debut album "The Morning Light" released on my own label (Breakneck Records) 2009 distributed by:
Black Market Music (Aus), Rough Trade (UK), Spitz Records (UK), Altmusic@Sony (global), CD Baby for all digital (global).
The album has had extensive radio play in Australia having reached #8 in the Australian Blues radio play chart in February 2010. The album is also avaliable for streaming and download from iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Last FM and many more.
Photos
Bio
From the restless streets of London, Beale Street Memphis, to Church Street Melbourne, Mr Black & Blues has travelled the world shining a light with his soul folk blues. Inspired by a broken neck and a desire to bring uplifting sounds to the darkest corners, Mr Black & Blues has traveled America with John Butler and supported Alabama 3 in Europe now brings his sound back home to Australia for his debut release The Morning Light in partnership with Black Market Music.
2006 was to prove a fateful year when Michael broke his neck in freak surfing accident which meant twelve months recovery in a full neck brace and the loss of the use of his left hand for a brief period. This was to be a time of great reflection and along the recovery path he discovered the inspiration for the Mr Black & Blues project and began writing the material that would form the debut album, The Morning Light. The name Mr Black & Blues was coined during a night in the studio with some BBC Radio 1 DJ friends, who remarked on hearing of Michaels amazing brush with death that he was not Mr Blues, but Mr Black & Blues.
As soon as he was physically able, Michael called upon the services of his great friend and harp player Lorne Stockman, whom he had worked with previously in Barefoot, to put together a guerilla busking duo on Brick Lane and whilst still in a full neck brace. The boys worked hard on the demo’s of Michaels new material and made quite an impression. Shortly after they were approached by the organizers of the Bulleit Frontier Session’s to play at the Vibe Bar launch party supporting Alabama 3. The boys grabbed their chance and were invited back to play three shows over that week culminating in The Alabama 3 boys asking Lorne and Michael to support them at their residency at the Jamm in Brixton.
In early 2007 Michael set up his Breakneck Records label and began to organize and promote shows at venues around London. The regular Sunday Breakneck Records sessions at the Old Blue Last were to become the home turf for Mr Black & Blues as house band and featured many of Michael’s friends including David Ross Macdonald from the Waifs, Charlie Winston, Miranda Barber, and Alex Haynes and The Fever. Michael also set up a new joint venture with Marilyn from the Virginia Creepers club at the Gramaphone Bar which was to be known as the Virginia Creepers Rockin Blues Club and featured the new full band lineup for Mr Black & Blues, with Miles Danso on upright bass and Zeke Manyika on drums, as house band.
By late 2007 the material was really starting to come to life and the house band spots were augmented by regular live shows. The great Jim Carlisle, pioneer of rocking blues in the UK, liked the sound so much he took a shine to Michael and together they played a few memorable gigs around London. Michael then took the decision that the time had come to lay the tracks down and after a lot of research into the kind of sound he wanted and how to best go about getting it, Michael approached Liam of Toerag Studio in London about the recordings. As the world’s eighth best studio, as voted by Telegraph poll of over 500,000 musicians and producers, Toerag boasted the original EMI REDD desk from Abbey Road used to record Sergeant Pepper, and original Steuder 1inch 4-track and 8-track tape machines. The White Stripes debut, Elephant, which won the Grammy for best production in 2005 recorded at Toerag, would be the benchmark and the boys set work laying down the tracks live over a weekend. The harmonica parts were added on a third recording day and the finished product was beyond Michael’s wildest dreams. From not knowing if he would be able to play again just 12 months earlier to the point of having a finished record from Toerag was about as euphoric a moment as he could imagine.
Returning to his native Australia in early 2009 Michael’s focus again returned to his first love and he spent three months editing video footage from the Toerag recordings and having the Mr Black & Blues debut album, The Morning Light, pressed in Melbourne. A flurry of solo shows followed and with backing from the Melbourne Blues Society and some airplay on PBS, Michael signed a Distribution Agreement between his label, Breakneck Records, and John Durr’s Black Market Music.
In London Michael has signed a promotion agreement with Spitz Records, and distribution with AltMusic@Sony and Rough Trade. Michael launched the debut album in the UK in September 2009 headlining the Spitz Festival of the Blues, and in Australia in December 2009 supported by Ian Collard and Jordie Lane. Since then he has toured nationally in Australia supporting the likes of blues legends Phil Manning and Chain.
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