Fired-Up & Ready features the incredible Mike Whellans, a one-man blues band extraordinaire. A fantastic multi-instumentalist, he astonishes listeners with his simultaneous and deceptively easy handling of guitar, drums blues-harp and vocals. In this studio recording he has added the talents of several musical friends and delivered an album that is a rocking, bluesy, high-energy treat for lovers of this genre, or indeed anyone who appreciates an amazing talent.
MIKE WHELLANS – Guitar, Harmonica, Drums & Vocals, is joined by: DAVID BROMBERG – Guitar, MIKE KATZ - Bass & Highland Bagpipe, PETER MEANEY - Tenor Sax, BRIAN MILLER – Mandolin, ALAN REID - Hammond Organ, GRAHAM SCOTT - Piano, ALASDAIR WHITE – Fiddle. The album was produced by Robin Morton
Media Reviews
Britain's foremost 'one-man' blues band
Borders multi-instrumentalist Whellans has a long pedigree (he was a duo with Aly Bain in the early days), but his first love has always been blues and he remains Britain's foremost 'one-man' blues band. Live, he simultaneously handles guitar, drums, brilliant harmonica and vocals to generate astonishing driving rhythm. Here he cuts studio tracks by John Lee Hooker, Sleepy John Estes and Rory Gallagher among his own songs, and there are a couple of live recordings. An uplifting album by a Scottish master...Norman Chalmers Scotland on Sunday
A blast throughout
Whellan’s vocals dekliver convincingly in an easy, yet often rowdy, growly groove; it’s essentially good-time rather than misty-eyed mode, on these narratives of bruised love and poor-me regret. Engaging, well-crafted and rockin’, the album’s a blast throughout..Clive Pownceby
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