Following the release of his latest studio album – Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry – Mike Zito and his band will tour the UK in April 2020, and Blues Matters will be there! Be sure to subscribe today so you don’t miss out on our review of what is bound to be an exciting tour! Also check out Issue 111 which features an interview with Mike where he discusses the creation of the Chuck Berry tribute album. Tickets will be available via Mike’s website – www.mikezito.com. See the tour dates HERE.
He may be one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today, and rightfully so, but for Mike Zito, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty, authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since.
“I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told Vintage Guitar magazine. “Anders Osborne told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff. I try to make every word count.”
That point became clear with his last record, 2018’s First Class Life, a collection of songs that detailed his journey from addiction to sobriety and the subsequent success he achieved through his award-winning body of work. A multiple award winner and nominee, Zito has built his career on an ability to tap into tradition while maintaining contemporary credence all at the same time.
Zito’s latest album — his 16th — out now and descriptively titled Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, finds him broadening his boundaries still further even as it marks a return to his roots. The album consists of 20 Chuck Berry classics performed by Zito and an impressive array of 21 guest guitarists, among them Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, Anders Osborne and, significantly, Chuck’s grandson, Charles Berry III.
“This was a very special project for me,” Zito says. “I lived in Chuck’s hometown of St. Louis for 32 years, and I worked at a small musical instrument store where his drummer also happened to be employed. Chuck’s son would drop by on occasion as well. He was an icon, and rightfully so. I’ve been playing his songs since I was a kid. He was a tremendous influence on my career, and, of course, on many other musicians’ as well.”
Produced by Zito himself, the album was recorded at his own Marz Studios and mixed and mastered by David Farrell. “We recorded the basic tracks and then sent them to each guest musician,” Zito recalls. “They added their contributions and then sent the files back to us. The process took a year to complete.”
Photo Credit: © Frank Zerbst
Naturally, patience and perseverance have been Zito’s stock and trade since the beginning. He began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. Pearl River, the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Neville with whom he’d later work in The Royal Southern Brotherhood.
A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011’s Greyhound, which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year’s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released Gone to Texas, the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, the Wheel.
From 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD, Songs from the Road – Live in Germany, winner of the year’s Blues Music Award for Best DVD. He also made his mark behind the boards by producing albums for Samantha Fish, Albert Castiglia, Ally Venable, Jeremiah Johnson, Jimmy Carpenter, and many others.
Photo Credit: © Frank Zerbst
Meanwhile, the accolades keep coming. His album Make Blues Not War debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at number one and garnered him recognition as the 2018 Rock Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards. Last year’s First-Class Life followed suit, also entering the charts at number one.
Alternate Root Magazine insisted that “The First-Class Life that Mike Zito is the sweet sound of Blue Soul rising like heat waves from his guitar and his vocal.” American Blues Scene said “Mike Zito’s return to the blues is, in a word, triumphant!” No Depression declared, “Once again, Zito has delivered the goods, a first-class package with no postage due.”
Now, with Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, Mike Zito does what he does best, making an album that’s humble, heartfelt, skilled and sublime….and, to paraphrase Chuck himself, letting it rock all at the same time.
TRACKLIST
01. ST. LOUIS BLUES feat. CHARLIE BERRY III
02. ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC feat. JOANNA CONNOR
03. JOHNNY B GOODE feat. WALTER TROUT
04. WEE WEE HOURS feat. JOE BONAMASSA
05. MEMPHIS feat. ANDERS OSBORNE
06. I WANT TO BE YOUR DRIVER feat. RYAN PERRY
07. YOU NEVER CAN TELL feat. ROBBEN FORD
08. BACK IN THE USA feat. ERIC GALES
09. NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO feat. JEREMIAH JOHNSON
10. TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS feat. LUTHER DICKINSON
11. HAVANA MOON feat. SONNY LANDRETH
12. PROMISED LAND feat. TINSLEY ELLIS
13. DOWN BOUND TRAIN feat. ALEX SKOLNICK
14. MAYBELLENE feat. RICHARD FORTUS
15. SCHOOL DAYS feat. ALLY VENABLE
16. BROWN EYED HANDSOME MAN feat. KIRK FLETCHER and JOSH SMITH
17. REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ feat. TOMMY CASTRO
18. LET IT ROCK feat. JIMMY VIVINO
19. THIRTY DAYS feat. ALBERT CASTIGLIA
20. MY DING A LING feat. KID ANDERSEN
MUSICIANS
Mike Zito – Vocals/Guitar on all tracks
Matthew Johnson – Drums/Vocals/Percussion on all tracks
Terry Dry – Bass Guitar/Vocals/Percussion on all tracks
Lewis Stephens – Piano/Organ/Wurlitzer on all tracks
