Mike Zito And The Wheel – Songs From The Road – Ruf Records – Ruf 1206

Mike Zito is a most electrifiying solo-artist, songwriter and virtuoso guitarist and has a enchanting voice besides being a member in the Royal Southern Brotherhood. He is and was permanently on the road to spread his loving music! Live Mike Zito And The Wheel are at their best, so it is magnificent that Ruf Records are publishing by their “Songs From The Road” series the shows from Dosey Doe, a finest Texas music club on CD & DVD!

CD and dvd feature complete different set-lists, so both are a delight to be played loud*****

The show started by “Don’t Break A Leg”, a hooky funk-blues. Mike was to hex his fans immediately by his guitar virtuosos and powerful voice. Jimmy Carpenter as saxophonist blows the roof off by his chili-hot solos. The cd has a superbe recording-sound quality. “Little Red Corvette” as love-song was definitely drawing the devotes into its ban by the charming voice and the warm-blooded sax-extravaganzas. “Rainbow Bridge” is like a homecoming song. When he returns from gigs from Louisiana and crosses the Neches River in Port Arthur he knows “Not Far Anymore To His Sacred Home”! Mike loves to be in New Orleans, so “Subtraction Blues” was his devotion-song to the town of Mardi Gras, spreading “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler” atmosphere with steamy honky-tonk piano-solos by Lewis Stephens. By the title-track from his latest studio-output “Gone To Texas” Mike Zito And The Wheels concludes their fervid cd-gig and send home their happy freaks in loving spirituality.

For fans of Mike Zito And The Wheels in live motion the dvd is the real deal. The show was captured by hd-cameras and the sound is in excellent pcm-stereo quality. By looking at it you are more hooked by visuality what extraordinary musicians Mike had gathered around him. Mike and Jimmy duell each other on guitars and sax. The second song intensifies what extraordinary rhythm guys Scot Sutherland on bass and Rob Lee on drums are. “I Never Knew A Hurricane” is a stormy rocker to enthuse the fans at Dosey Doe. “Hell On Me” is a finest blues-rock with a highly energetic drive the Texas style. MZ proves that he is also versatile in playin’ the Chicago blues by “Dirty Blonde”. By “Subtraction Blues” the house was rockin’ to the rhythms of the “Big Easy”. The regular set was concluded by “Gone To Texas”. Mike re-enters the intimate stage solo with a beautiful semi-acoustic black six-string for “Let Your Light Shine On Me” and he was escorted by this most beautiful love-ballad by a loveable cutie admiring him. By the swamp-boogie “Natural Born Lover” The Wheel return and Mike makes this song so spicy bis his extravaganza slide-rides with his bottleneck. Mike makes the fans funky-rollin’& tumblin’ home by “Texas Flyer” concluding by a fantastic eye and ear-blowing jam.