Mike Zito – Make Blues Not War

A Strong Effort at Traditional Blues

In most everything these days—whether it’s food, fashion, music or literature—one can find a litany of examples of fusion; all sorts of products and creations with a blending of styles. With all the attempts at charging new ground artists make, it feels rare and refreshing to stumble across something that’s as pure of an expression of a genre as Mike Zito’s Make Blues Not War, a 12-track dedication to the altar of the nitty gritty blues.

A seasoned player in both band and solo settings, Zito co-founded the Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville and Devon Allman about six years ago, but the St.Louis native has been making music professionally and releasing albums for nearly two decades. He signed with Ruf Records in 2013 and put out a solo record called Gone to Texas, forging a name for himself as a solo artist and eventually leaving the group. Make Blues Not War is his newest effort since then, one comprising blisteringly bluesy tracks full of thundering, radical guitar solos.

Opening track “Highway Mama” sets the tone for everything to come with powerful guitar chords and Zito’s true rock ‘n’ roll vocals. He leans heavy on the wilder side of the blues, with lots of jamming and thumping rhythms. The record hits an early peak with “Redbird,” a largely instrumental seven-minute jam that opens and closes with wide, echoing notes and plenty of explosive moments in between.

“Crazy Legs” is driven by lust as much as it is a thumping rhythm, and it lets Zito wear his rock star hat as he sings of chasing a dream woman. “Bad News is Coming” is a traditional type of track, with funky tones and trembling keys backing up Zito as he cries and sings about the fear of losing a lover. Every note of the protracted solo is played with passion and precision, proving Zito is as dedicated as he is talented. Lyrically, Zito relies on the standard blues fare of women, traveling, depression, and music as his muses, and he fits his words into compact and familiar-sounding melodies, all leading up to his guitar solos that burst into every track.

“Girl Back Home” is a standout take on the slower side, one with great chord choices and a bit of a country-sounding groove to it. Then there’s “Road Dog,” a classic musician’s tale full of highway references one that yearns to leave these parts and seek the adventure of the great unknown, wrapped up in a guitar-heavy slow jam. But it’s the rocking and rolling tracks, like album closer “Route 50,” where Zito and his bandmates let loose that provide the most memorable part of their sound. Speedy piano scales and gritty riffs are the kind of blues playing that would electrify a live audience into dancing in their seats—or, at the very least, add some fun and color to a listener’s dull day.

Zito has a powerful voice and incredible feel, two of the key ingredients in a master blues player. And after years of music-making, it seems he’s learned to truly embrace his strengths and let them shine. Make Blues Not War is a perfect listen for unplugging from the trials and trends of the day and settling into something that’s straight-up and raw, real and unfiltered.

Melissa Daniels: Melissa Daniels is a Los Angeles-based journalist who, in addition to working full-time as a legal reporter, write about music and the entertainment industry for various outlets. She regularly reviews alt-country and folk albums for mxdwn.com and writes about digital trends in the music industry for Forbes.com. Since 2008, Melissa has run her own blog, Learning Love Songs, to write about songwriting, interesting artists and new releases. Melissa has a degree in newspaper journalism from Syracuse University where she also studied political science and music history.
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