Mike Zito And The Wheel: Songs From The Road

Mike Zito and The Wheel

Songs From the Road

Ruf's popular Songs From the Road series continues with a double disc release from Mike Zito. Mike's work has been featured here before (here, here and here if you'd like to catch up).

The series typically offers a double dose of live music, with one CD and a DVD covering the same performance (usually with a couple of changes in the respective track lists, for the sake of variety).

''This DVD and live album were recorded on January 10th, 2014, at Dorsey Dee at The Woodlands, TX, to a sold-out crowd of crazy Texans'' says Mike. ''The audience was on fire from the first note. The band played with such energy and passion. I was overwhelmed many times throughout this performance by the sheer energy of love that poured out of every soul in that building. It was a truly magical night, one I will never forget.''

Personnel

Mike Zito: guitar and lead vocals

Jimmy Carpenter: sax and vocals

Scot Sutherland: bass and vocals
Lewis Stephens: piano and organ
Rob Lee: drums and percussion

Mike is keen to point to the teamwork aspect of the band. ''With the guys in The Wheel, we're all on the same page. We're not interested in solos, we want to pay together.'' True enough, the band are very tight unit and work very well together. It's good to play both versions of the concert, as the audio experience, followed by the visual, brings out different aspects of the performance. The DVD is nicely shot, with the camerawork bringing home just how intimate the venue was. Watching the disc is like taking the best seat in the house.

Track-wise, this is a showcase of Mike's best songs from the albums mentioned above, plus a a couple of covers.

Track List

CD

Introduction
Don't Break a Leg
Greyhound
Little Red Corvette
Rainbow Bridge
Pearl River
Hell on Me
C'mon Baby
Judgment Day
Dirty Blonde
Subtraction Blues
Gone to Texas

DVD

Don't Break a Leg
Greyhound
I Never Knew a Hurricane
Hell on Me
Pearl River
Dirty Blonde
One Step at a Time
Subtraction Blues
Judgment Day
Gone to Texas

Let Your Light Shine on Me
Natural Born Lover
Texas Flyer

The DVD of the concert lasts just over one hour and 20 minutes. There's some bonus material in the form of fan interviews and three additional videos of Mike Zito in action.

It's a very entertaining package. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the music.

Mike is currently touring the UK. Head for his website for further details.