Acclaimed guitarist-vocalist Mike Zito embarks on his Spring-Summer “First Class Life’ Tour, which kicks off with a Record Release Concert at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion in St. Louis this Friday, May 11 and runs through September (complete itinerary at https://www.mikezito.com/shows).
There may not be a more honest bluesman than Mike Zito, whose fifteenth album ‘First Class Life’ is released May 11 on Ruf Records. The rocking-yet-poignant title track explores his journey from addiction to sobriety and then musical recognition: Zito is a two-time 2017 Blues Music Award nominee. “Second chance at a first-class life,” he sings, recalling the hard times. As is fitting for a man with the word “Blues” tattooed across his picking hand, ‘First Class Life’ focuses squarely on blues with heart and chops to spare, not to mention wit and openness.
Blues-E-News connected with Zito for an interview in our “5 Quick Questions” series right before his U.S. Tour began.
BEN: What can longtime Mike Zito fans look forward to on your upcoming tour?
MZ: We always come a rocking! The full band with Lewis Stephens on piano and my great rhythm section of Matt Johnson and Terry Dry will be with me all summer long.
We will absolutely be playing new tunes from the new album, but we always try and play fan favorites from the past fourteen albums. Expect fiery shows with a lot of energy!
BEN: The first show of your upcoming tour is a Record Release Concert in St. Louis, where you lived for over three decades. Talk about what going home means to you?
MZ: It means the world to me. I had a lot of success in St. Louis, but drugs and alcohol got the best of me and I had to make a move. I found success in Texas, and it’s real
special to come home and celebrate this new album with family and friends. I have a lot of support in St. Louis and it’s fantastic that we play our show on the actual release date of the new album in my hometown, a dream come true.
BEN: As any musician knows, a new album is a labor of love, and a great deal of work, like giving birth to a newborn baby. What stands out in your memory about the recording of your new album?
MZ: Well you nailed it on the head. An album worthy of release must be nurtured and worked on. Not so much in the recording stage for me, but in the writing and story stage. We recorded all the basic tracks in one day and finished the album in three days. It always takes me about a year, though, to collectively put an album together. I need to believe in the songs and I need time to let things flesh out on their own. I try not to force
anything too much, I want to see where my writing might lead me. What stands out most is that we recorded this album in my new studio – “Marz Recording Studio” in Nederland, Tx. I have been producing (albums) for the past eight years for Ruf Records and it was time to build my own facility. It was a real eye-opener of a “First Class Life” to be in my backyard, recording my music near my family and home.
BEN: Talk a little bit about the Blues Caravan Tour you’ve been doing with Bernard Allison in Europe, Germany, etc. How’s that been going?
MZ: The 2018 Blues Caravan is another dream come true. I have known Bernard for years and his father, Luther Allison, is one of my biggest heroes. We are out celebrating the twenty years since Luther passed, playing a lot of his music every night. To be onstage with Bernard and the Caravan has been an excellent experience and I look forward to the rest of the years shows.
BEN: Complete the sentence: I’ll be really happy if, in five years, my career is……?
MZ: Still going strong. (You do the best you can, but ultimately, you just want to keep doing it because you love it.)
