Onyx Root

Blues Revue August/September 2004
This one's sure to make a few Top 10 lists this year.

Product Description
MICHAEL POWERS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, ONYX ROOT, RELEASED ON BARYON RECORDS

Onyx Root takes the listener through the different tastes of 60s and 70s soul, blues and psychedelic music seen through the eyes of Michael Powers, whose music career spans over 40 years performing with the Ad Libs, James Cotton and Moonbeam and sharing the stage with icons such as James Brown, Bo Diddley, the Ronettes, Chuck Berry, Robert Cray, and Johnny Winter.

Guest appearances on Onyx Root include drummer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers, Sheryl Crow), bassist Neil Jason (Paul McCartney, Roxy Music, Cyndi Lauper) and members of Columbia recording artist Ollabelle – Amy Helm (vocals), Jimi Zhivago (keyboards & guitars), Fiona McBain (vocals) and Glen Patscha (piano).

The album features six originals, four of which Powers co-composed with either Michael Rachinsky, Steve Jordan or Luigi Franconi. "Took 20 years to be discovered overnight" sings Powers in Successful Son (Michael Powers), the opening track of the album. Two instrumentals Night in Madrid (Michael Powers/Luigi Franconi) and All Over Town (Michael Powers) are a perfect complement to Shimmy Up (Michael Powers/Steve Jordan) and Shock (Michael Powers/Michael Rachinsky).

The remaining seven songs are covers rearranged with Powers unique gritty edge. Powers reworked Country Boy (Muddy Waters) into an almost entirely new song. From the touching blues of Can’t Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon) to the soul/pop of She’s About A Mover (Sir Douglas) and the searing guitar work on the psychedelic Psychotic Reaction (Count Five), Powers navigates each genre as if he owns it.

With such a diverse collection of songs and influences, Onyx Root takes the listener on an incredible ride. Michael Powers’ story is none other than one man paying his dues to play the blues.

Onyx Root

Onyx Root,Michael Powers,Baryon Records,Fusion,Jazz-Pop,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Onyx Root

Average customer rating: Cryin' Shame NYC's best kept secret ! ! ! Real Blues The Real Deal Year's Best Blues Album

Onyx Root Michael Powers Manufacturer: Baryon Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Prodigal Son 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD) Shades of Blue Sadie Mae Watermelon Slim and the Workers ASIN: B0002KQNWW Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. Successful Son
2. Can't Quit You Baby
3. Baby's Got A Train
4. She's About A Mover
5. Shock
6. Country Boy
7. Bird On A Wire
8. Psychotic Reaction
9. Night In Madrid
10. Another Man Done
11. Graffiti
12. All Over Town
13. Shimmy Up

Album Description

MICHAEL POWERS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, ONYX ROOT, RELEASED ON BARYON RECORDS

Onyx Root takes the listener through the different tastes of 60s and 70s soul, blues and psychedelic music seen through the eyes of Michael Powers, whose music career spans over 40 years performing with the Ad Libs, James Cotton and Moonbeam and sharing the stage with icons such as James Brown, Bo Diddley, the Ronettes, Chuck Berry, Robert Cray, and Johnny Winter.

Guest appearances on Onyx Root include drummer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers, Sheryl Crow), bassist Neil Jason (Paul McCartney, Roxy Music, Cyndi Lauper) and members of Columbia recording artist Ollabelle - Amy Helm (vocals), Jimi Zhivago (keyboards & guitars), Fiona McBain (vocals) and Glen Patscha (piano).

The album features six originals, four of which Powers co-composed with either Michael Rachinsky, Steve Jordan or Luigi Franconi. "Took 20 years to be discovered overnight" sings Powers in Successful Son (Michael Powers), the opening track of the album. Two instrumentals Night in Madrid (Michael Powers/Luigi Franconi) and All Over Town (Michael Powers) are a perfect complement to Shimmy Up (Michael Powers/Steve Jordan) and Shock (Michael Powers/Michael Rachinsky).

The remaining seven songs are covers rearranged with Powers unique gritty edge. Powers reworked Country Boy (Muddy Waters) into an almost entirely new song. From the touching blues of Can't Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon) to the soul/pop of She's About A Mover (Sir Douglas) and the searing guitar work on the psychedelic Psychotic Reaction (Count Five), Powers navigates each genre as if he owns it.

With such a diverse collection of songs and influences, Onyx Root takes the listener on an incredible ride. Michael Powers' story is none other than one man paying his dues to play the blues.

Customer Reviews:

Cryin' Shame.......2006-07-25

AIN'T IT A PITY? AIN'T IT A CRYIN' SHAME? Shame on me, that is. Where have I been? Sad and embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard of Michael Powers until his Onyx Root CD came up on an Amazon link. I bought it and listened to it all this weekend. From the first guitar chord to the moment you first hear his voice you know he's an enormously talented and soulful musician and singer. There are so few young blues players who possess both superior singing AND instrumental chops; Mr. Powers is certainly one of them. You should pick this one up immediately. Wonderfully gifted, he's one of the best singers and players around. IT'S MY OWN FAULT I've been missing him so long. Great cover photo too!

NYC's best kept secret ! ! !.......2005-03-06

ONYX ROOT DOESN'T HAVE A SINGLE WEAK TRACK! MICHAEL'S GUITAR LICKS RANGE FROM SWEET AND LOW ON LEONARD COHEN'S TIMELESS "BIRD ON THE WIRE" TO RAUNCHY ON DOUG SAHAM;S *SHE'S ABOUT A MOVER" AND THE FAR OUT COVER OF "PSYCHOTIC REACTION" HE MAKES THE COVER TUNES HIS OWN AND GIVE A BLUESY FEELING TO EACH AND EVERY ONE!
THE ORIGINALS SOUND LIKE OLD NUGGETS THE WAY HE PLAYS AND SINGS. QUIT PROPHETIC IS THE 1ST TRACK, "SUCCESSFUL SON". AFTER RECORDING THE LINE ABOUT 20 YEARS TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS, HE WAS NOMINATED FOR A W.C.HANDY AWARD AS BEST "NEW" ARTIST OF THE YEAR!
HE COVERS A VARIETY OF BLUES AND NON BLUES STYLES BUT ANYTHING MICHAEL POWERS PLAYS SOUNDS LIKE THE BLUES. i HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT "ONYX ROOT" IN MY CD PLAYER SINCE I BOUGHT IT! IF I HAD A VOTE FOR THE HANDY'S IT WOULD GO TO MICHAEL POWERS AND "ONYX ROOT"!

Real Blues .......2005-01-03

This cd is a must have . After following Michael for 20 years, I am enjoying Onyx Root with Steve Jordan on such a great collection of tunes. No wonder he has two WC Handy award nominations this year

The Real Deal.......2004-12-04

What puzzles me is why is Michael Powers remains a secret.

On this record he plays some of the most soulful, honest, blues guitar I've ever heard. The songs go from timeless to time capsule. The opening song, Successful Son, should be a hit. It's the best new blues tune that I've heard in a long time. His cover of Sir Douglas Quintet's She's About A Mover had me grinning from ear to ear.

Michael's voice is pure blues. It's soul-weary and wonderfully expressive. This record is living and breathing the blues. Check it out. This guy's the real deal, the genuine article, for sure.

Year's Best Blues Album.......2004-12-01

It would be easy to go on and on about Michael Powers being the 'future of blues' etc. etc. but I'm not going to do that. For one, the New Jersey-born, Southern-raised guitarist/singer is very much the state of blues 'today'. We don't have to wait for this. After all, the 52-year-old Powers says in his opening song, "Successful Son," that he waited all those years to "be discovered overnight."

This is the best blues album I've heard all year. It's smartly conceived, deftly performed, carefully planned and is top quality in every way. Powers has a strong, rich voice and is an interesting and inventive guitar player with a mixed bag of styles.

The first thing that hits you is song selection - a thoughtful, balanced blend of cover songs - traditional and non-traditional - originals and a nice mix of moods and emotion. Yet, it's not a complicated album by any means, basically just Powers on guitar, Neil Jason on bass and the always-welcome Steve Jordan on drums, holding the whole thing together like a padlock.

The songs - there's Willie Dixon's classic "Can't Quit You Baby," Howlin' Wolf's "Baby's Got a Train," and 6 originals including a disarming jazzy instrumental called "Night in Madrid." Then there are the songs that stole my heart and mind with not just the performances but the fact that he would choose them - covers of Sir Douglas' "She's About Mover" and Count Five's ancient "Psychotic Reaction."

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