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for this song rather than his 1980s Fender Strat) and Mike also does an instrumental take on
Dylan’s ‘Dear Landlord’. As well as his love for the blues Mike has also always had a love of The
Beatles and he demonstrates that here by doing ‘I Just Don’t Understand’ a pop song recorded

by Ann Margret and covered by The Beatles and also Leiber and Stoller’s ‘Some Other Guy’ done
by The Beatles, The Big Three and every other Merseybeat band. ‘The Whole Idea of You’ is a
dramatic 50s-style ballad and the final ‘Burial Season’ a song by ‘Mudcat’ Ward is another
poignant, dramatic ballad possibly inspired by the recent death of Mike’s mother. This is a fine
album which showcases Mike’s wonderful lead guitar playing as well as his excellent band
(especially Brooks Milgate) with all benefitting from Kid Andersen’s production.
Graham Harrison

Yates McKendree—Need to Know—Qualified Records

Yates McKendree is the son of keyboard wizard/producer Kevin
McKendree and like me you’ll probably hate him when I tell you
that on this his second album he plays guitar, keyboards, bass
and drums - as well as singing! Plus, he also wrote many of the
songs here (alongside Gary Nicholson) with the record being
produced by his old man. We kick off with ‘Burnin’ Tears’ a
mid-tempo original song with organ, electric piano and a tricky
guitar solo, ‘Need to Know You Better’ carries on in the same
vein and ‘Run It in the Ground’ is up-tempo with busy guitars
and piano. ‘I Don’t Care’ is a dramatic slow blues with riffing
brass and Yates’ soulful vocals. We then go to the Crescent City for versions of Earl King’s ‘Trick
Bag’ and Chris Kenner’s ‘Something You Got’.

The old blues song ‘See See Rider’ is done here as a jazzy instrumental in the Jimmy Smith/Kenny
Burrell style, ‘I Can’t Stop’ is a heartfelt blues with biting lead guitar and ‘Give Me Time’ is one
of my favourites a melodic soul ballad. ‘Good as Gone’ is an up-tempo song by Dave Duncan and
Yates also has a go at the old Bobbie Gentry song ‘Ode to Billy Joe’ over more Jimmy Smith-style

organ. ‘I Wanna Go Home’ has Yates singing alongside Sean Mack McDonald over his pub-style
piano and we check out with ‘Tide’ a dramatic instrumental that sounds like incidental music
from a TV cop show. There is no doubt that Yates is very talented, he grew up in the studio,
often engineering records that his dad produced for people like Delbert McClinton and John
Hiatt but even though this record is very ‘professional’, to me it just seemed a bit too incestuous,

a bit too ‘closed in’ – I would have liked to have heard some other musicians to have opened it
out a bit.
Graham Harrison
Mikey Junior—Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson—
Independent

I really liked New Jersey bluesman Mikey Junior’s last album

‘Traveling North’ and on this new album he pays tribute to Sonny
Boy Williamson II (Aleck ‘Rice’ Miller). We start with two SBW

stone classics ‘Eyesight to the Blind’ and ‘Don’t Start Me Talking’
—these are perfect authentic versions with Mikey really
capturing SBW’s harmonica playing and singing in his own voice
without trying an impersonation. The band of Gregg Gumpel,