MIKEY JUNIOR / TRAVELING NORTH
8th Train Records ©™
Produced by Grammy Nominated, Dave Gross

To the outside world, the Philadelphia area may be known for the soul bands of the 70’s and the rhythm and blues bands of the 80’s but deep underground, there has long been a thriving blues scene in the area. Home to the second oldest active blues society in America (The Bucks County Blues Society), local artists infuse traditional blues with that famous soul sound; producing an honest and personal experience unique to blue collar towns still fighting the good fight.

Perhaps no one encompasses this philosophy more than blues & roots entertainer, Mikey Junior. Born on the tough streets of Trenton, New Jersey, this son of a musician found the blues bug early. By the age of 18, he was already working the local stages and making a name for himself. His infectious personality combined with his stalwart devotion to traditional blues music endeared him to both veterans and fans of the local music community.

Decades of live performances, and a dozen albums later, Mikey Junior continues to impress with his latest offering, Traveling North. A follow-up to the well received “Traveling South”, Mikey's latest effort is a mix of original music, combined with some well-chosen covers, presented by a veteran who is sitting comfortably at the top of his game. Featuring a litany of great talent, including Victor Wainwright on keys, Matt Daniels, Dave Gross, Greg Gumpel and Josh Roberts on guitars, Matt Raymond on bass, Michael and Robin Hudak along with Francesca Milazzo on vocals and Mike Bram on drums. From start to finish, Mikey impresses with his soulful vocals and impeccable harp playing.

From clever originals like, “Old Enough to Know”, “I’m Still Crazy Over You” and “She Can Do What She Wants To”, to covers from musicians as varied as Willie Dixon and even Bruce Springsteen, Traveling North is a beautiful listen. Mikey also pays homage to his long-time friend and local guitar legend, Danny DeGennaro, by performing two of his most popular songs, “Taboo Love” and “Way Too Fast”.

Mikey Junior has long been lauded for his phenomenal harmonica playing and on Traveling North, you’ll get to hear that incredible tone and phrasing that makes him so revered. But what you’ll also get is some terrific vocal performances that feature a gifted and seasoned player who is singing and playing from his very big heart.

Traveling North is quality music, a recording which takes you on a musical journey from beginning to end, telling stories with songs you can relate to. This release would be a great addition to any music lovers collection. Check it out!

MIKEY JUNIOR - VOCALS & HARMONICA

DAVE GROSS - LEAD GUITAR (2, 3, 7),
RHYTHM GUITAR, PERCUSSION, ORGAN (1, 7), PIANO (3) & VOCALS (9)

MATT RAYMOND - ELECTRIC & UPRIGHT BASS
MICHAEL BRAM - DRUMS
GREG GUMPEL - RHYTHM ELECTRIC & ACOUSTIC GUITAR
VICTOR WAINWRIGHT - PIANO (4, 10) & ORGAN (2)
JOSH ROBERTS - SLIDE GUITAR (5)
MATT DANIELS - LEAD GUITAR (6)

MICHAEL HUDAK SR. - VOCALS (9)
ROBIN HUDAK - VOCALS (9)
FRANCESCA MILAZZO - VOCALS (9)