BIG MIKE GRIFFIN
"SITTIN' HERE WITH NOTHING"
1995
43:08
1/Somebody's Been Talkin'/Campbell/4:09
2/Satisfied/Campbell/2:41
3/Love Is Growing Cold/Strother/4:20
4/Sittin' Here With Nothing/Griffin/3:51
5/The Last Thing I Need/Payne/3:50
6/High Maintenence Woman/Griffin/3:20
7/Bad Seed/Griffin/3:58
8/I Am the Doctor/Payne/3:27
9/He Can't Do It/Griffin/4:52
10/You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down/Griffin/4:42
11/Deliver Me from Evil/Griffin/4:03
Mike Griffin/Guitar, Vocals
Clayton Ivey/Piano, Hammond Organ
David Hood/Bass
Pat O'Connor/Drums
Terry Townsend/Trumpet
Dennis Taylor/Saxes
REVIEW
By Chris Gill
Sittin' Here With Nothing is Griffin's third Waldoxy release, and as the saying goes, "The third times the charm." Recorded at Alabama's legendary Muscle Shoals Sound studio, the album captures Griffin and the band at their best - relaxed, upbeat and burning. Griffin's guitar solos talk as if they were directly linked to his powerful, gruff singing. When it comes to the blues, he can play it all whether it's uptown and jazzy or lowdown and rockin'. For a taste of his versatility, check out his funky rhythm work on "The Last Thing I Need" his melodic, sophisticated solos on "He Can't Do It" and his gritty slide on the album's title track.
Griffin's stellar backup band adds just the right amount of spice and substance to the music. From his gospel-inspired piano licks to his fat, Staxlike organ rhythms, Clayton Ivey turns in a smoking keyboard performance, which is highlighted by his solos on several cuts. Bassist David Hood and drummer Pat O'Connor provide a swinging grooving backbone that propels the songs like a '50 Mercury running on rocket fuel. You'd be hard pressed to find a better horn section than Terry Townsend (trumpet) and Dennis Taylor (sax), whose lively accompaniment adorns several songs with the potent punch of a heavyweight champion. Add guest drummer/percussionist Paul H. Lee and you've got a surefire recipe for 100% blues satisfaction.
Dont miss Mike Griffin and his band if they happen to be playing at a club or festival near you. But just in case you miss your opportunity, take this album home, pump the volume up and "meltdown" grab your honey, and kiss your troubles good-bye."
ABOUT BIG MIKE GRIFFIN
Big Mike Griffin grew up in southern Oklahoma, where he was introduced to music at an early age. " My Dad played so there was always a guitar or fiddle laying around the house. It seems like I've been playing as long as I've been alive." Later, he began listening to blues artists like T-Bone Walker, Paul Butterfield, and Mike Bloomfield. His blues education was further enhanced by late night highway trips to Texas to catch legends like Freddie King, Albert King, and Albert Collins.
When the economy faltered in Oklahoma, Griffin set out for Nashville where he began playing wherever he could while finding players along the way who would make up the nucleus of the Unknown Blues Band. As their popularity grew, the band began to appear in front of larger audiences and to perform at such prestigious festivals as the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the W.C. Handy Festival. They also expanded their regular touring schedule, travelled to the East Coast and then out West.
"SITTIN' HERE WITH NOTHING"
1995
43:08
1/Somebody's Been Talkin'/Campbell/4:09
2/Satisfied/Campbell/2:41
3/Love Is Growing Cold/Strother/4:20
4/Sittin' Here With Nothing/Griffin/3:51
5/The Last Thing I Need/Payne/3:50
6/High Maintenence Woman/Griffin/3:20
7/Bad Seed/Griffin/3:58
8/I Am the Doctor/Payne/3:27
9/He Can't Do It/Griffin/4:52
10/You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down/Griffin/4:42
11/Deliver Me from Evil/Griffin/4:03
Mike Griffin/Guitar, Vocals
Clayton Ivey/Piano, Hammond Organ
David Hood/Bass
Pat O'Connor/Drums
Terry Townsend/Trumpet
Dennis Taylor/Saxes
REVIEW
By Chris Gill
Sittin' Here With Nothing is Griffin's third Waldoxy release, and as the saying goes, "The third times the charm." Recorded at Alabama's legendary Muscle Shoals Sound studio, the album captures Griffin and the band at their best - relaxed, upbeat and burning. Griffin's guitar solos talk as if they were directly linked to his powerful, gruff singing. When it comes to the blues, he can play it all whether it's uptown and jazzy or lowdown and rockin'. For a taste of his versatility, check out his funky rhythm work on "The Last Thing I Need" his melodic, sophisticated solos on "He Can't Do It" and his gritty slide on the album's title track.
Griffin's stellar backup band adds just the right amount of spice and substance to the music. From his gospel-inspired piano licks to his fat, Staxlike organ rhythms, Clayton Ivey turns in a smoking keyboard performance, which is highlighted by his solos on several cuts. Bassist David Hood and drummer Pat O'Connor provide a swinging grooving backbone that propels the songs like a '50 Mercury running on rocket fuel. You'd be hard pressed to find a better horn section than Terry Townsend (trumpet) and Dennis Taylor (sax), whose lively accompaniment adorns several songs with the potent punch of a heavyweight champion. Add guest drummer/percussionist Paul H. Lee and you've got a surefire recipe for 100% blues satisfaction.
Dont miss Mike Griffin and his band if they happen to be playing at a club or festival near you. But just in case you miss your opportunity, take this album home, pump the volume up and "meltdown" grab your honey, and kiss your troubles good-bye."
ABOUT BIG MIKE GRIFFIN
Big Mike Griffin grew up in southern Oklahoma, where he was introduced to music at an early age. " My Dad played so there was always a guitar or fiddle laying around the house. It seems like I've been playing as long as I've been alive." Later, he began listening to blues artists like T-Bone Walker, Paul Butterfield, and Mike Bloomfield. His blues education was further enhanced by late night highway trips to Texas to catch legends like Freddie King, Albert King, and Albert Collins.
When the economy faltered in Oklahoma, Griffin set out for Nashville where he began playing wherever he could while finding players along the way who would make up the nucleus of the Unknown Blues Band. As their popularity grew, the band began to appear in front of larger audiences and to perform at such prestigious festivals as the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the W.C. Handy Festival. They also expanded their regular touring schedule, travelled to the East Coast and then out West.
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