Mike Crandall

The International Blues Challenge entices the very best blues musicians from around the country to compete for the opportunity to participate in a three day musical event in Memphis, Tennessee, competing for cash prizes, recording opportunities, and recognition in the industry. Winners of each state’s competition are chosen as representatives to travel to Memphis, a path that the Mike Crandall Band has become quite familiar with. Crandall and company have won the Connecticut Blues Society Challenge to earn the prestigious honor to compete in Memphis not once but three times; 2000, 2003, and 2007. “It’s the blues version of American Idol”, describes Crandall of the International Blues Challenge event. Yet clearly, there is something to the Mike Crandall Band’s musical catalog that puts the band a step ahead of its peers.

To begin with, the Mike Crandall Band churns out a strong offering of traditional blues and swing music driven by Crandall’s rich, chromatic harp and authentic vocals and supported by a strong cast of the area’s best blues musicians. The band’s debut effort, 2004’s “Black Rain”, received strong reviews for its great tone and vintage guitar work. A second trip to the studio recently produced the band’s sophomore effort, “Just Livin’ The Blues”. The disc is filled with hard driving blues numbers and rhythmic swing delivered in style, bringing the band to the next stage of their blues development. “I feel real good about this one,” said Crandall of the band’s latest effort. While the band has continued a busy schedule of New England travels in addition to their February 2008 stop on Beale Street (where they earned finalist honors), the recording aspect is understood to be another necessary step in the musical process.

Crandall has also surrounded himself with a lineup of strong blues musicians along the way. Guitarists Rick Harrington and Ray Roberts, both seasoned blues veterans, deliver plenty of up-tempo swing and some fiery lead and slide guitar work. Rick Russell, who does not appear on the latest CD, also joins Crandall and company at specific shows (“the best blues guitar player in Boston” says Crandall of Russell’s six string talent). Bassist Ed “The Rock” Parnigoni, who was with Roomful of Blues during the Duke Robillard years, holds it all together with a strong, driving rhythm. And three different drummers contributed on Crandall’s latest recording effort. Steve Peck, who also plays with Al Copley, hails from Northwestern Connecticut. “One of the best drummers around,” promotes Crandall of Peck’s skills. Dan Bungy of Worcester is featured on three tracks (“Pawn Shop”, “Drowning in a Sea of Problems”, and the title track), delivering plenty of creative Latin flair. And Danny Banks, a 15 year old phenom that has appeared on The David Letterman show twice, appears on four tracks. His addition to the band was the result of a strong recommendation for a band in a fix. “I was playing at the best blues club in Worcester and I needed a drummer really bad,” recalls Crandall of how Banks came on board. “Somebody recommended him, and I was really worried about whether he could even pull it off or not. And he was unbelievable. He’s been playing with me ever since.” (Banks has also since released his first full length CD titled “Danny Banks Rippin It Up”. Check out www.danielbanks.net for more information).

In terms of his own musical career, Crandall’s earliest introduction to the instrument was a simple one. “I went to a party one time and some guy had a harmonica,” recalls Crandall. “I just started messing with it. From there, I walked everywhere I went and played and played the harmonica. Plus, I was fortunate enough to grow up with Sugar Ray (Norcia). He was the first big influence with that big tone. So I spend 20 years trying to get tone.” Crandall is also diverse in his musical preferences. “I listened to a lot of Kim Wilson when I was younger. I really love chromatic, so I also listened to people like Waylon Clarke. I’m also a big Santana fan; a lot of the stuff that’s not on the radio, from the old CD’s. New Grass Revival…Bella Fleck…Sam Bush…I like that jazzy kind of blues. And I listen to a lot of old stuff.”

It was those early influences that drove Crandall to make the commitment to being the best musician he could be. “The harmonica is a funny instrument,” explains Crandall. “It’s very easy to get average at it. But it’s very, very difficult to get good at it. You have to learn how to tongue block to get tone. Getting that big fat sound is the hardest part of it. Crandall took lessons from Dave Clark out of Boston, who was the bass player in the Radio Kings. “He was also a really, really good harmonica player,” said Crandall of King, who had recently passed away. “I didn’t know what I was doing before that. I had already been playing for a while, and he said, ‘I’m going to tell you something that you’re not going to like. I think you’re going to have to learn all over again’.” Crandall had become proficient in playing octaves, but the tongue blocking aspect was unfamiliar territory to him at that time. “So I had to basically learn all over again,” recalls Crandall. “Of course, growing up with Sugar Ray, I learned to see how to do things the right way (musically)”.

A Builder by day and blues musician by night, Crandall spends his day performing carpentry work building houses. The North Stonington resident relishes the flexible hours that offers him the opportunity to do what he enjoys most; playing music. As far as a career choice, Crandall is certainly confident that he has found something he enjoys doing, and the band has developed loyalty and strong support simply by going out and getting it done. “I just love it,” said Crandall of playing live music. “I love the crowds, and I love playing in real blues clubs. That’s what you work up to, and that’s where we’re finally getting at now.” Crandall also enjoys the camaraderie amount his crowd of fellow blues musicians. “I go see Sugar Ray and the Bluetones every chance I can,” says Crandall. “The Kevin Crandall Blues Band is a good band…Johnny and the East Coast Rockers…there’s bunch of good blues bands in Hartford. I’m friends with almost all of the musicians. I go see everybody and I respect all of the other (harmonica) players.”

Crandall himself prefers the intimacy of an authentic blues club to other settings, but had learned to adapt. The world of outdoor music festivals during the summertime is certainly a personal challenge. “Harmonica players don’t like playing outside,” explains Crandall. “Guitar players love it. I really have to get my sound or I’m out of my mind about it. And it’s very difficult to do. It’s like getting a root canal with no Novocain. But we’re getting better at it”.

Moving forward, the Mike Crandall Band hopes to continue doing more of the same things that are working for them now. “Where going to play as much as we can. We also probably record the third CD during the winter. The contacts I’ve made through playing and through word of mouth have been great. Musicians like to talk and talk. So were starting to get in to some places in the Boston area which I’ve always wanted to do.” As far as drawing inspiration to continue forward, Mike Crandall has it down to a simple science. “I just love to play,” says Crandall. “I live to play music.”