Album Notes

Mike Malone and The Soul Collectors combine rhythm n’ blues, soul and other traditional blues styles to create a unique and authentic musical voice. This stuff isn't contrived, it's alive! Forget formulas, forget demographics, just dig what these cats are puttin' down, cause it's real!!


"Malone and fellow Soul Collectors set themselves apart from other local blues acts by infusing a touch of soul and rhythm and blues music into their 12-bar turnarounds...

...smooth-sounding, danceable tracks reminiscent of the early days of rock 'n' roll, when the art form was new and free to experiment with different ideas."

-Ryan Ritchie, Long Beach Press-Telegram

We live in a time when the value of originality and spontaneity are overlooked in favor of pre-packaged, pre-constituted fodder. Guess we all need to get paid. The thing about Malone and his band is that they play what they want and people dig it.

There seems to be an ever growing audience for what they are doing. When your music and performance speaks to people's hearts that is the logical result.

These cats can play and there is no denying it. Communicating with people and delivering a message is what it's all about. Without the audience there is nothing. You've got to make one of their club dates to see for yourself.

In the tradition of the giants of American music, Mike Malone and The Soul Collectors play with passion, intensity, and focus the music that they love.

They can jump one like Big Joe Turner, T-Bone or Louis Jordan, play some swamp boogie in the tradition of Slim Harpo, take it to church and then work it out with a Clarence Carter soul ballad. They are no strangers to full throttle rockin' in the spirit of Link Wray or a Chicago shuffle (ask 'em to play something by The Wolf).

Mike Malone has been a fixture on The local Socal blues scene for more than 15 years. He has spent a good part of that time as band leader and piano player for Texas Sax Honker, The Legend Joe Houston. He credits Joe as being his "musical father".

Malone has worked with numerous other artists including: Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Mick Taylor, Top Jimmy, Papa John Creach, Pee Wee Crayton, Guitar Shorty, Deacon Jones and Big Joe Turner.

Collectively (LOL), The Soul Collectors have worked as sidemen with a whole lotta artists. They have made their home here with Malone and have dug in for the long haul.