Mikael Santana

At the relatively late age of 30; after seeing the movie Crossroads, Mikael Santana took up the study of the blues harmonica. By studying such masters as James Cotton, Little Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson, his progress on the instrument was rapid. Within two years he was serving an apprenticeship under the tutelage of Butch Mudbone on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. It was during one of these gigs that the band was honored one evening by Greg Allman, who sat in for several numbers, and later compared Santana's harmonica playing to that of the late Paul Butterfield.

Following Mudbone's advice, Santana went on to develop his skills as a front man, and with guitarist Al Rollag, formed the band Metropolitan Avenue with Steve Earnshaw on bass and Mike Karcz on drums. Using a repertoire built on the traditional Chicago blues style, Metropolitan Avenue incorporated into its sound the jazz, jump blues, and West Coast swing elements of such modern blues greats as Big Joe and the Dynaflows, Charlie Musslewhite, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and William Clarke.

After another two years, Santana took a brief sabbatical from performing in order to learn the rudiments of music theory, work on his vocal skills, and concentrate on writing original material. The fruit of this time of "woodshedding" was two CDs released on the North Magnolia label: 1997's Point of Departure, and 1998's In Transit; the latter featuring the masterful guitar playing of Sean Costello.

With the release of In Transit, Mikael formed The Mikael Santana Band. Using The Black Diamond Club on Beale Street in Memphis as their base of operations, they have regularly gigged there as headliners, or have opened up for such blues notables as Little Jimmy King, Blind Mississippi Morris, Studebaker John, Sean Costello, and Anson Funderburgh with Sam Myers. On June 2, 2000 they were given the honor of opening for B.B. King at the B.B. King Homecoming in Indianola, Mississippi.

Santana's latest release; the self-produced Night Flight, is a representation of the cross-section of his diverse musical tastes. Backed by an inspired band, he delivers blues tinged with up-tempo swing, mellow jazz, funky grooves, and rave-up roots rock. Other noteworthy influences that appear are those of Steely Dan and the Cuban mambos and boleros he grew up listening to in his native Miami. Although style is important, make no mistake: it's the feeling that makes the man and his band the real thing.