Monster Mike Welch - These Blues Are Mine (1996), MMW & Mike Ledbetter - Right Place, Right Time (feat. Laura Chavez) (2017), MMW - Nothing But Time (2023)

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Six-string wizard teenager

On his debut album “These Blues Are Mine” (1996), Welch had just turned… 16 ! Already the chops of a veteran guitar-slinger and the voice of an adult. Hardly believable !

When SRV died in the crash of his helicopter in August 1990, the boy, born in 1979, had celebrated his 11th birthday two months earlier and was already honing his skills at local blues jams in his native Boston. Yes, Boston… though when you hear his guitar you'd rather think of Dallas or Austin ! At these blues jams he had the lucky opportunity to play and learn from such experienced elders as Ronnie Earl, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Matt Murphy or Paul Rishell.

Maybe more impressive than his technique is his amazing maturity in understanding and delivering the blues as much on guitar as vocally. Not a mere guitar-slinger actually, but a young man who deeply feels the blues and expresses it with true conviction.

Welch and George Leroy Lewis

For a first opus, he could easily have contented himself to record covers of some of his favorite blues. Instead of that the album is appropriately titled as he wrote or co-wrote (with rhythm guitarist George Leroy Lewis) all the tracks, about half of them being stirring instrumentals.

But there's more : this debut album could have been a one-shot thing without further sequel, at least of that level, as it happens so often with precocious young artists whose talent and inspiration vanish as years go by. Not Welch, no sir ! A real phenomenon !

Of course, on “These Blues Are Mine”, the influence of SRV is obvious as much in Welch's technique on the neck as in the very sound of his guitar (a number like the instrumental “Jessie's Blues” reminds “The Sky is Crying”) but also in his vocal signature, amazingly mature.

Welch's blues is similarly fueled with rock. In this sense it's blues-rock. But with a strong emphasis on blues. With a global swamp texture largely brought by George Leroy Lewis' Leslie guitar on outstanding tracks as the muscular swampy “I Forget”, “Keep On Doing” or the final 11-minute “Cold Poison”.

With Sugar Ray Norcia

Welch not only confirmed his unique talent but improved it in his next recordings ― “Axe To Grind” (1997), “Catch Me” (1998), “Adding Insight To Injury” (2004), “Cryin' Hey” (2005), “Just Like It Is” (2007) ―, intelligently widening his music to new horizons including covers of his favorite blues songs and moving away from his early SRV sound to develop his own style.

He also worked on side projects, in particular a regular collaboration with Sugar Ray Norcia started in 2003 with the album “Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Featuring Monster Mike Welch”, followed by several more releases, as well as an album with the Duke Robillard Band : “Independently Blue (with special guest Monster Mike Welch)” (2013).

Welch & Ledbetter

Twenty years after his debut album, in June 2016, Welch met guitarist-singer Mike Ledbetter during a tribute concert to Otis Rush at the 33rd Chicago Blues Festival. They befriended each other and the Welch-Ledbetter live collaboration led them to record the album “Right Place, Right Time (feat. Laura Chavez)”, released in 2017.

A very exciting soul and R'n'B oriented opus resulting from the perfect combination of Ledbetter's gripping soulful vocals with Welch's searing guitar.

Both men are carried by a three-piece band : the tasteful Anthony Geraci on piano and Hammond organ, and the grooving rhythmic pair Ronnie James Weber on bass and Marty Richards on drums.

Doug James & Sax Gordon

Extra enhancement is provided by renowned guests like the saxophonists pair Sax Gordon & Doug James (on 4 tracks) and the attractive guitarist Laura Chavez (on 4 other numbers).

Laura Chavez

The album's bright lights come from the exciting arrangements of Welch and Ledbetters's own material (5 titles altogether), among which Welch's stirring “I'm Gonna Move To Another Country”, but most of all from the seven featured covers : the hard rolling R'n'B beat of “I Can't Please You” (Jimmy Robins) with exciting sax riffs from Gordon and James, Willie Dixon's “I Can't Stop Baby” transformed by Welch's sumptuous solo, a stirring version of Little Junior Parker's “How Long Can This Go On” with great middle solo by Chavez, “Cryin' Won't Help You” (from Hudson Whittaker aka Tampa Red) and the superb delivery of Elmore James' “Goodbye Baby”.

Unfortunately, this appealing album had no follow-up : Ledbetter died at his home in January 2019, at only 33, of complications from epilepsy.

For his latest album, “Nothing But Time” (2023), Welch privileged again his own material, except a couple of Robert Johnson titles, a quite personal revisit of George Harrison's “I Me Mine”, and “Ten Years Ago” from Buddy Guy.

Kid Andersen

The sound is richer than ever, produced by Norvegian-born guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen, who traded his six-string for organ or bass on eight tracks, leaving priority on guitar to Welch.

On most of the tracks, a solid horn section featuring four instruments shared by six blowers brings a strong Memphis soul touch reinforced by backing vocals on a track like “I've Got Nothing But Time”.

Rick Estrin

Welch gives a fine glimpse of his talent on slide guitar on his electric cover of Robert Johnson's “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day”, featuring Rick Estrin on harmonica. He's also particularly exciting on rolling boogies  like “Offswitch Blues” and “Losing Every Battle”, or on the appropriately titled jump blues “Jump For Joy”.

“I Ain't Sayin'” has a definite R'n'B favor brought by the horns, while the nice “In Case You Care” is built on the appealing swampy-like beat of the organ-bass-drums over a layer of horns.

George Harrison's “I Me Mine” wanders from mid-tempo soul chorus to rocking blues guitar.

Welch delivers a superb homage to Buddy Guy's scorching soulful style on his 6-minute version of “Ten Years Ago” (fussy faultfinders might call it imitation...)

The even longer (almost 9 minutes) “Afraid Of My Own Tears (Parts 1 & 2)”, co-written with his former band-mate and mentor George Leroy Lewis, is nothing else than a giant guitar solo.

The album closes on a country blues note with the second Johnson cover, “Kind Hearted Woman Blues”, which proves that Welch is not a fake on acoustic guitar either…

As mentioned earlier, the teenager has become an authentic bluesman, one of the most exciting new electric bluesmen to come out in a long time, like his fellow guitarists Marquise Knox, Jontavious Willis or Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. ■

The Albums On YT

► “These Blues Are Mine” (1996) :
→ “Freezer Burn” : https://youtu.be/TBUR_x0GXKU
→ “These Blues Are Mine” : https://youtu.be/t6tYXjZj8Po
→ “It Might Not Be Me” : https://youtu.be/ykyHgpoAQIA
→ “I Forget” : https://youtu.be/V745WEOUj04
→ “Texas Girl” : https://youtu.be/3fYV9jW_6bM
→ “Lover And A Friend” : https://youtu.be/dxyjTeNERig
→ “Jessie's Blues” : https://youtu.be/fARk3rbsQ0Y
→ “Looking Back” : https://youtu.be/cvlDB8jbrWI
→ “Honest Love” : https://youtu.be/-JVsbizeTLQ
→ “Keep On Doing” : https://youtu.be/yy2d1q7DxsQ
→ “Leroy's Mood” : https://youtu.be/RI8vLFlAfvA
→ “Cold Poison” : https://youtu.be/sujBngyD8lA
►  “Axe To Grind” (1997) : https://youtu.be/FrwtxoXD7sg
► “Catch Me” (1998) : https://youtu.be/pIYANFB3E3A
► “Adding Insight To Injury” (2004) : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mBLGKRJ18qe1w4CSchuBSaXkxSzpz7nrw

► “Cryin' Hey! Monster Mike Welch Plays The Blues” (2005) : https://youtu.be/Sm1qL_a55YU
► “Just Like It Is” (2007) : https://youtu.be/gqhQ0incKYk
► “Right Place, Right Time” (2017) : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lpntsuoDPe6h1cArAJDckGK3edUKRYs6o
► “Nothing But Time” (2023) : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_moeE2yxULxwtHs_oXSheGa8zdgEV6A308

► “Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Featuring Monster Mike Welch” (2003) :
→ “I Believe” : https://youtu.be/u2XFjk_-w7Q
→ “Get Over Me” : https://youtu.be/5VHBARCDVLQ
→ “And The Angels Sing” : https://youtu.be/O1oyR1NjZ4s
→ “Love And Trouble” : https://youtu.be/aIZ2QdJw3WQ
→ “Feeling Blue” : https://youtu.be/5AESB1KLYxI
→ “Tell Me Whats Going On” : https://youtu.be/bHmodhHWrWs
→ “Burial Season” : https://youtu.be/A4hpTWkcQ8I
→ “Why The Sun Sets Red And Low” : https://youtu.be/FV_-XKHIOdA
→ “I Asked My Baby” : https://youtu.be/JjJqpI9A8aA
→ “Funk-Shun” : https://youtu.be/EC5pzh1MAUo
→ “Linda Lou” : https://youtu.be/RDivXC8NkxY
→ “Tomorrow Morning” : https://youtu.be/KmErfk_iHss
→ “From Now On This Morning (11 September)” : https://youtu.be/ylbOnb9L-iw
► The Duke Robillard Band : “Independently Blue (with special guest Monster Mike Welch)” (2013)  : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kcTdiuqEfnRuMb0XbarL5uR6EFV4tzxEg

Videos
Mike Welch & Mike Ledbetter

► Moulin Blues Festival, Ospel, Netherlands, 2016 : https://youtu.be/BcAmcbc154E
► Grand Finale Jam, Gloucester Blues Festival, MA, 2017 (John Primer Band, James Armstrong, Monster Mike Welch & Mike Ledbetter, and Tullie Brae) : https://youtu.be/pwsjqa_8-g4
► The Warehouse, Memphis, 2017 (feat. Anthony Geraci on keyboards, Laura Chavez on guitar, Danny Banks on drums, and Matthew Wilson on bass) : https://youtu.be/TRuJADvgto8
► Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, MS, with Anthony Geraci on keyboards, 2017 : https://youtu.be/1Mly7ECgHO0
► Nelson's Candies, Wilton, NH, 2017 : https://youtu.be/GSwDvg2Iu9M
► Cadillac Zack's Monday Night Blues and Jam, Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, Tarzana, CA, 2017 : https://youtu.be/zd2h90HgNFs
► “You Don't Love Me”, Chan's, Woonsocket, RI, 2017 : https://youtu.be/zjx0n8FzB2o
► Big Blues Bender, Las Vegas, NV, 2018 : https://youtu.be/8DL3Nle33rY
► Blues & BBQ, Pier 97, Hudson River Park, NYC, 2018 : https://youtu.be/HVbr4IXJETY
► Næstved Arena, Denmark, 2018 : https://youtu.be/zUNwvgNIzs4
► New England Blues Summit, 2018 : https://youtu.be/xHkFMl3swPo?t=86
► Club Zaping, France, 2020 : https://youtu.be/VjRebXhV8uc

With Sugar Ray & The Bluetones
► Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival, Quebec, 2012 : https://youtu.be/xvTgN9OLbm8?t=53
► Triad's, NYC, 2012 : https://youtu.be/kThtME2OmRM
► Reigen, Vienna, Austria, 2012 : https://youtu.be/WhEWuV3rkhw
► The Extended Play Sessions, 2015 : https://youtu.be/MK7wfpP18pA
► Chan's, Woonsocket, RI, 2016 : https://youtu.be/fWaC5_8tUQE

Mike Welch live
Independently of the above-mentioned collaborations, Welch guests with an impressive number of artists.

With Nick Moss

► With Darell Nulisch, Menen, Belgium, 2008 : https://youtu.be/C4xhpHDUMIE
► "All The Love In The World" with Nick Moss, Jake's BBQ, Waltham, MA, 2009 : https://youtu.be/MSWXIC3Sq-U
► With Danny Banks & His All Star Band, Blues & Brews Festival, 2010 : https://youtu.be/gOavjG-avB0
► The MMW Band, Kassel, Germany, 2011 : https://youtu.be/viJEF_6odRE
► The MMW Band, Reigen, Vienna, Austria, 2011 : https://youtu.be/Fx5XWvrH95U
► With Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith, Cadillac Zack's Monday Night Blues and Jam, Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, Tarzana, CA, 2012 :
→ “Honey Bee” & “I Need You So Bad” : https://youtu.be/HsKK-_Rk81M
→ “Crosscut Saw” : https://youtu.be/kQHqFNh7MVg
► With David Maxwell's Maximum Blues, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2014 (feat. Sax Gordon, sax - Darrell Nulisch, harp/vocals - Marty Ballou, bass & Marty Richards, drums)  : https://youtu.be/1S41vJN16eE

With Shemekia Copeland

► With Lydia Warren, Eddie Scheer's Tuesday Night All Stars, Brighton, MA, 2015 : https://youtu.be/BfyoDLE1SHc
► With Shemekia Copeland :
→ The Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA, 2015 : https://youtu.be/f0mlyG6rkrs
→ “Ghetto Child” :
- Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA, 2015 : https://youtu.be/_GuZUusBNSk
- New England Blues Summit, 2017 : https://youtu.be/L02dHzSxiPQ

With Anthony Geraci

► With Anthony Geraci and The Boston Blues All-Stars (Sugar Ray Norcia, Darrell Nulisch, Michelle "Evil-Gal" Willson and Toni Lynn Washington), The Extended Play Sessions, 2015 : https://youtu.be/aE9Q2Jb752A
► New England's Best Blues Jam, 2016 : https://youtu.be/D6uHkKURZRQ
► With Anthony Geraci and The Boston Blues All-Stars (feat. Toni Lynn Washington), White Mountain Boogie'n'Blues Festival, Thornton, NH, 2016 : https://youtu.be/T7cTPsMVe8Q

With Duke Robillard

► With Lydia Warren & Friends, 9-Wallis, Gloucester, MA, 2017 : https://youtu.be/F6V_fIU96ps
► With the Duke Robillard Band :

→ M.F.O.A. Benefit, 2017 : https://youtu.be/kCka8I2NVxk

→ Menotomy Grill, Arlington, MA, 2017 : https://youtu.be/6qEpfaYOlC8

► With Tinsley Ellis, Big Blues Bender, Las Vegas, 2018 : https://youtu.be/NSCpqdn81WI?t=3970

► With Victor Wainwright and the Train, Big Blues Bender, Las Vegas, 2018 :

https://youtu.be/3PhjaYLDKq4

► With Jimmy Vivino and Quinn Sullivan, Once Somerville, Boston, 2018 : https://youtu.be/zl8HPX3nXOI

► With Kevin Burt, Michael Ledbetter Life Celebration and Fundraiser, Des Moines, IA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/62PwhefXFyk

► With Lauren Mitchell Band feat. Kit Holliday, 9-Wallis, Gloucester, MA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/zCS11l7xKlw
► With Michelle Rockwell and Anthony Geraci, Rockland, MA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/7kZL2S7dDOc

With the Danielle Nicole Band

► With the Danielle Nicole Band, The Porch Southern Fare Juke Joint, 2020 : https://youtu.be/gldsnKyEEBk

► With Anthony Geraci, 9-Wallis, Gloucester, MA, 2020 : https://youtu.be/BYBS6YE5L7w

► Livestream, 2021 : https://youtu.be/19DuvsgA-GY
► With the Albert Castiglia Band, along with Popa Chubby, White Mountain Boogie & Blues Fest., 2021 : https://youtu.be/dW8moFk_vTc?t=904
► “I'm Gonna Move To Another Country” with Kirk Fletcher, Freddy's Bar, Fredrikshavn, Denmark, 2021 : https://youtu.be/FFN9xT34vAE
► With Reeve Carney and Zane Carney, The Green Room 42, NYC, 2022 : https://youtu.be/UO7ECp4CzA8