Michael Pickett

Michael Pickett has had a musical career that has spanned more than thirty years. He is an award-winning recording artist who has always embraced the blues. As the lead vocalist and harmonica player for two pioneering bands, Whiskey Howl and Wooden Teeth, during the '70s and '80s, Michael Pickett successfully pushed the envelope for blues roots music in the Toronto area. He formed the Michael Pickett Band in 1981, employing an ever-changing roster of some of Toronto's finest blues musicians. With Pickett as their driving force, the band developed a reputation for delivering soulful and dynamic performances of both original and classic blues material. Their 2001 inaugural tour of Germany and Austria was a major success. 1998, a banner year for Michael Pickett, was when he released his long-anticipated debut CD, Blues Money. The completely original recording was nominated for a Juno award and received a Jazz Report and Real Blues award for Blues Album of the Year. He was also presented with the coveted Maple Blues: Blues With a Feeling Award in recognition of his passion and commitment to the blues. Conversation With the Blues, released in 2000, earned him another Juno nomination and won a Canadian Indie Music award for Blues Album of the Year. The recording is an eclectic mix of ten original compositions comprised of multiple styles. His lengthy career has included extensive recording, film, radio, and television credits. He has shared the stage with John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, John Hammond, and Sunnyland Slim, and has opened for James Cotton, Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, and Son Seals at venues ranging from Massey Hall to New York's Village Gate. Performing in clubs, as well as on jazz and blues festival stages across the U.S.A., Michael Pickett continues to mesmerize audiences with his vocals, harmonica, and pure musical genius.