Most of you have never heard of Michael Burks, who died a year ago in May. In his short 54 year long life, his debut album - called Make It Rain - was named one of the Top 200 greatest guitar recordings of all time by GuitarOne magazine. Burks also won the Sonny Payne Award for Blues Excellence in 2006 from the Delta Cultural Center and Living Blues magazine 2004 Critics' Award for Best Guitarist, releasing three overpowering CDs on Alligator. He had developed a legend as a "roads" scholar, who wracked up thousands of miles driving his own van from gig to gig, pretty much a necessity if an artist wants to connect to the pockets of blues aficionados scattered across the country.
Burks comes to life on Tommy Castro's Legendary R & B Review with his overpowering 10 minute virtuoso cut "Voodoo Chile". His rough voice sails soulfully from one intense verse to the next, accompanied by the monstrous sound of his guitar, spinning off riffs that sound like Jimi Hendrix or Smokin' Joe Kubek at times. but really just showcase Burks' incredible range on the instrument. The song starts out slowly and innocently like most good blues tunes do, carefully building to a spine-straightening crescendo.
One article I read on the " prestigious Internet " (Thank you for that phrase, Al Franken ! ) attributed a "blue collar" work ethic to Burks' relentless touring schedule, which made me think of Albert Collins, since his lyrics - like "The Lights Are On" or "Too Many Dirty Dishes" - reflect "workingman's" concerns, making me wonder if there really should be a new category called "blue collar blues". Check out "Make It Rain" or " I Smell Smoke" and - of course - "Ironman" , and see what you think.
Like so many other performers, Michael Burks died on the job, collapsing at the Atlanta International Airport after touring Europe, suffering a heart attack. His spirit and his stinging guitar riffs - luckily - live on.
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