For over 30 years, singer Mick Kolassa has been a true blues activist. He is not just a musician, he’s deeply involved with the Blues Foundation in Memphis, even donating all his album proceeds to that organization’s HART Fund and Generation Blues programs.

Mick is a versatile artist who feels comfortable performing Delta and Piedmont blues in a duo format, but he also leads his group, The Endless Blues Band, where he explores a more actual Chicago and Memphis blues with a touch of rock. He often teams up with Memphis guitar player Mario Monterosso, leaning into a classic “old school” sound with jazz influences in the path of T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan or Lowell Fulson. He also collaborates with Mississippi bluesman Dexter Allen, delivering deeper and more expressive songs with touches of soulful rock.

On this last recording, Mick has gathered some of his favorite musicians and some guests, including Jeff Jensen on guitar, bass players Bill Ruffino and Carl Caspersen, drummers James Cunningham and Tom Leonardo, Rick Steff on keys, Eric Hughes and Bob Corritore on harmonica, and a horn section featuring Mark Franklin on trumpet and Kirk Smothers on sax.

Rather than trying to be a “superstar”, Mick’s goal is simply to bring the blues to most listeners, sharing with them his personal triumphs and tragedies. He balances melancholy with a sense of humor, talking about the bittersweet reality of growing old, his love for blues or the heart-wrenching memories of his wife’s battle with alcoholism during her final days.

Once again Mick Kolassa reinvents himself, showcasing the maturity and experience he has gathered over his long journey through the world of blues.