Happy Hour Gets a Nice Buzz
“To quote Firesign Theatre, Mitch Woods is going forward into the past. And the latest step in his journey is Happy Hour, a new album filled with Woods’ original material, which is steeped in the musical styles of days gone by.”
CLUB 88 RECORDS
It’s Always Happy Hour When Multi Blues Award Nominated Boogie Woogie Man Mitch Woods Hits the Keys with His Rocket 88s on His New Album on MoMojo Records!
Happy Hour, Woods’ fourteenth album, is a collection of his all-original tunes recorded at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, with Mitch Woods producing, and Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, engineering and mastering. The resulting music captures the joy that live music brings.
MVD Distribution is handling physical distribution for Happy Hour, with digital distribution by The Orchard.
Houston Press
For several decades now, the keyboard player has waged an ongoing campaign to keep the music of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s alive, exploring the jump blues era that existed between the end of big bands’ widespread popularity and the start of rock and roll. We’re talking Louis Jordan (“Saturday Night Fish Fry”), Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (“Rocket 88”) and Bull Moose Jackson and His Buffalo Bearcats (“Big Ten-Inch Record”).
Woods honors the jump blues form while putting a fresh spin on the material. He has even coined a new term for the approach, “Rock-a-Boogie.” So how did Woods discover the wealth of music that kept people dancing before the dawn of rock and roll? READ MORE
Americana Highways
Joining Mitch (piano/vocals) & Andersen on the set are Larry Vann (drums), Dave Somers (saxes) & Kedar Roy (bass) all seated with 13 drinks served at Happy Hour (Dropped Sept 6/Independent). The majority of the material is upbeat & “Jukebox Drive” has a cool hipster narration that would make Dr. John, Fats Domino & Leon Russell proud. Yes, there’s a retro feel to it all, but there’s no denying the smooth table this musician sets with his boogie-woogie piano & honking sax.
Full review: Live Online Link
Blues Blast
Happy Hour (2024), Mitch Woods’ latest release features his most popular original tunes, with new arrangements, backed by his long-time band the Rocket 88s playing their signature boogie-woogie New Orleans-tinged style. It was recorded during Covid at Greaseland Studios.
Blues Blast Interview and record review: Live Online Link
Jazz Weekly
Playing piano like he’s been infected by the boogie man, singer Mitch Woods hits eight to the bar with Kid Andersen/g, Larry Vann/dr, Dave Somers/sax and Kedar Roy/b through an album of hot jiving originals. He hammers at the ivories like Pete Johnson on the shuffling “Shakin’ The Shack” and calypso’s like Dr. John on the Crescent City’d “Amber Lee”. He has a nice growl to his voice, giving a hot to “Long, Lean and Lanky” and sweating out “Mojo Mambo”. Sit down, take your shoes off and have some fun. READ MORE
Jazz Weekly
North Jersey Blues Society
Horns naturally gravitate to Mitch Woods. Maybe the Technicolor threads he wears draw them in. Most likely, his tirelessly boogieing piano, along with the retroactive jump and swing it sparks, is the magnetic attractant. Evidently, saxophones can pick up the scent of a real good time. And can sniff out adrenaline, the very juice that Wynonie Harris, Smiley Lewis, Fats Domino and Amos Milburn thrived on in the 1940s and ’50s. READ MORE
North Jersey Blues Society
Cincy Blues Society
Anytime frequent BMA nominee Mitch Woods is around, you know you’re in for a party. And the San Francisco-based boogie woogie piano player fires on all cylinders with this one, delivering a two-fisted treasure that smokes from the jump. It’s a mix of red-hot rockers and smoldering torch songs.
Produced by Mitch and recorded at Greaseland Studios, he’s joined by Kid Andersen, who compliments Woods by swinging from the hip on guitar, sax player Dave Somers, drummer Larry Vann and bassist Kedar Roy. READ MORE
The Aquarian
It’s always Happy Hour (MoMojo Records) when Mitch Woods plays his brand of rock-a-boogie with his band The Rocket 88s. The longtime San Francisco boogie-woogie man (piano/vocals/production), on his 14th album, hits home hard on 13 originals. Our favorites: “Long, Lean & Lanky,” “Mr. Boogie’s Back In Town,” and “Mojo Mambo,” which has Kid Andersen adding guitar-hero antics. Dave Somers honks out the mighty sax and with a rampaging bass-drums rhythm section, the only thing left after repeated listening is to go see this dynamo live. READ MORE
Parc Bench Live
There’s a contagious spirit that fills the air when these musicians play and, quite frankly, slay. Blending classic rhythm and blues tunes, virtuoso instrumental skills, Mitch Woods’ highly engaging vocals, and up-to-the-minute lyrics, Happy Hour is a collection of tracks where each one stands alone as a one-act entertainment. From the high energy of “Jukebox Drive” to the dejection of “Cryin’ For My Baby” to the stylish “Mojo Mambo,” the album lets the music do its thing—cover emotional territory while impressing with invention. READ MORE
parcbench.live
Bucks County Top 10
Bucks County (Pennsylvania) Blues Society
The Coach's Top Ten New Releases:
1. Sonny Gullage: Go Be Free (Blind Pig)
2. Mikey Junior: Traveling North (8 th Train)
3. Shemekia Copeland: Blame It on Eve (Alligator)
4. Willie Buck & the Delmark All Stars: Live at Buddy Guy's (Delmark)
5. Zac Harmon: Florenda's Boy (Catfood)
6. Jimmy Carpenter: Just Got Started (Gulf Coast)
7. Mitch Woods: Happy Hour (MoMojo)
8. Tas Cru Band: Live (Subcat)
9. Vaneese Thomas: Stories in Blue (Overton)
10. Randy Lee Riviere: Concrete Blues (Wilderness)
Artist First Radio
Concluding our trilogy of explorations into 19th century creators of proto-science fiction, on Sept. 21, Mark Twain scholar NATHANIEL WILLIAMS comes to “Flashback with Wes Britton” to discuss his book, GEARS AND GOD; TECHNOCRATIC FICTION, FAITH, AND EMPIRE IN MARK TWAIN’S AMERICA. He’ll describe fantastical and imaginative stories by Washington Irving, E. A. Poe, Mark Twain, Frank Reade dime novels featuring boy inventors in the Old West, even Tom Swift. Expect an hour of surprises and revelations as well as new music from Mitch Woods and Kenny Wayne Sheperd you can stream or download beginning Fri. Sept. 20 over: LISTEN
KZSU Stanford
Mitch is calling into Sherri Jone’s blues radio show, No One Gets Out of These Blues Alive show on KZSU FM in Stanford, CA tonight at 6:30pm PT to talk about his new album and his CD Release Show at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco this Friday 9/6. LISTEN
Fotos Blues Rock and More
Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s have been the torchbearers of a great American blues musical heritage for four decades. Taking their inspiration from the great jump ‘n’ boogie outfits of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, they breathe fresh life into the music that gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll. Adding a healthy dose of New Orleans rhythm and blues, his trademark pile-drivin’ piano, and some of his own playful lyrics, Woods and the 88s forge their own brand of music they call “rock-a-boogie.”
Happy Hour, Woods’ fourteenth album, is a collection of his all-original tunes recorded at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, with Mitch Woods producing, and Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, engineering and mastering. The resulting music captures the joy that live music brings. MVD Distribution is handling physical distribution for Happy Hour, with digital distribution by The Orchard. READ MORE