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Mike Armando
Mike Armando
About Me
Mike Armando
Mike Armando was born in Brooklyn and raised in Woodhaven, Queens, N.Y. He was in the US Navy during the
Vietnam war. After his service to his country Mike joined Screamin' Jay Hawkins band and was the guitarist for
Screamin' Jay Hawkins during the 1970's. ( I Put A Spell On You). In 1976 Hawkins suffered facial injuries when he
was burned by one of his flaming props while performing with his guitarist Mike Armando at the Virginia Theater in
Alexandria, Va. During the concert Screamin Jay Hawkins had to be rushed off stage. Jay kept Screamin to Mike
“keep on playing”.
Mike Armando's years of being the guitarist for Screamin' Jay Hawkins during the 1970's has been written about in
a book written by author Steve Bergsman titled I Put A Spell On You: The Bizarre Life of Screamin' Jay Hawkins
The book is published by Feral House.
Mike shared the stage with major musical acts such as 5 Satins, Critters, Marveletts, Bobby Lewis, Velon’s, Scott
Mckenzie and many more. Mike has performed at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May, N.J. backing saxophonist
Tim Price. Mike has produced 15 CDs on the mja label with such artists as Grammy award winner Fred Lipsius,
from Blood Sweet & Tears, Nancy Monroe, David Allan Gross, Chris Clark. Pat Morrissey, Artt Frank. One of the
tracks from Fred Lipsius, mja release Better Believe It CD was released and distributed throughout the world on
MCA Records. mja recording artist, Artt Frank who was the drummer for the late great Chet Baker was inducted
into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame on November 16, 2010. Mike Armando was the producer for all three of Artt's
CD's.
Mike has worked with other great musician's in his recording and musical career with the likes of Eddie Gomez,
Marcus McLaurine, Michael Cochrane, Mike Stern, drumming great Bob Moses who recorded on the mja release
David Alan Gross The Final Answer to Everything. Bob Moses has recorded on two of Mike Armando's latest CD
releases, In The Moment and The Countdown on mja Records. One of Mike's first Recording Half Steppen was
rated one of the top ten records on the radio playlist in Bill Board Magazine. Mike Armando has worked with
Actress Sharon Stone along with drumming great Artt Frank on his CD release, Waltz for Sharon Stone. Mike was
the producer for Artt's CD.
Review
Jazz/Blues guitarist Mike Armando has paid his dues several times over. And you can hear it in his playing. My one
time contemporary, Charlie Bird Parker once said, “You can’t play it if you haven’t lived it.” When you listen to Mike,
you’ll will know from the very first note that he lived what he plays. There’s a seasoned unfiltered quality in his
phrasing that awakens our ears to his affinity for the real deal form of jazz. With Mike, its all about feeling, just as it
was with all of the great players of the past, and the few greats who are on the scene today. The sounds Mike has
taken in and absorbed through the years didn’t come from any music school class, but straight from his life’s
experiences, and from hanging around the great jazz clubs in New York City; and being able to see some of the
greats perform up close and personal. Mike has a way of drawing his listeners in and making them a personal part
of what he and his group are playing. Mike has surrounded himself with some really fine jazz musicians.
Artt Frank - drummer for the late great Chet Baker.
Mike Armando web page: https://mjajazz.wixsite.com/mike-armando