Mike Armando

Member Since: 2010 | Location: New York City | Page Views: 3,316

Contact Me Subscriber Pro

About Me

Mike Armando

Mike Armando - Born April 19, 1951, Founder of mja Records in 1973, Mike Armando was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY April 19, 1951. He was raised in Woodhaven, Queens, following his family relocation in the early 1950s. He initially studied the accordion during the early 1960s before transitioning to the guitar. His early musical influences included blues artists such as the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Mike Bloomfield, and BB King. Mike enlisted in 1974 and was in US Navy during the Vietnam war era. After his service to his country Mike joined Screamin Jay Hawkins band and was the guitarist for Hawkins during the 1970's. 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 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. After the release of the book Mike said to himself people can read about Hawkins why not bring these shows back again to the stage and Mike formed the Resurrection of Screamin' Jay Hawkins Band. Mike shared the stage with major musical acts such as 5 Satins, Critters,The Marvelettes, 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 Records label with such artists as Grammy award winner Fred Lipsius, from the Blood Sweat & 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 on Rounder Records, distributed by Universal Music Group. Another mja recording artist, Artt Frank who was the drummer for the late 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 musician's in his recording and musical career with Eddie Gomez, Marcus McLaurine , Michael Cochrane, Mike Stern, drummer Bob Moses who recorded on David Gross the mja release ”The Final Answer to Everything”. Bob Moses has recorded on two of Mike Armando's latest CD releases, In The Moment and The Countdown. One of Mike's first Recording Half Steppen' was listed on Billboards FM Action Picks. Mike Armando has worked with Actress Sharon Stone along with drummer Artt Frank on his CD release, Waltz for Sharon Stone. 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