Onyx Root

Michael Powers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Baryon Records
• ASIN: B0002KQNWW
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,749 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Blues Revue August/September 2004

This one's sure to make a few Top 10 lists this year.

Product Description

MICHAEL POWERS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, ONYX ROOT, RELEASED ON BARYON RECORDS

Onyx Root takes the listener through the different tastes of 60s and 70s soul, blues and psychedelic music seen through the eyes of Michael Powers, whose music career spans over 40 years performing with the Ad Libs, James Cotton and Moonbeam and sharing the stage with icons such as James Brown, Bo Diddley, the Ronettes, Chuck Berry, Robert Cray, and Johnny Winter.

Guest appearances on Onyx Root include drummer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Blues Brothers, Sheryl Crow), bassist Neil Jason (Paul McCartney, Roxy Music, Cyndi Lauper) and members of Columbia recording artist Ollabelle – Amy Helm (vocals), Jimi Zhivago (keyboards & guitars), Fiona McBain (vocals) and Glen Patscha (piano).

The album features six originals, four of which Powers co-composed with either Michael Rachinsky, Steve Jordan or Luigi Franconi. "Took 20 years to be discovered overnight" sings Powers in Successful Son (Michael Powers), the opening track of the album. Two instrumentals Night in Madrid (Michael Powers/Luigi Franconi) and All Over Town (Michael Powers) are a perfect complement to Shimmy Up (Michael Powers/Steve Jordan) and Shock (Michael Powers/Michael Rachinsky).

The remaining seven songs are covers rearranged with Powers unique gritty edge. Powers reworked Country Boy (Muddy Waters) into an almost entirely new song. From the touching blues of Can’t Quit You Baby (Willie Dixon) to the soul/pop of She’s About A Mover (Sir Douglas) and the searing guitar work on the psychedelic Psychotic Reaction (Count Five), Powers navigates each genre as if he owns it.

With such a diverse collection of songs and influences, Onyx Root takes the listener on an incredible ride. Michael Powers’ story is none other than one man paying his dues to play the blues.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NYC's best kept secret ! ! !, March 5, 2005

By 

DONNIEBLUE "DON" (ASBURY PARK NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onyx Root (Audio CD)

ONYX ROOT DOESN'T HAVE A SINGLE WEAK TRACK! MICHAEL'S GUITAR LICKS RANGE FROM SWEET AND LOW ON LEONARD COHEN'S TIMELESS "BIRD ON THE WIRE" TO RAUNCHY ON DOUG SAHAM;S *SHE'S ABOUT A MOVER" AND THE FAR OUT COVER OF "PSYCHOTIC REACTION" HE MAKES THE COVER TUNES HIS OWN AND GIVE A BLUESY FEELING TO EACH AND EVERY ONE!
THE ORIGINALS SOUND LIKE OLD NUGGETS THE WAY HE PLAYS AND SINGS. QUIT PROPHETIC IS THE 1ST TRACK, "SUCCESSFUL SON". AFTER RECORDING THE LINE ABOUT 20 YEARS TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS, HE WAS NOMINATED FOR A W.C.HANDY AWARD AS BEST "NEW" ARTIST OF THE YEAR!
HE COVERS A VARIETY OF BLUES AND NON BLUES STYLES BUT ANYTHING MICHAEL POWERS PLAYS SOUNDS LIKE THE BLUES. i HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT "ONYX ROOT" IN MY CD PLAYER SINCE I BOUGHT IT! IF I HAD A VOTE FOR THE HANDY'S IT WOULD GO TO MICHAEL POWERS AND "ONYX ROOT"!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal, December 3, 2004

By 

A. Agnello - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Onyx Root (Audio CD)

What puzzles me is why is Michael Powers remains a secret.

On this record he plays some of the most soulful, honest, blues guitar I've ever heard. The songs go from timeless to time capsule. The opening song, Successful Son, should be a hit. It's the best new blues tune that I've heard in a long time. His cover of Sir Douglas Quintet's She's About A Mover had me grinning from ear to ear.

Michael's voice is pure blues. It's soul-weary and wonderfully expressive. This record is living and breathing the blues. Check it out. This guy's the real deal, the genuine article, for sure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average blues record..., September 22, 2004

By 

recordnut - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onyx Root (Audio CD)

What a treat to discover a player like Michael Powers! I heard the first track "Successful Son" on a blues radio show and I knew I had to pick up this record. Mr. Powers is no one-trick pony cranking out blues standards that all sound the same. In fact, even if you're not into blues records you can probably get into this one! There's ample garage freakout on "Psychotic Reaction," dancing-shoes funk on "Shimmy Up," and even a bit of Hendrix-y little winging on the soulful "Graffitti." Fortunately, the guitar pyrotechincs are equally matched by a voice that sounds like it knows a thing or two about the blues. Powers has the talent to mix the old with the not-so-old, and this fresh collection is one that I'll be spinning for a while.