(Slide Guitar Blues) Mike Gray - Middle Distance - 2011, MP3, 320 kbps

Mike Gray plays blues based roots music leaning towards Hill Country blues. Mike's music is raw and gets right to the point. The album "Middle Distance" showcases Mike's unique musical style and straight forward delivery.
I was born and raised about 125 miles north of Memphis in the Bootheel of Missouri. The Bootheel, located on the north edge of the Mississippi Delta, is where I was exposed to blues, gospel, and roots music. To this day, these styles are the center piece of my music.
My 1st memories of music were listening to old country records with my dad. We would get a stack of records, turn out the lights, tune out the rest of the world, and do nothing but just listen to the music. The next major musical event in my life occurred when my uncle had me listen to some old blues records. At the time I could not explain it, but there was something about those songs that had a special meaning to me.
In my teens, I migrated north to central Missouri. There I formed a band with a couple of friends. Looking back, it seems most of our shows were either in a barn or a field. Although the surroundings were not glamorous, it taught me how to play for people and with a band. The best part of the deal is those band mates are still two of my closest friends today.
After college, I moved to Kansas City. Kansas City is where I met my wife and where we raise our kids. Kansas City is where I call home and where I make music.
I am still searching for why those old blues songs mean so much to me. However, deep down I know the "why" isn't important. ~Mike Gray