Michael Packer Story - January 29, 2010
Michael Packer's story about the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis is published on The Blues Foundation website www.blues.org and will appear in the "Chitlin Circuit Magazine.
michael packer: Home
Welcome to the official site of The Michael Packer Blues Band and Windmill Music.Windmill Music also represents the award winning Australian bluesman Andy "Sugarcane' Collins, the highly acclaimed roots & blues vocalist Cee Cee James, west coast blues and soul musician Solomon King, the Cincinnati bluesman Mr. Keith Little, Ron Hacker, the San Francisco bluesman and Australian rhythm & blues queen Andrea Marr. Please go to the links section to find out more about these artists. Feel free to browse and enjoy. Please sign the guest book. Your comments are appeciated! The Michael Packer Blues Band is available for clubs, tours, festivals, weddings, funerals, private and corporate events. They have worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry opening for Pete Best (The Beatles), Levon Helm (The Band), Paul Butterfield, Son Seals, Richie Havens, John Hammond, George Thorogood. Commander Cody, Prof. Louie and the Crowmatix, Gary U.S Bonds, Bettye Lavette, L.C Ulmer. Contemporary musicians who have performed with the Michael Packer Blues Band include David Maxwell (piano), Jimmy Vivino (guitar), Bob Mintzer (sax), Mark Naftilin (piano), Lou Marini (sax), Rob Paparozzi (harp), Buzzy Linhart (vibes), Danny Kalb (guitar), Billy Gibson (harp). To book Michael Packer for your event call WINDMILL MUSIC - TEL. - 718-273-1095
"DISCOVERED AND LAUNCHED IN THE 70'S BY AHMET ERTEGUN OF ATLANTIC RECORDS.THIS NYC BLUESMAN DISAPPEARED FOR 20 YEARS DUE TO TROUBLE WITH THE LAW AND ALCOHOL.NOW HE'S RETURNED WITH AN EXCELLENT NEW AND RENEWED VERSION OF THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND " - NEWSDAY
" MICHAEL PACKER IS THE BLUES. PACKER'S SEEN MANY FRIENDS MAKE IT TO THE TOP BUT NOT LIVE TO TELL THEIR TALE. AS A SEASONED BLUES MAN, HE'S A SURVIVOR, AND WITH HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS, HIS RIKERS ISLAND BLUES CD IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS FORTITUDE AND TALENT " -BIG CITY BLUES MAGAZINE
" THE LEGENDARY MICHAEL PACKER AND HIS BLUES BAND OPEN FOR BETTYE LAVETTE SETTING THE MUSICAL TONE FOR THE EVENING, BRINGING OVER THREE DECADES OF LIVING AND MUSIC MAKING. CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED. DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ONE OF THE BEST BLUESMEN PERFORMING TODAY! - SOUTH ORANGE NEW JERSEY PERFORMANCE ARTS
" First up @ the Bettye LaVette show @ SOPAC was The Michael Packer Blues Band. Truthfully, if these guys had stayed on stage for 2 hours it would have been more then enough. I was absolutely, totally, completely blown away by them. Just a shattering, searing 45 minute set. The highlight of the set for me was their rendition of Ray Charles', " What I'd Say ", a blistering seven minutes or so of brilliance.... - S. Benois - Concert Review - Bettye Lavette @ SOPAC 10 stars (Nov.7,2009)
" AN EARLY MORNING ROCK CONCERT WAS PROVIDED BY THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND. THE BAND PLAYED BOB DYLAN AND JIMI HENDRIX SONGS. THE 40,000 RUNNERS WERE PREPARING FOR A MARATHON BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WOODSTOCK 2009... - NEW YORK CITY MARATHON - NBC NEWS
" PACKER CAN NOW BE CONSIDERED A PRESTIGIOUS HIGH QUALITY MUSICIAN " - VINCENTE ZUMEL-LA HORA DEL BLUES- SPAIN
" CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK IS GREAT! WE WERE IN BB KING'S BLUES CLUB AND HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND.SO CLOSE, SO TANGIBLE, SO AWESOME!.TRUE BLUES FROM THE VERY FINEST OF BLUES BANDS.THE BAND PLAYED WITH SUCH INCREDIBLE FEELING THAT I WAS SOON MOVED TO TEARS AND I EVENTUALLY BEGAN TO TREMBLE.YES! TONIGHT ON THIS CHRISTMAS I FOUND AMERICA!" - BLOG USA - GERMANY
" EXCELLENT OBSCURE BLUES-ROCK AXESLINGER " - GROOVEYARD RECORDS
" A LIFE WORTH LISTENING TO " - ALAN LORBER (LEGENDARY RECORD PRODUCER)
" IT WAS A JOY TO HEAR YOUR NEW MUSIC AND I HOPE THIS EVALUATION (4.5 STARS) CONFIRMS THAT YOUR LEGACY IS WELL ESTABLISHED AND YOUR CURRENT MUSIC IS ADDING TO YOUR LEGENDARY CAREER ". - EUGENE FOLEY - MUSIC CONSULTANT & FRIEND OF THE LATE AHMET ERTEGUN
" MICHAEL PACKER IS THE BLUES " - JIMMY VIVINO (GUITARIST)
" HIS LYRICS ARE EXPRESSIVE IN A DEEPLY CREATIVE WAY AND JUST AS POETIC AS DYLAN " - BLOOMINGTON ALTERNATIVE
"EVE OF DESTRUCTION 2008" - "WELL,IT'S JUST A GREAT PIECE OF ART AND THE NEW LYRICS ARE EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.YOU HAVE DONE A PHENOMONAL PIECE OF WORK AND YOUR VOCAL INTERPRETATION TRULY COMES FROM THE HEART" - BARRY McGUIRE
" FOUR ACES " - BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE
' VETERAN CHICAGO BLUES INSPIRED MICHAEL PACKER PLAYS BLUES HE HAS LIVED THROUGH,FROM BECOMING HOMELESS TO DOING HARD TIME AND FINALLY SUCCESSFULLY EMERGING FROM THE RAVAGES OF DRUG ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM.NOW RECOVERED HE BRINGS THIS EXPERIENCE OF HARD-LIVED YEARS TO THE STAGE " - ALL ABOUT JAZZ
" GIGGING SINCE THE AGE OF 15, HE FORMED THE LEGENDARY PAPA NEBO (ATLANTIC RECORDS) AT 19 YEARS OLD AND NOW AT 58 YEARS PACKER IS STILL MAKING GREAT,NO NONSENSE MUSIC WITH THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND " - RAWRIP
" THE MUSICIANSHIP IS EXCITING! " - ELMORE MAGAZINE
" SWEET RHYTHM IS WHAT A LIVE CD SHOULD BE BUT RARELY IS " - BLUESMATTERS MAGAZINE (UK)
" IMPASSIONED " - LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE"
" NYC BLUES AT IT'S BEST " - BLUESWAX MAGAZINE
" MICHAEL PACKER HAS LIVED THE BLUES AND NOW HE PLAYS THEM WITH STYLE " - VILLAGE VOICE
' THEY DO WHAT THEY DO REALLY WELL. GOOD RHYTHM & BLUES BAND AND GREAT TO WORK WITH ". - PETE BEST (THE BEATLES)
' BIG APPLE POLISH AND A BIG CITY SOUND' ' - BIG CITY RHYTHM & BLUES
RADIO STATIONS THAT PLAY MICHAEL PACKER
KUNM-ALBUQUERQUE NM
WRHC-THREE OAKS-MI
KSDS-SAN DIEGO CA
WRLR - CHICAGO IL
KXJZ-SACRAMENTO CA
WBVR-ITHACA NY
KCHO-REDDING CA
WBOR- BRUNSWICK MAINE
WFCS NEW BRITAIN CT
WMNF- TAMPA FL
WRMN- PALATINE IL
KAFM- GRAND JUNCTION CO
WVKR-POUGHKEEPSKI NY
WCNI-NEW LONDON CT
KRTO-TAHOE CITY CA
WDPS-DAYTON OH
WYEP-PITTSBURG PA
WPSU-STATE COLLEGE PA
WBFO-BUFFALO NY
MNWV-CONWAY NH
WPCR-PLYMOUTH NH
WUML-LOWELL MA
WBOR-BRUNSWICK ME
WSVN-WHITEWATER-WISC
WVPE-ELKHART IND
WRTB-ROCKFORD IL
WDCS--GLENN ELLYN IL
WMNC-TRAVERSE CITY MI
WFOS-CHESAPEAKE-VIRGINIA
WWCU-CULLOWEE NC
WNSI-ATMORE AL
KPFT-HOUSTON TX
WVOF- FAIRFIELD CT
WYCE-GRAND RAPIDS MI
CFFF- PETERBOROUGH ONTARIO CANADA
KTEP--EL PASO TX
KMFB-WILLETS CA
WDVX - KNOXVILLE TN
KXJZ-ANTELOPE CA
WPKN-BRIDGEPORT CT
WQLN-ERIE PA
KKUP- SANTA CLARA CA
WHFR-DEARBORN MI
ULTIMATE BLUES-BOSTON MA
KUOP-STOCKTON CA
WCMU-MT.PLEASANT MI
KHEN-SALIDA CO
WFDU-TEANECK NJ
KSJS-SAN JOSE CA
BLUES DELUXE-ARLINGTON TX-(SYNDICATED TO 106 STATIONS)
WPFW-WASHINGTON DC
KONC-QUINCY CA
WBGO-NEWARK NJ
WECS- WILLIMANTIC CT
KDVS- DAVIS CA
KVNF- WESTERN COLORADO
JPR-ASHLAND OR
KKIT-TAOS NM
CFBX-VANCOUVER CANADA
KIOS-OMAHA NE
WMHB- WATERVILLE ME
WUCF-ORLANO FL
WFCF-ST AUGUSTINE FL
KVRX AUSTIN TX
KUAF -FAYETTEVILLE,ARK
KZFR-CHICO CA
KXGO-EUREKA CA
KHUM-HUMBOLT COUNTY CA
KSTS-SUTTER CA
KCBX-SAN LOUIS OBISPO CA
KUNF-PAONIA CO
KFAI-MINNEAPOLOIS MN
KSPQ-WEST PLAINS MISSOURI
KRVM-EUGENE OR
KSKA-ANCHORAGE AK
WBAI-NYC NY
WHUS-STORRS CT
KMXT-KODIAC AK
KEGR-CONCORD CA
WRPI-TROY NY
KCCK- CEDAR RAPIDS IA
KSMU-MANIKOA MN
WCCK-CALVERT KY
FRESH FOLK-UTAH PUBLIC RADIO
N.E.A.R FM- DUBLIN IRELAND
HOT FM- VICTORIA AUSTRALIA
3WAY-FM- WARRNAMBOOL AUSTRALIA
BLUESBEAT - VICTOR HARBOR AUSTRALIA
CKIA-QUEBEC CITY CANADA
HIGHWAY 61-ITALY
LA HORA DEL BLUES- BARCELONA SPAIN
BFBS RADIO 2- UNITED KINGDOM
RADIO ZRO 106.2 FM- BELGIUM
BLUES CORNER- GERMANY
3WAY FM -ARGENTINA
Buy our CDs at CD Baby!
 |  |  |  |  |
MEMPHIS BLUES NEWS - January 26, 2010
WHAT A WEEKEND! SIMPLY PHENOMONAL! MICHAEL PACKER & ED JACKSON ARE BACK FROM MEMPHIS.THEY PLAYED SOME GREAT SETS @ SILKY O'SULLIVANS ON BEALE STREET AND MICHAEL PACKER GOT TO SING WITH AN OUTSTANDING PICK-UP BAND @ BB KING'S ON BEALE STREET. WINDMILL MUSIC'S OWN CEE CEE JAMES WAS TERRIFIC @ THE HARD ROCK CAFE. MICHAEL PACKER GOT TO MEET MANY BLUES LUMINARIES MICHAEL FRANK (Honey Boy Edwards manager), GUITARISTS BOB MARGOLIN, HAWKEYE HERMAN, TAS CRU, BARBRA BLUE (blues singer), BRAD STEWART FROM THE INTREPID ARTISTS BLUES AGENCY, DETLIV HOEGEN WHO COVERED MICHAEL PACKER'S SONG 'I'M IN LOVE' AS A TEENAGER WITH HIS BAND IN GERMANY. DETLIV IS NOW PRESIDENT OF CROSSCUT RECORDS AND RECEIVED A KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD. ANOTHER RECIPIENT OF THAT AWARD WAS ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE'S SENIOR EDITOR DAVID FRICKE WHO MICHAEL ALSO GOT TO MEET. HE ALSO GOT TO HEAR THE LATVIA BLUES BAND WHO ARE AMAZING LIVE AND WILL BE REPRESENTING THEM FOR WINDMILL MUSIC. THERE WERE SOME INCREDIBLE ACTS SUCH AS HARRISON KENNEDY (stella guitar-spoons), RICKY NYE (piano), DIVINA AND THE VAGABONDS (great band) AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. IT WAS A COMPETITION BUT THERE WERE NO LOSERS IN MEMPHIS. JUST SOME FINE MUSIC FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD! THANK YOU TO THE BLUES FOUNDATION FOR ORGANIZING A TRULY MARVELOUS EVENT....
THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS! - January 19, 2010
MICHAEL PACKER & ED JACKSON WILL BE PERFORMING ON BEALE STREET IN MEMPHIS ON THURSDAY JANUARY 21 THRU SUNDAY THE 24TH....