Mike Zinna, guitar
Every good band should have a little Noo Yawk in it, and Mike is it for us. He's the guy out there on edge, pushing us to run faster, jump higher and play better than before. Mike grew up on rock in Queens and Manhattan, but was smitten by the awesome finger-style jazz of Joe Pass. He studied under teachers such as Joe Monk, and played gigs all over the Big Apple (Bitter End, Waldorf Astoria). After moving south, he hooked up with Johnnie in the early days of the band, and discovered that his jazz playing had made his blues even better. Like the complex scent of a good wine, his blazing solos carry overtones of sophisticated bebop.