Mike Osborn:
Guitar Hero with a
Background in the Blues

Mike Osborn

    It's Friday night at the Trail's End Saloon and Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings have just taken the stage. Long one of the area's favorite Blues bands, they have always displayed exceptional talent. But now, times are different. They're no longer an exceptional band; they're an incredible band! The difference? The addition of Mike Osborn on lead guitar. The perfect cog to the machine that makes The Party Kings a true ensemble in every sense, and the reaction of the Blues fans in the audience indicates that this is definitely a winning formula.

    Mike Osborn has seen a lot of stages as a Bluesman. As the title of his most recent CD informs us, he has "A Background In The Blues." His recent partnership with The Party Kings is the latest in a long line of groups that have benefited by this quiet man who stands to Bill Rhoades' stage left. His adept string-work makes everybody he works with sound so much better, as he glides across the frets with seemingly little effort. And, when speaking of everybody he's worked with, it's quite a stellar crowd indeed, ranging from legendary harp master Charlie Musselwhite to virtuoso guitarist Robben Ford to the immortal John Lee Hooker.

    It has been a long trip that has taken Mike Osborn from his teenage years in Ukiah, California to the clubs in Portland. And certainly an eventful one at that.

    Michael Osborn was born in San Jose, California in 1950. He lived in the Bay Area until he was in about the sixth grade, when the family moved to Ukiah, about 120 miles north of San Francisco. Mike has early memories of his mother playing piano; she had sheet music for songs such as Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel," and would also sing folk tunes to herself.

    Around 1962, while still attending school in Santa Clara, Mike remembers an assembly held at school where a surf band was brought in to perform. He had never seen a live band before and the impact was overwhelming. At that time, Mike decided that he wanted to play drums and he soon came into possession of a red, sparkle drum kit purchased through the Montgomery Ward catalog for about $120. Though he worked at the drums, he wasn't very good at it.

    Mike's brother received an acoustic Stella guitar as a gift that year for Christmas, but he wasn't very interested in the instrument. Mike started picking up the guitar, which had come with a chord book, and began working out the different chords. Soon he was also figuring out chord progressions off records and he was hooked. He gave up on the drums and focused entirely on the guitar.

    In 1963, Mike's family moved to Ukiah, where he met Patrick Ford, beginning a lifelong relationship with one of the most respected musical families in Northern California. A couple of years later, he met Patrick's younger brother, Robben, who was already being hailed in the area as a sensational guitar player, though still in his early teens. The trio began hanging out at a local music store called Hayes Music, where the owner's son, Tim Hayes, would turn them onto all the latest sounds. Musicians such as Django Reinhardt and B.B. King had a strong impact. But, it was the Paul Butterfield Blues Band that caught their attention most, especially the twin guitars of Michael Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop.

    Mike, Patrick and Robben soon began playing together as a band called the Bluegrass Soul Band. It was primarily a Soul music group that had some Blues thrown into the mix. Later, with the addition of their youngest brother, Mark Ford, they became the original Ford Blues Band.

    "Mike began playing with my brothers and I while we were still in high school," reminisces drummer Patrick Ford. "Our relationship, professionally and as friends, has been ongoing ever since. I love Mike as a brother. I respect him as one of the great, in-the-pocket, real thing Blues guitarists of our generation. He's developed a unique style that is immediately recognized. When Mike is on, it's as good as it gets!"

    By 1969, Patrick and Robben decided to move down to the Bay Area and form a real Blues band. Mark, four years younger than Robben, was not old enough to go along.

Robben Ford & Mike Osborn

    The brothers placed an ad in the paper and found harmonica player/vocalist Gary Smith. They then returned to Ukiah and invited Mike to join them as rhythm guitarist. With the addition of bassist Lou Bottini, the first Charles Ford Band was born (named after Patrick and Robben's father).

    This grouping did not last long, though. They played fairly steadily throughout 1969. When they opened a show for Charlie Musselwhite at The Lion's Share in Marin County, Charlie took a shine to Patrick's playing and invited him to join his band. He also took Robben along as well. Mike and Gary Smith continued working together for a while, trying to put together another band. Mike also worked with numerous other musicians in the Bay Area, and he was involved with a couple of recording sessions over this period, including one with Charlie Musselwhite and also with The Charles Ford Band. But eventually he married and fell out of music, for the most part, for a few years.

    That first marriage was short-lived and Mike found himself moving back to Ukiah. The Charles Ford Band also disbanded, and Patrick Ford had returned home, too. Mike and Patrick then created a new band that included Mark Ford, guitarist Mark Hansen and Bonnie Raitt's brother, David. They were known as Mixed Nuts and enjoyed reasonable success in Northern California.

    The lure of the Bay Area rose its head again around 1978. Mike, Patrick and Mark once again decided to relocate there, now forming the Mark Ford Band. But Mark's musical direction began to change from Blues toward Fusion and Patrick left the group after a few months. Mike continued on for a few months longer, but also decided to depart after a while. At that point, Mike once again took a break from the music scene for about a year.

    In 1981, Mike's friend, Gary Alongi, who had been playing guitar for John Lee Hooker, was making a move to Portland to get married and he asked Mike if he would be interested in taking his position with Hooker. Gary took Mike to meet John Lee and the legendary Bluesman hired him on the spot — without even hearing him play a note.

    For their first gig together, Mike got into a van with the band, including drummer Tim Richards and keyboardist Deacon Jones, not knowing anybody in the group at all. They then drove cross-country, from the Bay Area to Omaha, Nebraska, and played at a club called the Hart Street Tavern; completely unrehearsed. They just started playing and everything just seemed to click. It was the beginning of a tenure with John Lee Hooker that would last for the next 13 years.

    "Mike is one of the hottest guitar players I know," remarks Deacon Jones. "Unlike 99% of guitarists, Mike is quiet and modest, holding his fire for the stage. That period with Mike, Larry Hamilton, Tim Richards and myself with John Lee Hooker, was one of the finest bands I'd ever played with. Other bands caught hell coming up after them!"

    Playing with Hooker took Mike Osborn around the world, playing some of the most elite venues and renowned festivals available, including Carnegie Hall, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. But many of the best gigs Mike remembers were during his early days with John Lee Hooker, prior to his resurgence with the release of "The Healer" in 1989. Tours were set up for periods of about two to three weeks at a time, within specific regions of the country, such as the Southeast or Northwest, working in small clubs. Trips to Europe usually took place twice a year. The first time he was in Europe with John Lee, Mike recalls a four-night stint at London's Hammersmith-Odeon on a bill that included Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King. He couldn't believe it. He felt as if he were in heaven! Another European tour involved riding in a bus through France and The Alps with a package grouping that also featured Willie Dixon, John Hammond and Luther Allison.

    It was sometime around 1986 or 1987 that John Lee Hooker had begun to talk about retiring. There hadn't been any new recordings for the elder Bluesman since the mid-to-late 1970s until the 1986 release of "Jealous," which Mike Osborn also plays on. So, Mike supplemented his time between gigs with John Lee by working off-and-on with Charlie Musselwhite and the occasional reunion performances with The Ford Blues Band or Mixed Nuts.

    He had also started writing songs of his own, doing a handful of home recordings with some of his friends. One day he played one of these tapes for Patrick Ford, who a few years earlier had formed his own record label called Blue Rock'It. Patrick liked what he heard and asked Mike if he would like to make a record. Thus the first of three recordings Mike has made on the Blue Rock'It label was released, titled, "Cold Hearted Girl." Over the years, Mike had made many friends that he met while touring and many of these musicians have given their time to appear on Mike's releases: Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Curtis Salgado and of course, John Lee Hooker are among them. "A Case Of The Blues" and "A Background In The Blues" were also released, in 1993 and 1996, respectively.

    "It has been with great pride that I have released all three of Michael's recordings on Blue Rock'It," states Patrick Ford. "Each not only showcases his talents as a guitarist, but also his skills as a really wonderful songwriter. Even in a straight-ahead Blues, Mike usually finds a way to give it something special that makes it an Osborn original."

    Mike continued playing with John Lee Hooker until 1994 and appeared on two more of his albums, "Mr. Lucky" (1991) and "Boom Boom" (1992). But with his advanced age, John Lee was cutting back on performances. Mike also wanted to start focusing more on his personal music and booked gigs of his own, while still working with a number of other performers whenever the opportunity arose.

    He had started playing with Blues vocalist Sista Monica Parker in 1992 when she first burst onto the Bay Area music scene. Her rise in popularity over the following few years carried Mike along for yet more worldwide tours and sessions on two of her albums, "Get Out Of My Way" and "SISTA MONICA."

    "I hired him the first time I heard him play," remarks Sista Monica. "When he plays a solo he delivers a story that reflects the intention of the song. He's a master of both uptempo, rockin' grooves and passionate, slow Blues ballads. His creativity placed an indelible mark on the original Sista Monica songs and sounds that other guitarists are still trying to duplicate."

    Mike remained a member of Sista Monica's band for nearly six years, but as is too often the case, playing the Blues cannot provide a steady income. He had taken a day job working at Stanford University, which made it hard for him to take time off to travel with the band, so his playing began to revolve around gigs with various players in the Bay Area or occasional short trips along the West Coast. For the following few years, he would perform with artists such as drummer Ronnie Beck, vocalist Annie Sampson, a band called Humdaddy, and every now-and-then with a grouping of Blue Rock'It label performers touring as a revue that included The Ford Blues Band, Robben Ford and Chris Cain.

    Beginning in 1996, thoughts began to surface within Mike and his wife about moving to Portland. They wanted to purchase a home, but the cost in the Bay Area was much too prohibitive. Portland had always appealed to the couple, along with the fact that Mike had a daughter living in Seattle and his wife's son lived in Portland and relocating would also bring them closer to their grandchildren. So, they saved their money and finally made the move in September of 2001. Both also took on jobs at Oregon Health and Science University in downtown Portland.

    Once again, Mike had stepped away from music temporarily, focusing on adjusting to his new life in Portland. He sat back and watched what was happening in the vibrant Blues scene in the city, with intentions of eventually getting involved. Over the ensuing year, he made a handful of treks back to the Bay Area and sat in for performances by Annie Sampson and with Humdaddy at the Monterey Blues Festival last June. When Patrick Ford booked the Blue Rock'It Revue in Kalama, Washington, Mike sat in with the group, trading licks with guitarists Robben Ford, Chris Cain and Volker Strifler.

    But Mike's emergence in the Portland Blues community has a little side story of someone being in just the right place at the right time. His wife was looking for a dentist in the area and was given a referral from the office that she had used in the Bay Area. She struck up a conversation with the receptionist in the new office and the two began talking about their lives. Eventually it came up that the receptionist, Cindy Stewart, was married to harmonica player Bill Rhoades, and the pair found that they shared common ground. So, Mike and his wife decided to catch Bill's set at the Waterfront Blues Festival and were knocked out by the band. A few weeks later, Bill called Mike and asked if he would like to sit in with The Party Kings at The Bite of Portland.

    "When I first heard that Mike Osborn was living in Portland I was both surprised and pleased," Bill Rhoades states. "I had heard his work with John Lee Hooker and also his CD 'A Case Of The Blues' and really liked his playing. We invited him to play with us at The Bite. He came down and played with no rehearsal and tore it up!"

    The band sounded terrific together to Mike as well. Shortly afterwards, Bill called Mike again and asked if he would like to play another gig at The Trail's End Saloon. They had another great time together and Bill approached Mike, asking if he would like to join The Party Kings full-time. Mike accepted.

    Bill Rhoades has been recognized as "The Godfather" of the Northwest Blues scene for many years and The Party Kings in its many various forms has always been a stronghold as well. But with the addition of Mike Osborn, this may in fact be the most powerful lineup ever for the band. Rounded out by the rhythm section of bassist Tom Szell (who has worked with people such as Robert Lockwood Jr., Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Eagles) and Johnny Moore on drums (Albert Collins, Smokey Wilson and William Clarke), they have all the credentials and capabilities of making themselves heard not only within Portland and the Northwest, but can make a noise wherever and whenever they should choose to play.

    "I would have to say that Mike is one of the very best guitar players I have ever had the pleasure to play music with," comments Bill Rhoades.

    Over the past few years, before leaving California, Mike had been working on new material. At that time, he had about half a dozen songs recorded, though there are none of the superstar-type names from past recordings present, such as John Lee Hooker or Charlie Musselwhite. But he does include tracks featuring Ronnie Beck and guitarist Kenny""Blue" Ray. He would also like to have Bill Rhoades and The Party Kings included on future recordings to round out a potential CD. But as Mike has shown in the past, he is in no hurry to rush a recording or his life. Everything will be done as he wants it and when he chooses.

    The crowd at The Trail's End this night is captivated by Mike's guitar mastery, hanging onto every solo with intense attention. One patron makes a quick phone call to a buddy, stating, "You've gotta hear this," as he lifts his cell phone into the air in the room. Ovations follow every guitar solo. This is a happy crowd. And, so is the band. Bill, Tom, Johnny and Mike are all smiles, knowing full well that they've hit upon the right formula.

    Mike is working his magic with yet another band and making them better for it. Before everything is said and done, though, people in the Portland Blues community who may not be familiar with Mike Osborn are surely going to know about him soon enough. He's another welcome addition to a thriving scene that just became that much stronger with his presence.

    "He may not get the praise he deserves," observes Patrick Ford, "but I do not hesitate to say, 'It doesn't get any better.'"

    "He is the quintessential Blues and R&B lead guitarist, adds Sista Monica. "There is only one Mike Osborn on the planet."

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