A TIMELESS BAND, A RICH HISTORY.
The Mike Reilly Band’s legendary, rich musical history spans over 40 years and stands as a testimony to the timelessness of the blues music genre.
PHOTO BY TERRY BERT
Mike Reilly stands tall as a veteran musician and iconic performer. With a career spanning over 40 years, Reilly's journey in the music industry has been nothing short of legendary. Leading the charge with his band, the Mike Reilly Band (MRB), he has shared stages with titans of music history, from Gregg Allman to Elvin Bishop, The Hudson Danko Band featuring Dr. John, Jorma Kaukonen and Gary Bussey. The MRB has also graced the opening slots for legendary acts such as The Allman Brothers Band, Joe Walsh, Leon Russell, Johnny Winter, Etta James, Little Feat, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
In 1984, Reilly's musical odyssey soared to new heights when Gregg Allman and Dan Toler, colleagues from his days as a guitarist for Elvin Bishop, urged him to form his own band. Thus, the Mike Reilly Band was born, with Allman and Toler lending their talents to Reilly's debut album 'Take All My Money.' This groundbreaking record was produced by keyboard maestro Mike Finnigan, renowned for his collaborations with Jimi Hendrix, Dave Mason, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and his own band Dudek Finnigan Kreiger. The engineering was handled by the prolific Allan Blazek, whose extensive discography has included The Eagles, Edgar Winter, Elvin Bishop, Rick Derringer, and The Who. Tracks like "All My Money" and the instrumental "Skunked" gained airplay on KLOS Los Angeles, from the infamous DJ, Geno Michellini.
Recognizing this serendipitous alignment, Reilly spearheaded the formation of a stellar lineup for the new Mike Reilly Band, including guitarist Danny Ott, a member of Chris Gaffney's Cold Hard Facts and the Walter Trout Band; Mark T. Williams, an alumni CSN drummer; Gerald Johnson, renowned bassist for Steve Miller and Dave Mason; and Sean Finnigan, Mike's younger brother, on keyboards. These musicians, often referred to as the "A Team" in local circles, formed the backbone of the new band.
The second MRB CD, "Caught in The Act," was recorded in 1995 with producer Brian Webster. The band opted for basic live tracks with minimal overdubs. Special guest Bill Champlin collaborated on the Elvin Bishop composition “Spend Some Time”. Reilly’s penned tunes, “Never Too Hot” and “Caught in The Act,” received airplay on Blues Deluxe, initiating a rigorous touring schedule and garnering the band a loyal following.
The MRB’s third album, "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed," was recorded in 1997. Initially released on Award Records, it later found its home on Atlas Records, the label owned by William Perkins, longtime manager for the Gregg Allman Band and Sea Level. Reilly envisioned an Electric Flagg-style project and teamed up with Tom Saviano and Bill Champlin to write material. The album's title track, penned by renowned songwriter Jack Tempchin, quickly gained international airplay. Produced by Allan Blazek, Mike Reilly, and Tom Saviano, the album boasted special guest appearances from Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop, Garth Hudson, Bill Champlin, and Kid Ramos, becoming Reilly’s magnum opus and sustaining the band's touring momentum for five years.
The fourth album, "Ol’ Knuckleheads," produced by Grammy winners Tony Braunagle and Allan Blazek, marked the band's second release on Atlas Records. The lineup saw the addition of drummer Stu Nevitt of Shadow Fax, alongside the return of longtime MRB bassist Calvin Hardy and Mike Karhs on Hammond B3. Recorded in 2002 at The Chubbs Bros club house in Costa Mesa, the album featured guest appearances from The Phantom Blues Band and bassist Ken Gradney of Little Feat. Guitarist Dangerous Dan Toler, in town performing with Dickey Betts’ band, Great Southern, found time to record a song dedicated to the late Allman Brothers and Sea Level bassist Lamar Williams, titled "Lamar’s Tune."
The fifth album, "Reilly’s Road," released in 2010, served as a compilation of the previous four albums, with the addition of two songs performed live at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA. This particular show, featuring Gregg Allman and Dan Toler, was professionally filmed by documentary producer/director Dan Birman, serving as a poignant reminder of the venue's significance before its unfortunate closure and demolition.
Mike Reilly is undoubtedly a truly renowned guitarist whose blues-rock credentials extend from his incredible collaborative works to his own highly acclaimed solo albums. His Mike Reilly Band has been the vehicle for creative expression and dynamic live performances for over four decades, cementing Reilly's undeniable status as an iconic blues-rock performer.
Mike Reilly grew up in Fullerton, California during the sixties and seventies. He remembers the night his father, Robert, a Fullerton cop (and guitarist who used to jam with Django Reinhardt), accidentally busting up his drum kit. To replace the drums, his dad bought his nine year-old son a trombone. Musically precocious, in no time Mike was second chair in the school orchestra.
Mike remembers his first Rock album–The Allman Brothers Band (’69). And he remembers when, the following year, he bought an album that totally changed his life–Freddy King’s Getting Ready. Mike, now thirteen, wasready-ready to play the Blues. (Mike was sitting in with the likes of Joe Cocker and The Pointer Sisters
before he was old enough to be in a club.)
