Prodigal Son (SH-CD-1008)

Phenomenal singer/songwriter/musician/entertainer MIKE CROSS is back! MIKE’s dazzling live performances have made him a hero at concert halls and festivals nationwide, and have won him acclaim from VARIETY, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL, THE LA TIMES, etc. His best-selling albums have received raves in BILLBOARD, AUDIO, GUITAR PLAYER , THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, and countless other publications. MIKE’s "Appalachian Mountain boogie" music is an engaging synthesis of folk, rock, blues, and country which knows no boundaries of age, geography, or musical categorization, and fits almost any radio format imaginable, from AOR to NPR.

"PRODIGAL SON", MIKE’s eighth album is a brilliant new collection of songs that showcases all of the best elements of MIKE’s music. With help from a hot electric band (including DON DIXON and ROD ABERNATHY), MIKE rocks out on the sizzling "Road Trip Blues", the bluesy "Wrong Side of Midnight," the haunting "Betrayal By Fear," and his latest hit, "Prodigal Son." CHIP CRAWFORD’s piano accompaniment along with sweet background harmonies give a contemporary country feel to "Angel in the Southern Part of Heaven," while MIKE’s smooth finger picking is the highlight of the folk-flavored ballads "The Old Grey Owl" and "The Old Man’s Bouquet." Fans of MIKE’s wonderfully warped wit will love the bluegrassy "Bill Is In His Grave." The album closes with a beautifully written and gorgeously arranged tribute to the late Merle Watson ("A Song for Merle").

"PRODIGAL SON" is everything you’ve come to expect from a MIKE CROSS album: great story songs and sensitive ballads, superb musicianship, contagious energy and fun. The King of Appalachian Mountain Boogie returns!!