Biography

John Oates is no stranger to success. Since the formation of his partnership in the early 70's with Daryl Hall, Hall & Oates have gone on to record 21 albums which have sold over 80 million units making them the most successful duo in rock history. They have scored 10 number one records, over 20 top 40 hits and have toured the world for decades. Their involvement in the original "Live Aid" concert and the ground breaking "We Are The World" charity recording have further established them as legendary artists who have personally and through their music, stood the test of time. Their influence on modern pop music has been cited by numerous contemporary bands, like the Gym Class Heroes and the Killers, who have credited and acknowledged H&O's considerable contribution to American music.

On October 11, 2011 the John Oates Band arrived at the Sirius/XM Radio Station Studios in Washington D.C. to record a live performance of the show that the band had been performing for the past 6 months. The session was supervised and inspired by Bill Wax, program director and host of B.B. King’s Bluesville channel at the station. I had done an interview with Bill a few months earlier and at his invitation we organized the live taping. The night before, the band played two sold out shows at the Iridium Club in New York City. The next day we drove 4 hours south to Washington and arrived at the studio mid day. After a quick set up and sound check we pulled out a set list and began to play “ the show “ . This album is 100 % live… exactly the way it went down that day… with no studio trickery or overdubs. In essence, we wanted to capture our live set in real time and in doing so create a snapshot of the set that thousands of fans had heard during the Mississippi Mile tour.

A band is more that the sum of its parts. There’s so much more to it than just singing and playing the instruments. Its time spent together, listening, honesty, trust and the shared joy that happens when the groove, the spirit, and the sound combined with individual talent and skill, gels into one harmonious unit. This band has certainly done that and more. They are consummate professionals and good friends who have collectively worked to make this music come alive. The band consists of John Michel, from Aspen Colorado on drums and vocals. Michael Jude on bass and vocals also from Aspen Colorado. Mark Newman on Slide /electric guitar and vocals from New York City and Kevin McKendree from Nashville Tennessee on piano and organ.