Mike Markowitz, who plays both harmonica and keyboards, entered the world in Queens, New York, on November 23, 1955, and came of age inside the expanding blues clubs of 1980s Manhattan. He built his standing through steady touring paired with classic New York assertiveness, known locally as chutzpah.
His earliest points of reference were John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter Jacobs. After assembling his first blues group in 1978 and working the venues of lower Manhattan, he gained wider notice by supporting visiting figures such as pianist Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, and Jimmy Rogers on their New York and New Jersey dates. Markowitz’s deep commitment to the music, evident both as listener and performer, led him behind the board in 1988, where he produced sessions for Perkins and later for Sumlin.
Little Mike & the Tornadoes landed a contract with the San Francisco imprint Blind Pig in 1990, after which his recorded output grew steadily. The band’s debut album, Heart Attack, featured guest appearances by Perkins, Paul Butterfield, and Sumlin. Two years later came Payday, also for Blind Pig, before Flynn’s Place, his first project for Flying Fish Records, the label later acquired by Rounder Records.
Markowitz remains a tireless, clear-eyed blues artist expected to reappear regularly on Rounder or other imprints. All three of his albums continue to be available on compact disc and remain worth locating.
